The true father of Ireland
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Research by geneticists at Trinity College Dublin reveals that one in 12 Irishmen are descended from a fifth-century warlord. As David McKittrick reports, science has for once revealed the man to be more impressive than the myth
Published: 19 January 2006
He was already a splendid quasi-mythical warrior who trailed clouds of ancient glory, bestriding Irish pre-history as one of the greatest of all the high kings of Ireland. But now Niall of the Nine Hostages has emerged as an even mightier man than previously supposed.
It looks as though he was literally one of the fathers of his nation - a man who, 1,500 years after his death, has up to three million living descendants in Ireland and elsewhere.
Scientific research has revealed that around one in 12 men in Ireland are descended from Niall, while in the north-west of the island - his stronghold - that figure rises to a staggering 20 per cent of the male population. More descendants of Niall are to be found in Scotland and in New York, reflecting Irish emigration patterns.
Niall of the Nine Hostages was a fifth-century warlord who took on the English, the Scots, the French and even the Romans, at the same time establishing a series of dynasties which lasted for centuries. Known for his marauding raids, it turns out that his appendage was even mightier than his sword.
Research by geneticists at Trinity College Dublin reveals that one in 12 Irishmen are descended from a fifth-century warlord. As David McKittrick reports, science has for once revealed the man to be more impressive than the myth
Published: 19 January 2006
He was already a splendid quasi-mythical warrior who trailed clouds of ancient glory, bestriding Irish pre-history as one of the greatest of all the high kings of Ireland. But now Niall of the Nine Hostages has emerged as an even mightier man than previously supposed.
It looks as though he was literally one of the fathers of his nation - a man who, 1,500 years after his death, has up to three million living descendants in Ireland and elsewhere.
Scientific research has revealed that around one in 12 men in Ireland are descended from Niall, while in the north-west of the island - his stronghold - that figure rises to a staggering 20 per cent of the male population. More descendants of Niall are to be found in Scotland and in New York, reflecting Irish emigration patterns.
Niall of the Nine Hostages was a fifth-century warlord who took on the English, the Scots, the French and even the Romans, at the same time establishing a series of dynasties which lasted for centuries. Known for his marauding raids, it turns out that his appendage was even mightier than his sword.
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