>In my research I also found some large Coughlin families (Irish Catholic) and Shane families (Irish Protestant).
>I guess it all works out. As for myself, I have 17 aunts and uncles all now deceased and about 50 first cousins (2 married to Buddhist).

I've found some vague references to cousinectomies being frequently unsuccessful. Many times I heard someone say "I had a cousin twice removed", so I concluded the first removal failed.