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The Descendants of Niall

Anonymous Contributor
April / May 2006

April 1, 2006 by 50 Comments

Are you related to Niall of the Nine Hostages?

In a recent study by geneticist Daniel Bradley and his colleagues at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, which was reported in the February issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, it is suggested that at least one in every 12 Irishmen worldwide and one in every five in the northwest of Ireland could be descendants of Niall, who on becoming High King in 377 AD, established a dynasty of powerful chieftains that dominated the island for some six centuries.

Modern surnames tracing their ancestry back 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.

Niall of the Nine Hostages got his name by taking nine key hostages, including Saint Patrick, in raids on his opponent chieftains in Ireland, Britain and France to cement his power. A near mythical figure, he is said to have had 12 sons and to have been slain in the English Channel or in Scotland. His descendants, known as the Ui Neill, were the most powerful rulers of Ireland and maintained their dynasty until the 11th century.

According to Brian McEvoy, one of the team at Trinity, scientists found an area in northwest Ireland where they claim 21.5 percent carry Niall’s genetic fingerprint. This area was the main powerbase of the Ui Neills, which literally translated means “descendants of Niall.” The Y chromosome appeared to trace back to one person.

“There are certain surnames that seem to have come from Ui Neill,” McEvoy said. “We studied if there was any association between those surnames and the genetic profile. It is his (Niall’s) family.”

The study also says that Niall “resided at the cusp of mythology and history, but our results do seem to confirm the existence of a single early medieval progenitor to the most powerful and enduring Irish dynasty.”

In addition, the study goes on to say that the chromosome has also been found in 16.7 percent of men in western and central Scotland and has turned up in multiple North American population samples, including in two percent of EuropeanAmerican New Yorkers. “Given historically high rates of Irish emigration to North America and other parts of the world, it seems likely that the number of descendants worldwide runs to perhaps two to three million males,” the study says.

The study suggests a link between powerful men and a strong genetic legacy, as more powerful men would have commanded access to more women, and the siring of offspring was related to power and prestige. One of the O’Neill dynasty chieftains, Turlough O’Donnell, who died in 1423, is said to have had 18 sons with nearly a dozen women and claimed 59 grandsons.

Family Tree DNA (www.familytreedna.com) has posted a special page on its website for customers to compare DNA marker results with those of Niall of the Nine Hostages Visit: http://www.familytreedna.com/matchnialltest.html

For additional information or answers to specific questions, contact: info@familytreedna.com or call 713-828-1438. ♦

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ed Begley says

    November 28, 2017 at 8:30 am

    I am Rm222 but my genealogy back to 1150 Cheshire England in Baguley and wythenshawe a group of Vikings settled there 9th century that came from Ireland must of been one of my ancestors

    Reply
    • John O'Neal says

      February 18, 2022 at 1:42 pm

      This is an absurd DNA test kit marketing scam.
      DF-27 is a much more viable line to attribute to Niall.
      The very idea that the most common line is the Royal Line, and the rarest the common line is silly in itself.
      Check out University College London’s expose of this and the similar Genghis Khan marketing scam.

      Reply
      • Ron Forbus says

        September 16, 2022 at 7:07 pm

        You may find the Sons of Aodh group project enlightening on the familytreedna.com website. They’re tracing lineages back with dna according to Irish genealogical records that have spanned centuries.

        Reply
        • Jose Rosa says

          December 21, 2022 at 6:32 am

          I also have the r-m269 y-chromosome. Was also told it belonged to High King Neill. So I did further research and discover that I am a direct descendant of the ONeill of the Fews from Puerto through my great grandfather who’s history in my fathers side of the family. It is pretty shocking.

          Reply
  2. Donnie Alan Blackstone says

    December 29, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    My 23andme test says I’m a descendant of this line I would like to know more about my line.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • John Lawler says

      March 17, 2018 at 8:39 pm

      My 23andme also has me a descendent. It would be interesting to read more.

      Reply
  3. Shawn Emmerson says

    February 19, 2018 at 8:10 am

    I am R-M269, a descendant of Niall and the Ui Neill Dynasty. I would like to know more of this lineage.

    Reply
  4. stephanie says

    March 11, 2018 at 10:11 pm

    My father’s father etc etc traces back to R-M269. I find this interesting and am curious. I would like to learn more. I find it funny, as well. I have a long time friend whose last name is O’Neil. It seems that we might have a common ancestor.

    Reply
  5. Byron Ogletree Van Cleve says

    March 20, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    My 23 and me said I had uniall blood line my father was an Ogletree I would like to know what’s the name link

    Reply
  6. ID Kline says

    March 25, 2018 at 12:31 pm

    More info on the M222 branch of R1b, and Niall, here:

    https://isogg.org/wiki/NW_Irish
    http://www.irishorigenes.com/content/spread-m222

    i.d.

