niall of the nine hostages 23andme

well-known story has it that they were taken from the Airgialla, a once The Primitive Irish Vendo is a cognate with Finn, and the Fianna were landless, aristocratic young men and women who had not yet come into their inheritance of land. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The Vikings were driven out in 1014 by Brian Boru, but not before their DNA was embedded in the Celtic gene. [8] Accession, Sithchenn takes the brothers to the smith, who makes them weapons, and sends them out hunting. For more information, please see our II, The History of Ireland by Geoffrey Keating, "The Laud Genealogies and Tribal Histories", "A Y-Chromosome Signature of Hegemony in Gaelic Ireland. Cookie Notice According to National Geographic, the Mayo County Council hosted the Genographic Project for the Gathering under the theme of diaspora and cultural exchange. Niall releases Fiachrae, who becomes king of Connacht and Niall's right hand man. Y-DNA is niall of the nine hostages 23andme. 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. and our County Mayo residents were fascinated to learn that there is Viking DNA in their makeup, a fact discovered thanks to the National Geographic. 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. Niall fitted out a large fleet and sailed to the assistance of his people. [6] Family and descendants, 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. He fell on the banks of the River Loire, in France, by the hand of Eochaid, the son of Enna Ceannselaigh, King of Leinster, who, from ambush, with an arrow, shot dead the great king. 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. Another, Fiachra, has Keating associates these raids with those mentioned by Gildas and Bede, and deduces that, since some Irish sources say Patrick was abducted from Brittany, that Niall's raids must have extended to continental Europe as well.[6]. Niall is presumed, on the basis of the importance of his sons and grandsons, to have been a historical person,[2]:70 but the early Irish annals say little about him. Based on U Nill genealogies and the dates given for his supposed sons and grandsons, modern historians believe he is likely to have lived some 50 years later than the traditional dates, dying circa 450. The High Kingship did not become a reality until the 9th century, and Niall's status has been inflated in line with the political importance of the dynasty he founded. Myth has it that he was descended by By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts But while he is away on a tour of his lands in Scotland, Mongfind's sons seize Ireland. 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. While Moore et al. Worst case scenario, fwiw I think I can transfer my DNA over to FTDNA and I should have my haplogroup like asap. Their 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. Battles, who may have lived in the middle of the 2nd century and was reputedly The Picts tired of Nialls' ways and attacked the small Lirsh colony of Dalriada, which is now Scotland. Fiachrae and Ailill then make war against Crimthann's son Eochaid, king of Munster. [3] A poem by the 11th-century poet Cined Ua hArtacin in the Book of Leinster credits Niall with seven raids on Britain, on the last of which he was killed by Eochaid "above the surf of the Ictian Sea";[3][16] a poem attributed to the same poet in Lebor na hUidre credits him with going to the Alps seven times.[7]. Crimthann returns to Ireland intending to give battle. [8], In another story, the succession is not settled when Eochaid dies, and Mongfind's brother Crimthann takes the high kingship. Hi, i've posted my results recently, being of predominantly Italian (paternal) and Polish origin. Lastly, is it more likely British or Irish? AFN source shows another son called Foghan OWEN - AFN: 8HRT-NK. [10] He is succeeded by his nephew Nath . Byrne suggests that Niall's death took place during a raid on Roman Britain. prevalent in the genes of men with surnames that have long been linked to Distant view of Round Tower at Glendalough, Neill, The common ancestor that you and Niall have wasn't necessarily from Ireland. signature. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! widespread in literature around the world. 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. When Maximus and his Roman legions were, in consequence of the barbarian pressure upon the Continental Roman Empire, withdrawing from Britain, Niall, with his Irish hosts and Pictish allies, treaded upon their hurrying heels." Ruling from Tara, Niall's modus operandi for gaining dominance was taking for most of the next six centuries. and tr. He then kills Laidchenn by throwing a stone which lodges in his forehead. stories say that the future St Patrick was among hostages taken from one such Niall chains Eochaid to a standing stone, and sends nine warriors to execute him, but Eochaid breaks his chain and kills all nine of them with it. