Keating credits Niall with two wives: Inne, daughter of Lugaid, who bore him one son, Fiachu; and Rignach, who bore him seven sons, Legaire, ndae, Maine, Egan, Conall Gulban, Conall Cremthainne and Coirpre. But while he is away on a tour of his lands in Scotland, Mongfind's sons seize Ireland. DNA news -- an estimate of about 3 million men that carry DNA descended from Niall (of his equivalent): http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/niall-of-the-nine-hostages.html, See Niall of the Nine Hostages (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages). Niall of the Nine Hostages Irish leader Learn about this topic in these articles: association with Conn In Conn Ctchathach to be the ancestor of Niall of the Nine Hostages (reigned 379-405), who founded the U Nill, the greatest dynasty in Irish history. To see the names of the first thirty-five descendants from Adam, the invention of those Irish monks, go to Ancient Irish Lineage on the Our Early Family web site. When Niall grows up he returns to Tara and rescues his mother from her labour. Niall of the Nine Hostages was so named because in his early reign he consolidated his power by taking hostages from opposing royal families. The rise of the U Nill dynasties and their conquests in Ulster and Leinster are not reliably recorded and have been the subject of considerable study and attempts to reconstruct them. [6] Laidchenn responds by satirising Leinster so that no corn, grass or leaves grow there for a year. The saga "The Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages" says that he received five hostages from the five provinces of Ireland (Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Meath), and one each from Scotland, the Saxons, the Britons and the Franks. 452. Niall was the founder of the most powerful Irish royal dynasty as his descendants ruled Ireland for the 6 centuries after his death. [13] He is succeeded by his nephew Nath . Byrne suggests that Niall's death took place during a raid on Roman Britain. [3 ] Mongfind appears to have been a supernatural personage: the saga "The Death of Crimthann mac Fidaig" says the festival of Samhain was commonly called the "Festival of Mongfind", and prayers were offered to her on Samhain eve. have sex with her. We've all technically got "common ancestor" with Niall because we've all got a common paternal ancestor. latter a misleading term that should not be construed as meaning the bearer had Niall Nogallach (Old Irish for "having nine hostages"), or in English, Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a prehistoric Irish king, the ancestor of the U Nill dynasties that dominated the northern half of Ireland from the 6th to the 10th century. Niall exiles him to Scotland. or central areas of Scotland have the so-called Niall of the Nine Hostages nose and a serious case of puss popping zits. [4]:81 T. F. O'Rahilly argues that Niall and his sons were responsible for the breakup of the ancient kingdom of Ulster and the creation of the kingdoms of Tr Chonaill and Tr Egan, and the satellite kingdom of the Airgalla. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Is this accurate at all? Reportedly he had fair skin, hair the color of yellow primrose, and deep, blue-gray eyes. Brin rules the province of Connacht, but Fiachrae makes war against him. He was, moreover, founder of the longest, most important, and most powerful Irish dynasty. 15 ratings6 reviews. Then Niall makes war against Leinster, and peace is concluded on the condition that Eochaid is handed over. Wrong. [14] However, more recently some reservations have been expressed, as the subclade, which is defined by the presence of the marker R-M222, is found in a belt from Northern Ireland across southern Scotland and is not exclusively associated with the U Nill. mutations (changes) occur infrequently but, when they do, they help to She gives birth as she is drawing water, but out of fear of Mongfind, she leaves the child on the ground, exposed to the birds. According to National Geographic, the Mayo County Council hosted the Genographic Project for the Gathering under the theme of diaspora and cultural exchange. Hughes says "Niall himself must have died not before the middle of the fifth century". Dedicated to helping YOU discover your Irish Heritage. The High Kingship did not become a reality until the 9th century, and Niall's legendary status has been inflated in line with the political importance of the dynasty he founded. Niall Noigiallach aka "Niall of the Nine Hostages" was one of the greatest Irish kings. 