    Reply
  7. D. HIGHLEY says

    April 19, 2018 at 7:28 pm

    I just got my 23andMe results back yesterday and it says I had the genetic marker that connects me to Niall. I knew I had Irish roots but I didn’t know that. I wish I could find the lineage for my ancestry tree.

    Reply
  8. James Jamieson says

    May 17, 2018 at 11:06 am

    I just did the 23 and me dna andstery test and it says i am from this line of linage and would like to learn somemore about it

    Reply
  9. Christopher Fleming says

    August 14, 2018 at 9:41 pm

    269 here … got the same notice you all did. Michigan back to Canada then back to Jersey line…heard there were 4 brothers that came over late 16’s early 17’s. John and Elizabeth (Stiff) Fleming is as far back to a guarantee as I go though. Let me know what ye find ya?

    Reply
  10. Jeffrey Wood says

    September 2, 2018 at 9:07 pm

    My Paternal linage R-M269 around 10,000 years ago then was later transformed to R-A151. I live in Western NY. The Wood name is based on the British Isle but not sure were the Irish linage come in.

    Reply
  11. Chi says

    October 26, 2018 at 7:57 pm

    I recently discovered through 23andme that I share a paternal ancestor with niall. Haplogroup rm269 which turn to rp311 today. Never knew I would find something like this in my dna. I would like to learn more even possibly meet the ones who kept they’re records.

    Reply
  12. stephen bradley says

    November 14, 2018 at 3:14 am

    my 23andme results say i’m R-M222 and my ancestor was Neil…I like so many others are related, so i would like to know more…pretty cool to be related to a king.

    Reply
    • John O'Neal says

      February 18, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      It’s nonsense. Check out University College London for a complete debunking of this marketing scam.

      Reply
  13. Ivan says

    December 25, 2018 at 4:38 pm

    I found out I also have a lineage to this . Even though I’m mainly Iberian. Very interesting

    Reply
  14. David Torres says

    January 21, 2019 at 8:59 am

    Hello, I took a 23andme DNA test. The results are incredible. It states that through my paternal side I hail through R-M269. Thanks Ui Niell Dynasty. In a 1,000,000 years I would have never thought this. Is this a hoax or could it be real? You see I am Latin.

    Reply
    • Vee Ramirez says

      December 12, 2020 at 1:52 am

      Hey there, David. My grandfather who coincidentally is also a Torres also comes from haplogroup RP311. We have zero idea how as we’re of Mexican descent. His father was raised my a single mother and this knows little to nothing about his biological father or his ancestry.

      Reply
      • David Torres says

        December 12, 2020 at 4:08 pm

        Hey Vee, that is very interesting to me. Specially how your Dad is also a Torres. I would like to discuss this further with you.

        Reply
        • Maritza Lozano says

          December 31, 2022 at 3:11 pm

          My husband also has RM-269 and says he’s related to Niall my husband is 77% European he last name is Lozano although he’s haplogroup R-Z278

          Reply
  15. Vivian B. Malone Mirabal says

    January 27, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    My DNA from. 23andme.com says I am a Decscedent of this Dynasty. I would like to know more of this ancestral family.

    Reply
  16. Giovanni Jorgensen says

    April 1, 2019 at 8:15 pm

    paternal haplogroup is R-A151. R-M269 common ancestor

    23andMe

    Reply
  17. Robin Bolt says

    April 13, 2019 at 8:50 am

    (My dad, surname Lynch) R-A212 is relatively uncommon among 23andMe customers.
    Today, you share your haplogroup with all the men who are paternal-line descendants of the common ancestor of R-A212,
    1 in 1,700, it also states the following but I have no idea how the names morphed, though Lynch has variations. The spread of haplogroup R-M269 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. 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. His name comes from a tale of nine hostages that he held from the regions he ruled over. Though the legendary stories of his life may have been invented hundreds of years after he died, genetic evidence suggests that the Uí Néill dynasty, whose name means “descendants of Niall,” did in fact trace back to just one man who bore a branch of haplogroup R-M269.

    The Uí Néill ruled to various degrees as kings of Ireland from the 7th to the 11th century C.E. In the highly patriarchal society of medieval Ireland, their status allowed them to have outsized numbers of children and spread their paternal lineage each generation. In fact, researchers have estimated that between 2 and 3 million men with roots in north-west Ireland are paternal-line descendants of Niall.

    Reply
  18. Brian Smith says

    April 15, 2019 at 10:54 am

    My 23andme testing found genetic Y-Chromosome markers that led to Haplogroup R-L20, which placed Niall of the Nine Hostages as an ancestor, further research discovery puts lines ancestry back Zerah or Zarah son of Judah meaning the Abrahamic line leading straight back to Shem to Noah to Adam in the Bible. However, its linking the paternal line from 19th Century England back to him, any clues on this? My ancestor was a stone and brick mason born in 1861 immigrated to the US in 1886 and he was born in Yorkshire, England. Could his ancestors been MacGowen or a similar spelling, a name given to Irish “Smiths” in workers of metal?