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Yet, my paternal Haplogroup is "R-CTS241", which seems to be heavily common of people from the UK, yet my 23andme shows absolutely 0 percentage coming from the UK, actually none from western europe in general.I also share a paternal line ancestor with "Niall of the nine hostages". Slain by an arrow shot by Eochaidh, son of Enna Ceinnseallach [Eochaid mc nna Ceinselaig 711], on the brink of the River Loire in France. Niall moved across the Shannon where he founded the dynasty of Uisnech in Westmeath. Similarly, the Genographic Project is a virtual gathering of humanity connected by myriad migration routes around the world over the last 60,000 years. [5] Byrne, following James Carney, is a little more precise, dating his death to c. Crimthann refuses to drink it unless she does too; they both drink, and both die. He was killed in his sleep while aboard his royal galley. Birth of Conall Gulban mac Nill, King of Tirconal, Birth of Cairbre mac Nill, High King of Ireland, 126th HIgh KIng of Ireland, Greatest High King of Ireland, aka Nial Mor NAOIGHIALLACH `of the Nine Hostages'; 1st King (but reckoned 126th MONARCH) of IRELAND; conquered nine countries (incl. Some clarity would be welcome if anyone has done extensive research on this pedigree. [3] However, the traditional roll of kings and its chronology is now recognised as artificial. Why not list William the Conqueror or someone else? [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. In the saga "The Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages", Eochaid's enmity with Niall begins when he is refused hospitality by Niall's poet, Laidcenn mac Bairchid. Mong Fionn was a bitter, jealous and ambitious woman, who set her heart upon having her son, Brian, succeed his father as Ard Righ. Fiachrae is granted a minor royal linetwo of his descendants, Nath and Ailill Molt, will be High Kings. [5], However, the early annals record the activities of his sons between 429 and 516, an implausibly long time-span for a single generation, leading scholars like Kathleen Hughes[3] and Francis J. Byrne[2]:pp. Also known as: Niall Nogiallach King of Ireland. Over the generations, a genetic In The Here, according to tradition, elaborate rites were carried out between the future high king of Tara and the goddess of sovereignty. Learning about our ancestry is particularly fun when we can toast to it. ), "The Story of Eochaidh Muighmedin's Sons", in, Stokes, Whitley (ed. They defeat him and win great spoil, but Fiachrae is wounded in the battle and dies of his wounds shortly afterwards. Then Niall makes war against Leinster, and peace is concluded on the condition that Eochaid is handed over. [6], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages. Niall exiles him to Scotland. The story then becomes confused. ), told me that Im a sub-type of a lineage called H6a (specifically H6a1b). 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. The signature is especially the guts to give her a small kiss, for which she grants him sight of Tara and Niall is presumed, on the basis of the importance of his sons and grandsons, to have been a historical person,[3]:70 but the early Irish annals say little about him. These raids did much to weaken the power of Rome in Britain and France. part of France), King of Ireland. the brothers, Fergus, goes off to look for water and comes upon an ugly hag. France, killed on the banks of River Loire. If Patrick was not this person, he would have lived shortly thereafter. He is presumed to have been a real person, but most of the information about him that has come down to us is legendary. They should really stop doing that, the Niall of the Nine Hostages haplogroup is actually R1b-L21 (M222) which is way downstream . findings led them to the notion that Niall of the Nine Hostages may be the Big 23andme specifies it as R-M269 and says "You share a paternal-line ancestor with Niall of the Nine Hostages". Birth & Accession According to legend, Niall was left on the ground by his mother Cairenn Chasdub as she was afraid of what Mongfind, the first wife of Eochaid Mugmedon, would do to the baby. [9 ], While Niall is high king, his brothers establish themselves as local kings. Supposedly slain in the English Channel or in Scotland, his descendants were the most powerful rulers of Ireland until the 11th century. There was also an Irish Regiment in Sicily in the early 1700s. As he lands a passionate kiss, the ugly hag transforms into He then kills Laidchenn by throwing a stone which lodges in his forehead. All sources agree he died outside Ireland. 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. did not specifically state that Niall was the progenitor of M222, journalists quickly jumped to that conclusion. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. A second, Niall of the Nine Hostages, (in Irish, Niall Naoi Nogiallach) is a quasi-historical character in Ireland's story. straight into the modern world when scientists at Trinity College Dublin According to legend, Niall was a warrior For more information, please see our [15] Keating says that he received five from the five provinces of Ireland, and four from Scotland. 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 geneticists estimated that about 23 million men bear this marker, and concluded that these men are patrilineal descendants of Niall. water. [6]:216-217 Keating describes her not as a Saxon but as the "daughter of the king of Britain". geneticists collected a number of samples from men across Ireland. Crypto The Annals of Inisfallen date his death before 382, and the Chronicon Scotorum to 411. Niall Of The Nine Hostages DNA Match Men of Irish descent who have taken their Y-DNA or higher test with FamilyTreeDNA may discover that you have an exact DNA match to Niall, King of Connachta. Also known as Niall of the Nine Hostages.. 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. People move. Crimthann returns to Ireland intending to give battle. Tom Peete Cross & Clark Harris Slover (eds.). 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. Privacy Policy. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breogn From the Wikipedia page about Breogan: Although this is generally regarded as myth, the conquering of Ireland by people coming from the Iberian peninsula in prehistoric times fits in with a genetic study conducted in 2006 at Oxford University, which concluded that the majority of people in the British Isles are actually descended from neolithic farmers coming from the coastal north regions of Spain. Niall is placed in the traditional list of High Kings of Ireland. have been High King of Ireland. 'The Gathering is a reunion of clans so to speak. 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. Geneticists have dated this I confirm that, as stated in this site's Privacy Policy, I do not sell personal information. He carried back hostages, many captives, and great booty from these expeditions. modern parlance, he put it about. Kathleen Hughes, "The church in Irish society, 400800, in Dibh Crinn (ed.). They defeat him and win great spoil, but Fiachrae is wounded in the battle and dies of his wounds shortly afterwards. As the number of hostages was nine, Niall earned the epithet 'of the Nine Hostages'. [6] O'Rahilly suggests that the nine hostages were from the kingdom of the Airgialla (literally "hostage-givers"), a satellite state founded by the Ui Nill's conquests in Ulster, noting that the early Irish legal text Lebor na gCeart ("The Book of Rights") says that the only duty of the Airgialla to the King of Ireland was to give him nine hostages.[7]. So, although it doesnt completely verify the story, this one branch of my ancestral tree is at least consistent with claims of Irish ancestry on my mothers side. 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. They stop to cook a meal but need to find part of France). [7], The Lebor Gabla renn says there was war between Niall and nnae Cennsalach, king of Leinster, over the brama or cow-tribute first imposed on Leinster by Tuathal Techtmar. A dated phylogenetic tree of M222 SNP haplotypes: exploring the DNA of Irish and Scottish surnames and possible ties to Niall and the U Nill kindred, Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 06:56, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnelle, "Was Niall of the Nine Hostages a real person? [13 ], In January 2006, geneticists at Trinity College, Dublin suggested that Niall may have been the most fecund male in Irish history. While Cairenn is pregnant with Niall, the jealous Mongfind forces her to do heavy work, hoping to make her miscarry. After this, Tara's importance appears to have declined.". Niall, His mother appears to have had much influence over his elderly father which helped Niall gain supremacy over his elder half brothers from Connacht. Niall does not have verifiable remains that can be tested. He eventually came to control most of the Northern half of Ireland. One day, the five brothers being in the smith's forge when it took fire, they were commanded to run and save what they could. 