I have always recommended FTDNA, beginning with an mtDNA test when they were first offered (Cleared up a mystery for me.) I have always found their matches and everything else very easy to use BUT a couple of years ago, they switched their members’ family trees across to MyHeritage. To access them, you needed a MH subscription. Sooo annoying if you wanted to check a match’s tree to find a possible link. I have a mystery for which I paid for a BigY test (expensive) expressly because i needed to follow up specific yDNA matches back to the early 1800s. Grrr. I havent had any luck using MH - i do have a subscription - because the matches they give me are autosomal and in the thousands. Too many to try to follow family trees - if they even have them. Dorothy Gaunt NZ Sent from my iPad
> On 29 Apr 2026, at 1:08 PM, Verity Morris via CoTyroneList > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Greg, > > Very thorough précis from Annie, however it’s important to know that if you > have an autosomal DNA test with FamilyTreeDNA ( or any other company) you > can’t upload that data to Ancestry. Ancestry will let you share your DNA data > taken by them with other companies ( as Annie said), but refuse to allow the > opposition access to their vast data base with DNA matches, family trees etc. > So in the future if you feel like building a research tree to test your > hypothesis, by far best bet is to use Ancestry. Then you still have the > option of uploading to other companies to spread your net far and wide in > order to snare other DNA matches and trees. > And just to add, this is not an ad for any particular company, it’s just my > experience after some years of research, floundering and learning! It sounds > like you’re just starting the DNA journey and there’s a lot to get familiar > with, so it may be best to keep it simple right now. There are free webinars > available too which can be very helpful. > > To be able to combine the wonderful resources of cotyroneireland.com and DNA > research means some of the brick walls finally may get knocked down! > Cheers, > Verity > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 28 Apr 2026, at 10:35 pm, James McKane via CoTyroneList >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Amen Annie! I have been using them for years as well. Extremely reliable >> and accurate testing as well as a large number of Groups and other services >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >>>> On Apr 28, 2026, at 8:25 AM, Annie Crenshaw via CoTyroneList >>>> <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> RE: FamilyTreeDNA test & questions by Greg Limpet >>> >>> Greg, >>> >>> FamilyTreeDNA is the BEST company doing DNA testing in the world today. It >>> was the first consumer DNA company to offer genealogical DNA testing, >>> specifically focusing on Y-DNA and mtDNA tests to help individuals trace >>> their ancestry. I've been using their tests in my genealogy research for 20 >>> years. >>> >>> There's more than one type of DNA test -- which one did you take? >>> >>> Autosomal DNA ("Family Finder" on FTDNA) tests both your father's and >>> mother's sides of your family. All the ancestors' surnames and DNA lines >>> are in the match results, like a huge melting pot. That's the most popular >>> test. >>> >>> FTDNA allows you to transfer your autosomal test results from other >>> companies. As their web site says: "Already tested with AncestryDNA, >>> 23andMe, or MyHeritage? Upload your raw DNA data to FamilyTreeDNA and >>> discover even more relatives." >>> >>> Y-DNA tests ONLY the paternal side of your family: father > son > grandson >>> > great-grandson, and so on. ONE surname in a straight ancestral line, a >>> test for males only. For instance, I can't take a Y-DNA test to check my >>> Crenshaw ancestry; I had my brother, Richard Crenshaw, take the Y-DNA test. >>> The DNA line goes from him to our father, Crenshaw grandfather, Crenshaw >>> great-grandfather, etc. >>> >>> FTDNA is the only company doing Y-DNA testing. The DNA tests with all the >>> other companies: Ancestry.com, MyHeritage, 23&Me, etc., are ONLY and ALL >>> autosomal. >>> >>> mtDNA tests ONLY the maternal side of your family: mother > daughter > >>> granddaughter, and so on. My mtDNA test results trace from me to my mother, >>> to her mother, to her mother's mother, and so on. >>> >>> Ancestry has the largest DNA client database, and taking their test >>> probably WOULD be helpful. You'd be reaching the largest number of possible >>> matches, on all sides of your family. And I'd certainly recommend joining >>> the North of Ireland DNA project managed by NIFHS, as described by Elwyn >>> Soutter. It's a great project. >>> >>> Good luck with DNA and with your ongoing ancestor search, >>> >>> Annie >>> >>> ================================= >>> Send a Message to the List - [email protected] >>> List Archive - >>> https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com >>> Join the list by sending an email to - >>> [email protected] >>> To receive the Digest version, send an email to - [email protected] >>> Unsubscribe by sending an email to - >>> [email protected] >>> ================================= >> ================================= >> Send a Message to the List - [email protected] >> List Archive - >> https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com >> Join the list by sending an email to - >> [email protected] >> To receive the Digest version, send an email to - [email protected] >> Unsubscribe by sending an email to - >> [email protected] >> ================================= > ================================= > Send a Message to the List - [email protected] > List Archive - > https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com > Join the list by sending an email to - > [email protected] > To receive the Digest version, send an email to - [email protected] > Unsubscribe by sending an email to - > [email protected] > ================================= ================================= Send a Message to the List - [email protected] List Archive - https://list.cotyroneireland.com/empathy/list/cotyronelist.list.cotyroneireland.com Join the list by sending an email to - [email protected] To receive the Digest version, send an email to - [email protected] Unsubscribe by sending an email to - [email protected] =================================