    Reply
    • elle says

      July 12, 2020 at 6:21 am

      traditional stories say that Queen Tamar and her sister from the tribe of Levi travelled to ireland and portugal respectively from Israel and settled about 593 bc. from here we get the J dna. but if people are finding its really r-20 hey, that may be. maybe J is maternal.

      Reply
  19. Eddie Figueroa says

    May 30, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    I did a 23 & me DNA test and found out that I have R-M269 in my blood line and I would like to know further information about my lineage.

    Reply
    • Robert O'Donnell says

      June 9, 2019 at 6:16 pm

      R-M269 is a haplotype back a few thousand years. My last connection to this path is L21 about 4.5 millennia ago long before Niall. Back in time to the Euro-Asian Steppes. SO, I am not descended from Niall. R-M269 does not make you a descendant of Niall. It identifies you as a descendant of someone long before Niall that he descended from!

      If you want to know about relatively recent times do an extensive test for your haplotype, I’m A89 not descended from Niall nor an O’Donnell of the north. An O’Donnell of the south. Just another anglicized name. BTW I have CTS4466 in my past and distant relatives in Spain.

      Reply
      • O'Neill says

        December 22, 2019 at 4:56 pm

        I am A89, my surname is O’Neill. Can trace back to 1770s, Munster. But as you correctly say, I am also not a descendant of Niall. Always assumed with the surname would have descended from the O’Neill clan.

        Reply
        • John says

          March 3, 2021 at 4:23 pm

          You are still a member of an O’Neill Clan, likely Magh Da Chonn or Carlow.
          There’s info available on both. Check FTDNA to pinpoint which O’Neill clam is yours.

          Reply
  20. Alexandra Pino Graf says

    June 12, 2019 at 8:28 pm

    R-A151
    Looking to find more information on this paternal haplogroup

    Reply
  21. MSR says

    June 24, 2019 at 5:53 pm

    I am R-A212 with CTS4466 the whole R-M269 thing. We have no idea of the identity of my now deceased father’s father. My son and I are attempting to learn more about who this mystery man was. It was a well-kept secret that his mother and her sister took to the grave.

    Reply
  22. Roman Sanchez says

    August 24, 2019 at 9:32 pm

    I’m just another one of the bunch that comes from the dynasty.

    Reply
  23. Alex says

    November 21, 2019 at 1:01 am

    23andme said that my paternal parent witch is my dads side said I was related to niall the high King of Ireland I know my mom has a lot of Irish in her my dads mexican but I have a lot more things in me a lot more it’s cool how 23and me works

    Reply
  24. Kueleza Shahid Dey La Vega says

    December 13, 2019 at 3:40 pm

    23andMe says im R269
    Ui Niall Dynasty

    Reply
  25. Noboru David Garcia says

    June 12, 2020 at 5:39 pm

    My 23and me DNA said I have this too. Descendant of Niall of the nine Hostages.

    Reply
  26. Sid Hall says

    August 12, 2020 at 11:17 pm

    My y-DNA is R-A212, also tracing back to Niall. I find my Hall line in NY in the early 1800s and my first ancestor says his father was born in Scotland but have been unable to trace other Halls in this lien so far. Any connections?

    Reply
    • Robert Hall says

      December 15, 2020 at 2:45 pm

      I am also a part of this whole mess. It is interesting that our Halls were Irish but I think they came to Ireland in the 1600s It seems they came to the USA in the early 1700s with my 2nd grt grandfather having been born in Ontario in 1800. If in fact the above is true, then where did. Niall impregnate the Hall clan? Scotland? This is a crazy business!

      Reply
      • Sid Hall says

        December 16, 2020 at 11:00 pm

        Robert,

        Thank you for replying. Are you R-A212 also? If so, you are the first Hall I’ve encountered in this DNA group. Lots of other surnames but no Halls. I would love to have your contact information to compare notes. My great, great grandfather, Henry H. Hall (b. 1828 in NY0, claimed in the census that his father was born in Scotland and his mother in New York. This is all I’ve been able to find out about him. He ended up in Northern Illinois by the 1850s as a carpenter with a number of other families (Donovan, Arnold, Cole) from the Odgensburg area of NY along the St. Lawrence River. Do you have a tree and would you be willing to share? Your Ontario roots give me some hope that we may be closely related. My email is sidhall3@gmail.com. Thanks, Sid Hall

        Reply
  27. Joe Flood says

    August 25, 2020 at 12:08 pm

    Unfortunately for this theory – on the one hand, R-M222 is considerably older than Niall, dating back to 100BC It had a massive expansion in Northern Ireland, the Isles and Western Scotland following a major population bottleneck caused by an unspecified disaster. See my L21 paper
    https://www.academia.edu/24686284/The_phylogenealogy_of_R_L21_four_and_a_half_millennia_of_expansion_and_redistribution

    On the other hand, there is nothing at all to connect Niall to R-M222.