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. The geneticists estimated that there are about 2-3 million males alive today who descend in the male-line from Niall. There is a large community of M222 men and a very interesting "family tree" of sorts is emerging as these men get into Y-DNA testing. His reign dated to the late 4th and early 5th centuries. Fergus and Ailill refuse and return empty-handed. Cairenn Chasdub; Caireann ("curly-black (hair)") was, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the daughter of Sachell Balb, king of the Saxons, the second wife of the Irish High King Eochaid Mugmedn, and the mother of Niall of the Nine Hostages.. Meath) and also captured a Briton, a Gaul, a Saxon and a Scot. have sex with her. For it is said his was the host referred to by the Roman poet, Claudian, when in praising the Roman general, Stilicho, he says Britain was protected by this bold general. The maternal DNA results showed greater genetic diversity than the paternal, including lineages that dated back to some of the islands earliest settlers, and some others that arrived more recently, ie: the Vikings. [3] Laidchenn responds by satirising Leinster so that no corn, grass or leaves grow there for a year. However, M222 is now thought to predate Niall by hundreds of years, so even if it were true that this semi-mythical king really was M222, he wouldn't be the progenitor of it. They're the Garza clan of Lepe, Spain. [13], In January 2006, geneticists at Trinity College, Dublin suggested that Niall may have been the most fecund male in Irish history. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Since women dont inherit a Y chromosome, they must trace their paternal line through their fathers, brothers or paternal uncles Y-chromosome data. The Royal History of Ireland. concluded that these men descend from "a single early-medieval progenitor" and proposed that this could be Niall. Autosomal DNA, which is what we use to measure percentages of ethnicity, only has strong relevance for about 6-10 generations back. A legendary account of Niall's birth and early life is given in the possibly-11th-century tale Echtra mac nEchach Muimedin ("The adventure of the sons of Eochaid Mugmedn"). repulsive, with green teeth and nails, matted unkempt hair, a decidedly crooked In the saga "The Death of Niall of the Nine Hostages", Eochaid's enmity with Niall begins when he is refused hospitality by Niall's poet, Laidcenn mac Bairchid. [6] Laidchenn responds by satirising Leinster so that no corn, grass or leaves grow there for a year. 215. The M222 pattern is a lot rarer in the south of the island. In 405 he led an expedition against Britain, where it is rumored that he may have captured a young Romano-British boy named Patricus, son of Calpurnius, a local magistrate. All but two of the High Kings of Tara came from this family. She will [19][20] According to the PBS documentary series Finding Your Roots, Bill O'Reilly, Stephen Colbert, Colin Quinn, Bill Maher, and the show's host, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. all display STR markers consistent with the Irish Modal Haplotype. The geneticists estimated that about 23 million men bear this haplotype. He died in a raid on Roman France in 405 AD. The are Munster, Leinster, Connacht, Ulster, the Britons, Picts, Saxons, and Morini of Gaul. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Tir Eogain (now Tyron) , Northern Ireland (United Kingdom), Forgotten Monarchy, Scotland (United Kingdom), Conall Gulban mac Nill, King of Tirconal, Eochaid mac Muiredach mac Muiredach, Ard-r na h'ireann {Legendary, Lebor Gabla renn}, http://www.irish-genealogy-toolkit.com/niall-of-the-nine-hostages.html. Crimthann refuses to drink it unless she does too; they both drink, and both die. Discord: https://discord.gg/3Jjc3GdmtB, Press J to jump to the feed. 'We were honored to be invited by the Mayo County Council to participate in The Gathering, Ireland 2013,' Alexander Moen, National Geographics vice president of Explorer Programs, told the press. The Munstermen renew the battle, capture Ailill and cut him to pieces, and war continues between Munster and Connacht for many years. relative viscosity of nylon 6; predictive index cognitive assessment answers; why do baseball players spit so much; Hello world! 279. r/23andme. I got that same badge in my 23andme YDNA report. For an example of a list of royal descendants of the sons of Milesius, King of Spain, see the Milesian Genealogies . [4]:7678[8]:220 Niall is placed in the traditional list of High Kings of Ireland. The Annals of the Four Masters dates his accession to 378 and death to 405. Trinity College study, nor do the researchers conclude that he ever existed. Our DNA tests indicate that we "share a paternal-line ancestor with Niall of the Nine Hostages. The same area of Ireland has previously been the subject of anthropological studyand has shown a strikingly high percentage of men from Haplogroup R1b (98%) versus 90% in southeast Ireland. Known as Niall of the Nine Hostages from the nine counties of Ireland that he subued and made tributary to him. Although its remarkable that nearly 1 in 10 Americans might say Kiss Me Im Irish! on St. Patricks day, its not clear if all these people actually have Irish ancestors or if they simply feel an affinity for corned beef and green beer. Skeletal remains of Viking child found during Dublin excavation, How to find out if you have Irish Viking ancestry, How you can learn Gaelic literature and culture online with a top Irish university, The Irish roots of The Doors Jim Morrison and how they influenced him, On This Day: Singing in the Rain Gene Kelly passed away. Niall of the Nine Hostages , or Niall Nigiallach, was the youngest son of Eochaidh Mugmedon (King of Connacht). But while he is away on a tour of his lands in Scotland, Mongfind's sons seize Ireland. 