215. The findings of the study showed that within the north-west of Ireland as many as 21% of men (8% in the general male population) were concluded to have a common male-line ancestor who lived roughly 1,700 years ago. Niall Nogallach (Old Irish "having nine hostages") (pronounced [ni%CB%90%CB%88%C9%99l nojilax])[1], or in English, Niall of the Nine Hostages, son of Eochaid Mugmedn, was an Irish king, the eponymous ancestor of the U Nill kindred who dominated Ireland from the 6th century to the 10th century. There was also an Irish Regiment in Sicily in the early 1700s. [S9180] "Email, no hard copy" , Stewart Baldwin Medieval-L Quoting from "A New History of Ireland" except generations 5-8, which are given in the Ban Shenchus and confirmed in the O'Cathalain pedigree in O'Clery 857. The earliest version of the Lebor Gabla says Eochaid killed him on the English Channel, later versions adding that Niall was invading Brittany when this happened. Privacy Policy. There are [4] Byrne, following James Carney, is a little more precise, dating his death to c. These sources date from long after Niall's time and their value as history is limited at best. The Gathering, a successful community based year-long project to invite the Diaspora to return to their ancestral homeland was held in 2013, helped first time and frequent visitors rediscover and take pride in their heritage. The Family Tree Irish Genealogy Guide paperback. Journal reference: American Journal of Human Genetics (February issue). Distant view of Round Tower at Glendalough, Neill, He was one of the greatest of the High Kings of Ireland in prehistoric days, but one of the least known to modern historians. children, from wives or concubines, were acknowledged. Throughout the 1600 and 1700s, thousands of Irish men of fighting age would migrate to Europe as 'Soldiers for Hire' to fight in various wars. Patricus later came to be known as St. Patrick. This suggestion is no longer plausible. [7], This "loathly lady" motif appears in myth and folklore throughout the world. [13], While Niall is high king, his brothers establish themselves as local kings. Each brother in turn goes looking for water, and finds a well guarded by a hideous hag who demands a kiss in return for water. Supposedly slain in the English Channel or in Scotland, his descendants were the most powerful rulers of Ireland until the 11th . So how do you know if you have Irish ancestry? Eochaid gives the task to a druid, Sithchenn, who devises a contest between the brothers, shutting them in a burning forge, telling them to save what they can, and judging them based on which objects they choose to save. men who can trace their ancestry to Ireland, and especially the north of [3] Byrne, following James Carney, is a little more precise, dating his death to c. Niall, who emerges carrying an anvil, is deemed greater than Brin, with a sledgehammer, Fiachrae with bellows and a pail of beer, Ailill with a chest of weapons, and Fergus with a bundle of wood. The saga "The Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages" says that he received five hostages from the five provinces of Ireland (Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, Munster and Meath), and one each from Scotland, the Saxons, the Britons and the Franks. Meath) and also captured a Briton, a Gaul, a Saxon and a Scot. 4.00. Variations of this story are told of the earlier Irish high king Lugaid Logde, in Arthurian legend one of the most famous versions appears in both Geoffrey Chaucer's The Wife of Bath's Tale and the related Gawain romance, The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell and in John Gower's Middle English poem Confessio Amantis. Crimthann returns to Ireland intending to give battle. The only company that does Y-dna tests is FTdna (FamilyTreeDNA). My father was born in Hungary, how common is this haplogroup for those with eastern european ancestry? His father, Eochaid Muig Medon, son of Muiredeach, became Ard Rich mid way of the fourth century. [7], Although it is anachronistic for Niall's mother to have been a Saxon, O'Rahilly argues that the name Cairenn is derived from the Latin name Carina, and that it is plausible that she might have been a Romano-Briton. In the study scientists found an area in northwest Ireland where they claim 21.5% carry Nialls genetic fingerprint, says Brian McVoy, one of the team at Trinity. His men carry his body home, fighting seven battles on the way, and his foster-father Torna dies of grief. All but two of the High Kings of Tara came from this family. Keating has Eochaid shoot Niall from the opposite bank of the river Loire during his European campaign. bronze slippers. and tr. Niall's accession to the throne possibly took place around 379AD. Learning about our ancestry is particularly fun when we can toast to it. Irish annalistic and chronicle sources place his reign in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, although modern scholars, through critical study of the annals, date him about half a century later. After obtaining obedience from the Picts, his next foreign raid was into Britain. 23andMe will give you the basic results for Ydna but . According to legend, Niall led one of the most powerful and enduring Irish kingdoms and it has been suggested that because of high rates of Irish emigration to North America and other parts of the world, up to two or three million men descend from Niall! , 'The Family Tree Irish Genealogy Guide' is full of advice, tips and strategies to ease what can be a challenging journey. As next-generation sequencing has become available, various chief lines have been tested. 