On September 4th, 1607, about 100 Irish lords and their followers set sail from Ireland’s northern coast, never to return. They traveled to mainland Europe in search of safety from the British government. Among their leaders was Hugh O’Neill, the Earl of Tyrone and last ruling member of the Uí Néill dynasty. The Flight of the Earls, as it came to be known, left a void of power in Ireland’s northern counties. Under James I, Ulster was “planted” with English and Scottish settlers, in the hopes of supplanting the native Roman Catholic population. His actions set in motion a sweeping chain of events that would shape modern Ireland and, by extension, the United States and the world at large. All told, perhaps no family has ever influenced Irish history so much as the Uí Néills.

The Uí Néill dynasty takes its name from its semi-mythic founder, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Niall is thought to have lived around 400 CE. His nickname originates from his strategy of taking hostages from those he defeated, which he hoped would ensure future peace among his rivals. His descendants would go on to control large parts of Northern Ireland, occasionally uniting the entire island under a High King.

Though their reign ended in 1607, the O’Neill name has since spread all around the globe. Recent genetic research among Northern Irish people found that around 20 percent shared a Y chromosome, a sign of common male ancestry. Could this be Niall’s legacy? The science is still out. But if true, it would make him the direct ancestor of an estimated 3 million people living today.

WC: 253

Sources: 
“If Irish Claim Nobility, Science May Approve”
Wade, Nicholas. “If Irish Claim Nobility, Science May Approve.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 18, 2006.
https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/18/science/if-irish-claim-nobilityscience-may-approve.html?mtrref=undefined&assetType=REGIWALL.
Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland, pp. 215-216
Sykes, Bryan. Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: the Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland.
New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. A Brief History of Ireland
State, Paul F. A Brief History of Ireland. New York: Facts On File, 2009.

Category: Public, Shared Experiences
Topic: Historical Events
Time: 5th century to Modern
Place: Ireland