Katherine Simms
PER
Katherine Simms
 Dr. Katherine Simms, a Celtic historian at Trinity College who advised the geneticists and was a co-author of their report, said some historians had assumed that the common ancestor of the Ui Neill was merely a mythical divine ancestor figure, imagined in order to explain the political links that existed between the dynasties themselves in the later period. But Dr. Bradley's findings, appear to confirm that the Ui Neill really did come from a common ancestor, and perhaps that the mythical narrative of Niall's birth and ascent to kingship had a genetic basis.  Dr. Katherine Simms, who is a Celtic historian at Trinity College advised the geneticists and also was a co-author of their report, said some historians had assumed that the common ancestor of the Ui Neill was merely a mythical divine ancestor figure, imagined in order to explain the political links that existed between the dynasties themselves in the later period. But Dr. Bradley founds different, she said, she appear to confirm that the Ui Neill really did come from a common ancestor, and perhaps that the mythical narrative of Niall's birth and ascent to kingship ''had a genetic basis.''