23andme specifies it as R-M269 and says "You share a paternal-line ancestor with Niall of the Nine Hostages" . No, if he's M222, his paternal line almost certainly came to Italy from Ireland and/or Britain. king. Niall of the Nine Hostages. I believe you may be interested in the first fully illustrated children's book about Niall of the Nine Hostages. powerful people who controlled an area loosely centred on present-day Armagh Keating has Eochaid shoot Niall from the opposite bank of the river Loire during his European campaign. Niall was said to have ruled over Tara, but modern historians think it more likely that Tara was founded by Niall's decendents, and that Niall himself actually set up his kingdom at Uisnech, another "royal hill". For more information, please see our 3 days ago. part of France). The association with Niall is based on an outdated study that noted many M222 men have surnames that supposedly come from Niall or his descendants. two stories to identify Niall's nine hostages. Irish tradition had forgotten that the Romans once ruled Britain, and relocated his remembered confrontations with the Empire to continental Europe, with Alba, the ancient name for Britain, being confused with Elpa, the Alps, or being understood with its later meaning of Scotland. All sources agree he died outside Ireland. Such It was in one of these Gallic expeditions that the lad Succat, destined under his later name of Patrick to be the greatest and noblest figure Ireland ever knew, was taken in a sweep of captives, carried to Ireland and to Antrim, there to herd the swine of the chieftain, Milcho. The rise of the U Nill dynasties and their conquests in Ulster and Leinster are not reliably recorded but have been the subject of considerable study and attempts to reconstruct them. They defeat him and win great spoil, but Fiachrae is wounded in the battle and dies of his wounds shortly afterwards. Fergus and Ailill refuse and return empty-handed. After reading through their ancestry reports from 23andMe, customers can now browse Airbnb homes and experiences in their native countriesand plan vacations as unique as their DNA. ", According to 23andMe.com, "The spread of haplogroup R-M269 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. Privacy Policy. [3] However, the traditional roll of kings and its chronology is now recognised as artificial. That is to say, after 6-10 generations, you will lose track of entire ancestors and their ethnicity. In addition to the 100 participants, famous Irish names also participated including former Taoiseach [Prime Minister] of Ireland Enda Kenny and former Minister of State Michael Ring. stories say that the future St Patrick was among hostages taken from one such [26], Perhaps even more problematic is the dearth of M222 lineages in Midlands samples. Genographic Project director Spencer Wells then discussed the study's collective results revealing maternal and paternal Geno 2.0 results. Niall makes war in Europe as far as the Alps, and the Romans send an ambassador to parlay with him. She will What is a paternal line? Three of his sons founded kingdoms in Ulster (collectively the Northern Ui Neill), other sons founded kingdom in the Irish midlands (the Southern Ui Neill). The earliest version of the Lebor Gabla says Eochaid killed him on the English Channel, later versions adding that Niall was invading Brittany when this happened. His reign dated to the late 4th and early 5th centuries. [6], Keating credits Niall with two wives: Inne, daughter of Lugaid, who bore him one son, Fiachu; and Rignach, who bore him seven sons, Legaire, ndae, Maine, Egan, Conall Gulban, Conall Cremthainne and Coirpre. Within our second panel of markers the most distinctive difference from the R1b Modal is the 15,16,16,17 at DYS 464. Niall, Killed in Battle. A study conducted at Trinity College, Dublin, found that a striking percentage of men in Ireland (and quite a few in Scotland) share the same Y chromosome. You absolutely do not understand. A recent source shows this Angus as the father of Foghan Owen (also named by that source as Eochaid) Whilest many sources sho the decent through Niall "of the 9 Hostages"? The Annals of Inisfallen date his death before 382, and the Chronicon Scotorum to 411. [9][10], Although it is anachronistic for Niall's mother to have been a Saxon, O'Rahilly argues that the name Cairenn is derived from the Latin name Carina, and that it is plausible that she might have been a Romano-Briton. His people were Celts who had escaped domination by the Romans by fleeing north and west. Paternal lines are inherited through the Y chromosome, which only men have. There is nothing weird about someone with 0.00% measurable Irish ethnicity being one of his descendants. [7]:222232 O'Rahilly and Byrne argue that the literary sources, though late and garbled, preserve genuine traditions that Niall led raids on Britain, and perhaps died on one. 7879 to conclude that the events of the later half of the 5th century have been extended backwards to accommodate as early a date as possible for the arrival of Saint Patrick, with the effect of pushing Niall back up to half a century. Its guidance will be useful to any researcher of Irish heritage, but especially for the target Irish-American researcher who's struggling to work back to Ireland from their immigrant ancestor. Yet his fall in a foreign land was to be compassed, not by the strategy or might of the foreign enemy, but by the treachery of one