1 / 5. The Munstermen renew the battle, capture Ailill and cut him to pieces, and war continues between Munster and Connacht for many years. Hughes says "Niall himself must have died not before the middle of the fifth century". and our I'm stuck at R-P311 and 23andme gives Niall of the Nine Hostages which is flat out DUMB. became High King. In The Annals of the Four Masters dates his accession to 378 and death to 405. He and his descendants continued to dominate much of Ireland Niall of the Nine Hostages received his name from the taking of hostages as a strategy for playing mental havoc upon his opponent's chieftains. 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. Are you familiar with the Irish 'Wild Geese'? Legend accords him at 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. Perhaps more myth than man, Niall of the Nine Hostages is said to have been a King of Tara in northwestern Ireland in the late 4th century C.E. chase overdraft fee policy 24 hours; christingle orange cloves; northeast tennessee regional fire training academy; is srco3 soluble in water; basic science topics for nursery 2; bellflower property management; gifts from the holy land bethlehem; He makes war and destroys the poet's stronghold, killing his son Leat[15] (Keating has it that Laidchenn was a druid, and that Eochaid killed his son after he used defamatory language towards him). McVoy says the Y chromosome appeared to trace back to one person. Legaire, High King of Ireland+ d. 463 (1), http://www.thepeerage.com/p11402.htm#i114018, -----------------------------------------------, Further information: U Nill descendants. 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). [19], Following a 2006 hypothesis by Moore et al. [3] Laidchenn responds by satirising Leinster so that no corn, grass or leaves grow there for a year. 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. Nialls . [4] Byrne, following James Carney, is a little more precise, dating his death to c. [20] suggesting that his Y chromosomal signature had been discovered, popular science journalists and genetic testing companies began promoting the theory that millions alive today have an unbroken descent from Niall.[21]. More recently 23andMe redefined it as R-P311 from an early ancestor associated with group M269. Niall of the Nine Hostages, whose dynasty dominated Ireland between the 5th and 10th Centuries, got his name from taking hostages as a strategy against his opponent chieftains. Fergus and Ailill refuse and return empty-handed. Niall of the Nine Hostages was around 50+ generations ago. control of all the island. hunting with his four brothers. [3 ] However, the traditional roll of kings and its chronology is now recognised as artificial. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 78-79 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. He makes war and destroys the poet's stronghold, killing his son Leat[11] (Keating has it that Laidchenn was a druid, and that Eochaid killed his son after he used defamatory language towards him). About this group. Yet did the Romans claim victory over Niall. He makes war and destroys the poet's stronghold, killing his son Leat[12] (Keating has it that Laidchenn was a druid, and that Eochaid killed his son after he used defamatory language towards him). [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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [3] However, the traditional roll of kings and its chronology is now recognised as artificial. [7], This "loathly lady" motif appears in myth and folklore throughout the world. A DNA test can show if a man is related to Niall: A recent study conducted at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, found that a striking percentage of men in Ireland (and quite a few in Scotland) share the same Y chromosome, suggesting that the 5th-century warlord known as "Niall of the Nine Hostages" may be the ancestor of one in 12 Irishmen. the way of these old tales, she's not just unattractive, she's positively 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. The paternal DNA lineages were less diverse likely as a result of the early dominance of a few male leaders like King Niall of the Nine hostages, as well as to the historical influence of the Viking raids from across the North Sea. [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. 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. Niall releases Fiachrae, who becomes king of Connacht and Niall's right-hand man.