    Reply
    • John says

      February 6, 2021 at 9:09 pm

      Also, the 3 million descendants thing is absurd, and the same with Genghis Khan and his alleged 6 million.
      University College London site has several pages on commercial DNA company scams, and an excellent breakdown of how the various testing methods work and what reasonable expectations are and are not.
      To any fraud victims reading this, sad to say, testing M 222 proves one thing about Niall.
      You are not his descendant. Sad but true.
      On the third hand, we DF-27 O’Neills almost certainly do descend from him. Tradition says we sailed from Basque Spain, having sighted Ireland from the top of an ancient pole which still stands and from which you can indeed see Ireland.
      DF-27 is very concentrated in Basque Spain, and we are the only large group of DF-27 in Ireland.
      It was always an absurd contention that the very most common signature was the Royal Line and the rarest common.
      Thanks for the Academia link, what a great site, I am a member too.

      Reply
  28. Gilbert Monarez says

    January 29, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    You share a paternal-line ancestor with Niall of the Nine Hostages.

    R-M269 common ancestor
    10,000 years ago

    The Uí Néill Dynasty
    GM
    You
    The spread of haplogroup R-M269 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. 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. His name comes from a tale of nine hostages that he held from the regions he ruled over. Though the legendary stories of his life may have been invented hundreds of years after he died, genetic evidence suggests that the Uí Néill dynasty, whose name means “descendants of Niall,” did in fact trace back to just one man who bore a branch of haplogroup R-M269.

    The Uí Néill ruled to various degrees as kings of Ireland from the 7th to the 11th century C.E. In the highly patriarchal society of medieval Ireland, their status allowed them to have outsized numbers of children and spread their paternal lineage each generation. In fact, researchers have estimated that between 2 and 3 million men with roots in north-west Ireland are paternal-line descendants of Niall.

    Reply
  29. John says

    February 6, 2021 at 9:17 pm

    M 222 does not descend from Niall and he does not have 3 million descendants. This us ridiculous test kit marketing nonsense that violates every tenet of ethical science generally and DNA research particularly. It is an exceedingly silly facsimile of a science paper, and those responsible should lose their tenure, I am sure they were paid well enough for their trouble.

    Reply
  30. Matthew Burke says

    April 7, 2021 at 5:20 pm

    23andMe says I am a descendant on my father’s side to UI Neilll Dynasty and don’t know how I am a descendant. I am descendant through DNA. I don’t know they were my ancestors. I am thinking it is through the Burke side. I am think that it is through my 3rd great grandfather Patrick Burke who came to the U.S. who married my 3rd great grandmother Bridget Brier. I am think it might be through his mother who was an O’Neil Mary O’Neil who married Patrick Burke. It only goes back to Mary O’Neil in Irelan.

    Reply
  31. Anthony Alcutt says

    April 20, 2021 at 12:51 am

    I recently received notification that i am related to Ui Niell dynasty. I am an Africal American with 26% European genitics. I REALLY want to know what’s going on..

    Reply
  32. Bruce Duchesneau says

    November 29, 2021 at 10:07 am

    I come from long lines of male born O’Leary that come from Niall I have O’Neil O’Neal steely chiefly line and cadet Line of Buchanan royal Stewart dynasty . I have confirmed my father dna with royal clan Stewart society. . My resources for me personal information is . The royal descendants of 900 immigrants by Gary Boyd roberts . Pg245 . Prerogative court files from Pennsylvania agusta county and York county. The act of parliament 1707. The partition of Lennox. Work by George Buchanan the historian born 1506 . He’s my15th great grandfather as well . My lineages are 100% reliable.

    Reply
  33. Harrold Roberts says

    December 27, 2021 at 12:19 pm

    Im african american and 23&me says I am a DIRECT descendant of Niall of the 9 hostages, through my male Paternal line. (father) I always figured so, my siblings and I have traces of res and blonde hairs, green eyes and such. This is quite interesting. I live in atlanta but im from San Diego.

    Reply
  34. mark dumouchelle says

    February 1, 2022 at 10:43 am

    I would be curious to know from those descendants of R-M269 how does your paternal haplogroup change after that? My haplogroup after R-M269 then later evolves into R-L1335. <10,000 years ago.

    Reply
    • Sean says

      October 30, 2022 at 4:48 pm

      I have the exact same haplogroup as you. Having looked into it some more, according to data on genetichomeland.com our haplogroup is most common in Scotland. I’m 100% Irish according to 23 & me

      Reply

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