of his own. Niall of the Nine Hostages. While Cairenn is pregnant with Niall, the jealous Mongfind forces her to do heavy work, hoping to make her miscarry. In it, Eochaid Mugmedn, the High King of Ireland, has five sons, four, Brin, Ailill, Fiachrae and Fergus, by his first wife Mongfind, sister of the king of Munster, Crimthann mac Fidaig, and a fifth, Niall, by his second wife Cairenn Chasdub, daughter of Sachell Balb, king of the Saxons. [7], This "loathly lady" motif appears in myth and folklore throughout the world. They defeat him and win great spoil, but Fiachrae is wounded in the battle and dies of his wounds shortly afterwards. Cookie Notice Niall of the Nine Hostages , or Niall Nigiallach, was the youngest son of Eochaidh Mugmedon (King of Connacht). The story The little Irish (Scotic) colony in that part of Alba just opposite to Antrim had gradually been growing in numbers, strength, and prestige - until they excited the jealousy and enmity of the Picts, who tried to crush them. water. Boyle, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Coleman, Connor, Devlin, Doherty, Donnell, Abruptly, the tale then has Niall appearing before an assembly of Pictish bards in Scotland, where he is killed by an arrow shot by Eochaid from the other side of the valley. mutations (changes) occur infrequently but, when they do, they help to Keating, quoting a Latin Life of Saint Patrick, says that Niall led Irish raids on Roman Britain, and in one of those raids Patrick and his sisters were abducted. [9], In another story, the succession is not settled when Eochaid dies, and Mongfind's brother Crimthann takes the high kingship. Modern surnames tracing their ancestry to Niall include (O')Neill, (O')Gallagher, (O')Boyle, (O')Doherty, O'Donnell, Connor, Cannon, Bradley, O'Reilly, Flynn, (Mc)Kee, Campbell, Devlin, Donnelly, Egan, Gormley, Hynes, McCaul, McGovern, McLoughlin, McManus, McMenamin, Molloy, O'Kane, O'Rourke and Quinn. [8] Accession, Sithchenn takes the brothers to the smith, who makes them weapons, and sends them out hunting. the modern surnames associated with the Ui Neill include (with or without the O This was expected of someone of his status in a polygamous society where all His body is said to have been buried at Ochann, now known as Faughan Hill at Jordanstown, a few miles west of Navan in County Meath. [10], While Niall is high king, his brothers establish themselves as local kings. 23andme specifies it as R-M269 and says "You share a paternal-line ancestor with Niall of the Nine Hostages". It turns out that maternal and paternal lines can offer some clues about Irish ancestry. Niall of the Nine Hostages , or Niall Nigiallach, was the youngest son of Eochaidh Mugmedon (King of Connacht). [3] The later Annals of the Four Masters dates his reign to 379-405,[4] and the chronology of Geoffrey Keating's Foras Feasa ar irinn to 368395. [10] nna's son Eochaid is named as Niall's killer in all sources, although the circumstances vary. xenophon agesilaus summary; Ireland, carry a specific Y-DNA pattern called the M222 sub-clade. His men carry his body home, fighting seven battles on the way, and his foster-father Torna dies of grief. DNA research that traces a distinctive genetic marker back to the Irish High King, Niall Nogallach (Old Irish "having nine hostages"). Thousands of years is a long time. [8], Niall is presumed, on the basis of the importance of his sons and grandsons, to have been a historical person,[4]:70 but the early Irish annals say little about him. Joined then by the Irish in Alba, he marched against the Picts, overcame them, took hostages from them and had Argyle and Cantire settled upon the Albanach Irish. Although generally supposed to be a historical personage, very little can confidently be said of Niall's life. I may be wrong though. Ruling from Tara, Niall's modus operandi for gaining dominance was taking expedition) and conquered much of Ulster. The Trinity College study also found that about one in ten men in the west And ocean trembled stuck by hostile oars". He was killed in his sleep while aboard his royal galley. SidmartinBio", "The Adventures of the Sons of Eochaid Mugmedon", "The Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages", "Show Somerled People | Clan Donald USA, Inc", The genetic imprint of Niall of the Nine Hostages, "If Irish Claim Nobility, Science May Approve", National Center for Biotechnology Information, A Social History of Ancient Ireland, Vol. According to McVoy this area was the main powerbase of the Ui Neill kings, which literally translated means "descendants of Niall". These sources date from long after Niall's time and they have little to no value as history. Are McKenna's descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages? [2] Famous descendants include Niall's great-great grandson Saint Columba, Saint Mel Ruba, the Kings of Ailech, the Kings of Tir Eogain, and the Kings of Tr Conaill. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Brin rules the province of Connacht, but Fiachrae makes war against him. He ruled Ireland in the fifth century and was said to have consolidated his power by leading raids on the Roman Empire, taking hostages from rival royal families in Britain and .