Foley/Murphy

Thank you, in advance, for reading.

I'm trying to find my 3rd great grandfather John Foley and his wife Ellen Cavanagh. Their son Edward emigrated to the U.S. in the late 1840's.  He lived in Schuykill Haven, PA and in 1854 a David Foley testified Edward had lived in the U.S. for at least five years when he applied for citizenship.  He was naturalized in LaSalle, IL in 1860.  He married a widow, Elizabeth Malone Farrell in 1857.  The 1860 census has his occupation as a miner.  The Pennsylvania area he originally lived in was also a coal area.  It is my assumption that he may have been a miner in Ireland and Kilkenny/Tipperary had a significant coal mine during the 1840's-early 1900's, if what I've read is correct.  Is there a significant Foley population still in the coal area of Kilkenny?

So, why the Murphy in the title? I did an Ancestry DNA test a few years ago and their data shows my ancestors may have come from; North Leinster/East Connacht, NE Leinster/S. Ulster, Ulster and Leinster.  Obviously, very general areas.  My mother's side comes from Meath.  When I found out there is a genetic test or yDNA that specifically traces the paternal line, I submitted a sample and the results were SURPRISING! There were 11 matches and none were Foley's but five were Murphy's. 

I am planning on paying more for an upgrade from yDNA37 to the BigY700 which supposedly will help narrow down an area and possibly find some relatives.  It may be a poor assumption on my part, but it seems like there may have been some ancestor that didn't actually father one of "his" sons and a Murphy is the true father.  OR, a Foley was the actual father of a Murphy and that line flourished while my Foley line was significantly affected during the famine.  Any thoughts?  

My final question is, does the fact the name Murphy "comes from" sea warrior and the Foley name "from" pirate plunderer suggest that there is an historical connection between these two family lines?

Thanks again.

Pat