The ultimate objective of this project is to help people learn more about their Riley / Reilly ancestry.

The typical questions that DNA Projects like this one can answer are:

1. To which Riley / Reilly individuals am I most closely related? Will this help me push back my own Riley / Reilly genealogy a couple of generations?
2. From where does my own particular Riley / Reilly branch originate?
3. Is it possible to link my Riley / Reilly branch to the ancient genealogies as described in the Ancient Irish Annals?
4. What can DNA tell us about the origins and evolution of the surname Riley / Reilly and its different variants? How are they related to each other (if at all)?
5. What does the larger Family Tree of the Riley / Reilly surname look like going back to the origins of the surname? Can we define it based on the mutations we find in the DNA?

Therefore, the Goals of this project can be summarised as follows:

1. To identify distinct genetic groups of people carrying the Riley / Reilly surname (or one of its variants)
2. To analyse each genetic group and assess where did it come from, how old it is, and if there is any connection to a pre-surname "clan"?
3. To communicate the conclusions of the analysis for each genetic group
4. To help focus project members on specific directions for their own ongoing genealogical research

Feel free to chat with your fellow researchers in the Activity Feed - it is a useful place to swap information.

Hints & tips for getting the most out of your DNA test can be found here.