Irish DNA: What’s the Genetic (DNA) History of Ireland?

Vikings and the Ulster Plantation: What’s the Genetic (DNA) History of Ireland?

What’s the genetic history of Ireland, and what impact did events such as the Viking invasion and the Ulster plantation have on its genetic makeup? A study called the Irish DNA Atlas: Revealing Fine-Scale Population Structure and History within Ireland, looked at these precise questions, using samples from almost 10,000 individuals across Ireland, the British Isles and Europe.

The study notes that the modern Irish genetic landscape was established around 3,500 years ago in the Irish Bronze Age, and they sought to understand how invasions and plantations have changed this. A central finding of this study was that the Irish population can be divided in 10 distinct geographically stratified genetic clusters; seven of ‘Gaelic’ Irish ancestry, and three of shared Irish-British ancestry. Unsurprisingly, there is an extremely low German influence in the Gaelic Irish clusters, with Orkney showing the second-least ‘Germanic’ proportion, and English clusters showing the highest.

Interestingly, the study also found that Ireland had high levels of Norwegian ancestry, a strong signal from the Norse Viking presence in Ireland. In fact, this Irish DNA Atlas study found that Ireland had the second highest Norwegian signal in their analysis, second only to Orkney which had the strongest Norse Viking ancestry. The Norse impact on Ireland extends across the country beyond areas of Norse settlement, such as Limerick or Dublin. They also detected high levels of Norwegian ancestry in Scottish clusters, and relatively low Norwegian ancestry in English and Welsh clusters.

Another finding was that there was a high level of France-like ancestry being driven by a single French cluster with high North-Western French membership. The North-West of France has previously been shown to have genetic links with Celtic populations in Britain. Therefore the large signal we observe within Ireland could reflect Ireland as a ‘sink’ of Celtic ancestry, considering its isolation compared to other British Celtic groups. Considering the links from north-west France to other Celtic populations, we do not interpret this as a ‘Norman’ signal.

Sources:

#ireland #history #dna

[celtichistorydecoded]

Please let me know your thoughts below...

[pjmcgoldrick]

I have no idea where this study is meant to have come from. The last DNA study I was made aware of found remarkably little Norse or Danish DNA in the Irish population compared to what it had expected to find. I had my DNA done and I have one Viking marker out of a thousand, and I have the famous R-M222 genetic marker, which originated in northwest Ireland from which my surname also originates. I am starting to get the feeling that DNA studies is leaving the realm of science and entering the realm of politics, a bit like climate change! 🇮🇪

[brownwarrior]

My Clan were one of the Gallowglass Clans who went to Ireland at the behest of the Irish Kings in order to fight the Norman Invasion. The Gallowglass themselves a mix of Gael and Norse peoples from Scotland.

[midmiddleton]

There is a lot of history on two small islands in this world. Thanks for the information. It's always amazing to find out about ones ancestors.

[peterdixon]

Some ancient bodies discovered in Ireland were DNA-traced to the Pontic-Caspian Steppe. This (sort of) made sense, as I have occasinally observed people from Ukraine, etc. who look vaguely Irish. The individuals in question had slightly darker skin and black hair. (I am slightly disturbed at the possibility that in 3, 000 years' time, archeologists could dig me up and ask: "What's this?")

[castlekeep]

the Kerrs had a castle keep on the border of scotland some many centuries back. Canadian personal study, Mothers & Grandmothers side. We are in Peterborough Ontario Canada & thanks for some real history! :)

[occidentadvocate.]

Found this very interesting. Though my family has been in England since 1840s, My recent DNA test revealed me to be 50% Irish, 35% Scots. The rest is English, German and Welsh. My Surname is of Gael origin, from a large well-known Clan originating around Loch Lomand and Loch Sloy. A branch went to Ulster. My DNA map was mostly from North Lenister, and North Antrim. Plus Western Isles of Scotland, and of course North East England. The direct ancestor of mine who arrived here from Ireland, has well over a thousand decendents here on Tyneside and all over the world, Canada, USA and Australia.

[michaelhalsall]

The Bretons (French Celts) were originally refugees from Cornwell and Devon in England. There is evidence that they intermixed with Gauls in France when they arrived in Brittany. Centuries later some of these people travelled back to England as members of William of Normandy's army, thus the Norman invasion added some Celtic DNA to England's population.

[Simonmc]

we never call it the British Isles in Ireland just an fyi.

[paulrimmer]

We all mixed massively in the industrial revolution with the explosion in urban populations.

[thelmacurtis]

I know very little about my Irish ancestry and I regret it very much that I was too young at the time to question my grand parents more. However, I am proud of it, as both sides of my parents have Irish bloodlines. My fathers side I know little and my mothers side even less. I know my grandfathers side came from county of Cork and traveled to NZ aboard the ship Ashton James. My mothers side I know even less. Just they were very tall, large boned people and had interbred with Rarotongan peoples. So my grandmother on my mothers side was half Irish. She was beautiful, raven black curly hair, white skin and blue eyed. My dads father also was a beautiful tall, big man and married an indigenous NZer. I miss both grandparents dearly. So now I look up you tube about my Irish ancestry because that's the only way I can learn about my Irish lineage 😢. Very proud of it, always have been and always acknowledge it if I'm asked if I'm full blood indigenous NZer. What makes me prouder is the fact that my great grand parents from both sides of my parents chose indigenous dark skinned peoples to marry and have children with, at a time when it surely must have been frowned upon.❤😊. So proud, wish I knew more. ❤

[Alex-lzwe]

I am Spanish and discovered that I have 4% Irish ancestry through my DNA test. The interesting thing is that all my Irish DNA segments are connected to my Basque DNA on the Chromosomes. Could you shed any light on this? thank you

[STILL-KICKIN]

I would be interested to hear as much detail as possible about French/Irish dna.

[MrSchizoid]

The ulster plantations wasn't the only plantation in ireland. I've noticed a lot of English names around former plantation areas in southern Ireland.

[waynemcauliffe]

Our lot got Olaf in the surname but are pretty Gaelic

[douglasfell]

to the larger island as great Britain (μεγάλη Βρεττανία megale Brettania) and to Ireland as little Britain (μικρὰ Βρεττανία mikra Brettania) in his work Almagest (147–148 AD). This was the widely used defination until the irish independence movement which abreviated great britain to britain. But the fact remains this is the defination, if you dont like it dont use it.

[joprocter]

Recently it's been established that vikings never left Scotland who certainly were inter mix in Ireland..
Near end it was unclear what you mean

[blarni]

I'm curious with all these genetic studies if there's a Flemish imprint anywhere, given how much you hear about medieval Flemish migrants in all corners of the British Isles?

[raymondmoore]

Question: Does recent DNA show up better than older DNA?

[Axx]

Ancestry is just where people choose to draw lines in time.
If we all descended from Africa, our ancestry is all the same.
Ireland today has 20% of its population born oversees or 2nd generation.