My autosomal DNA

All humans have 22 pairs of autosomes and one pair of sex chromosomes (women have two X chromosomes while men have an X and a Y). Here is a video explaining how we inherit autosomal DNA.
(I have tested with two genetic companies. They are 23andMe and Family Tree DNA)

23andMe

23andMe have a feature called Relative Finder which helps you find cousins. In the words of 23andMe -

Relative Finder connects you with 23andMe members who share DNA and ancestors with you.

It can tell you the degree of relationship with your matches due to the size of the segment(s) you both share and the length of the segment(s).

23andMe also gives you health results (Disease Risks, Carrier Status, Traits & Drug Response). Since I'm only concerned with my ancestry I won't go into it in too much detail. 23andMe can tell you if you are a higher risk of getting certain diseases like Alzheimer's Disease or Parkinson's Disease. Even if you are a carrier of certain diseases it doesn't mean that you'll definitely contract them, it just means that you're at a higher risk.

On 23andMe my Ancestry Painting is 100% European.

Ancestry Painting

Ancestry Painting

Here are my Global Similarity results from 23andMe -

Global Similarity

On my Global Similarity: Advanced View; I'm placed in the middle of the Irish box. This isn't too surprising considering I'm Irish.

Global Similarity: Advanced View

Family Tree DNA

Family Tree DNA have a test called Family Finder which tests your autosomal DNA. It works the same as 23andMe's Relative Finder. One of the features on Family Finder is a tool called Population Finder. Like 23andMe's Ancestry Painting it looks at your genetic history and compares your genetics to global populations. Here are my Population Finder results -

Population Finder

The population that I am closest to is Orcadian. It is named after people from the Orkney Islands. This is a term used best to describe people from the British Isles since the populations Family Tree DNA uses for Western Europe are Basque, French, Orcadian and Spanish. It's no surprise that someone who has Irish or British heritage would best match the Orcadians.

My Y-DNA and mtDNA Haplogroups

Y-DNA

My Y-DNA haplogroup is M222. The R-M222 branch of the Y-DNA tree is defined by a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) called M222. Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) and The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) now call the M222 SNP 'R1b1a2a1a1b4b'. 23andMe call the M222 SNP 'R1b1b2a1a2f2'. M222 belongs to haplogroup R. Haplogroup R is the most common haplogroup in European populations.

Here is a video from The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation explaining Y Chromosome DNA.

My Haplogroup results from Family Tree DNA

The M222 SNP is most common in men whose male line ancestors came from Northwest Ireland, Ulster or Lowland Scotland. Most of my Y-DNA matches have either Ulster or Scottish surnames.

The area where M222 is mostly found

A study conducted at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, found that a lot of men in Ireland (and even Scotland) have the M222 marker. The study suggests that M222 is the marker of the Uí Néill, which literally means the 'descendants of Niall'. M222 has been called the 'Niall Of The Nine Hostages' marker. Niall was a High King of Ireland and died around the year 400 AD. Here is the Niall Of The Nine Hostages page on Family Tree DNA. Here is more information about M222. This is the M222 group page from Family Tree DNA.

mtDNA

 

My mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup is H3. H3 is a sub branch of haplogroup H. H3 is found mainly in Western Europe. H3 is at its highest frequency in Iberia and Sardinia, and is about 16,000 years old. 

H3 migration journey

A mother passes on her mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to both her daughters and sons. Only daughters have the ability to pass it on to the next generation though. Here is an image from Family Tree DNA explaining how we inherit mtDNA -

                     
                 


H3 was involved in the resettlement of Northern Europe after the Ice Age. H3 is defined by the mutation 6776C. Here is the link to the H3 Project at Family Tree DNA.

Jim Belford - An Irish Far East Prisoner of War

James Belford was from Kildare, Ireland. He joined the British Army in 1933 after travelling to Belfast to enlist. He served in Malaya and he was in the Royal Artillery. He was captured by the Japanese while trying to defend Singapore. The British forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese on the 15th of February 1942.
Jim was forced to work on the 'Railway Of Death' in Thailand/Burma. The POW's were treated very harshly by the sadistic Japanese guards. The POW's were forced to work from early morning to late in the evening. The guards would regularly beat the POW's. The Japanese would kill the POW's if they were too ill to work or if they were too ill to march onto the next camp.

