Niall of the Nine Hostages
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Niall Noigiallach Niall Niall of the Nine Hostages
The survey not only bolsters the bragging rights of some Irishmen claiming a proud heritage but also provides evidence of the existence of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the fifth century A.D. regarded by some historians. The survey shows that 20 percent of men in northwestern Ireland carry a distinctive genetic signature on their Y chromosomes, possibly inherited from Niall, who was said to have had numerous sons, or some other leader in a position to have had many descendants. 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 survey not only bolsters the bragging rights of some Irishmen claiming a proud heritage but also provides evidence of the existence of Niall of the Nine Hostages, an Irish high king of the fifth century A.D. Niall of the Nine Hostages was so named because in his early reign he consolidated his power by taking hostages from opposing royal families. He was a slave trader and a pirate. Dr. Bradley said the link between the Niall Y chromosome and social power, enabled the king to leave many descendants. Niall is said to have obtained hostages from each of the five provinces that then constituted Ireland, as well as from Scotland, the Saxons, the Britons, and the Franks.