Lance Serjeant James Belford - 9th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery

After the construction of the railway was finished Jim was sent to Japan to continue his slave labour. All of the POW's were like skeletons by this stage. Only the fittest of the men were chosen to go to Japan. He was transported, along with 900 British POW's, on a ship called the Kachidoki Maru. The ship left Singapore on the 4th of September 1944. It was part of a 12 ship convoy.

Kachidoki Maru

On 12th September 1944, off the coast of Hainan Island, China, the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine, the USS Pampanito at 22:40. The Americans had no idea the ship was carrying POW's. Over 400 POW's were killed, including Jim. Another ship in the convoy called the Rakuyo Maru which was carrying Australian and British POW's was also torpedoed and sunk. The Japanese rescued some of the POW's from both ships and continued their journey onto Japan on the ship Kibitsu Maru.


Here is Jim's name on the memorial in Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore -

Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore

Here are some more photo's of the memorial which were taken by my cousin -

Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore

Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore

Jim was born in 1914 in Kildare Town. He was the son of Peter Belford and Brigid Rankin. Jim played Minor Football for Kildare. Here is a match report from the 'Kildare Observer' from Saturday, May 21, 1932.

Kildare Observer -  May 21, 1932   

Here is Jim's page from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

Lackagh, County Kildare

Here is some information I found about the rounding up of everybody in the townland of Lackagh, which is outside of Kildare Town, who were to be sold as slaves in the Caribbean. 

Lackagh Churchyard

                              


"In the neighbourhood of Timolin, Co. Kildare, in March 1655, some 20 English families recently arrived, settled at Kilnemarne. A father and two sons repairing the deserted abodes of Irish gentlemen and their families, lately transplanted to Connaught, when they “were waylaid and set upon by three Irishmen, being bloodthirsty and wicked persons, who fell upon him and his two sons, and cruelly murdered one of them, and dangerously wounded the other.” (The Cromwellian Plantation by John P. Prendergast). Forthwith, orders were issued to transplant all the Irish inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of Timolin to Connaught.  


Six months later in the townland of Lackagh, Protestants Dennis Brennan and Murtagh Turner were similarly murdered. This resulted in all the Irish being seized, four of whom were hanged, and the remaining 37, including two priests, were handed over to Mr. Norton, a Bristol merchant, to be sold as bond slaves to the suger planters at the Barbadoes."  

Names of Lackagh people who were sold as slaves in Barbados

"25 Oct, 1655A 9 295, Marshall Peak to deliver prisoners to Capt. Coleman. Ordered that Philip Peak Esq. Marshal of ye 4 Courts at Dublin doe forthwith deliver or cause to be delivered unto Capt. Robert Coleman, Commander of the Wexford Frigate, all Popish priests (other then such as are committed for murder) as also ye persons brought out of ye County of Kildare and committed to his custody for suspition of being privy to ye Murther lately done at ye Towne of Lackagh in ye said County (except ye 2 that are condemned to be hanged for ye same) together with the reputed wife of Donnogh Derrick, alias blind Donnogh, in ye custody of him ye said Marshall, to ye end hee, ye said Coleman may (with ye first opportunity of wind and weather) convey them with his Ship and deliver them in safe custody to ye Governor of Waterford, to bee by him delivered unto Capt. Norris, merchant there, who is safely to keep ye said priests and others the Prisoners abovesaid at his owne charge untill he shall transport them for ye Barbadoes. List of Priests, &c. to be sent to the Clerk of the Council. Dublin Castle, 27 Nov. 1655 List furnished 4 Dec. 4 Priests. 16 men. 19 women and children."  

Lackagh Church

I got the information from 'The Irish Times' and http://www.from-ireland.net