The O’Neill DNA

The O’Neill R1b’s Y-DNA
By M.A.O’Neill

The Irish genealogist did their work thoroughly, not only did they provide every Irish family of importance with a pedigree whish went back to Mil of Spain (or to Ith, mil's uncle), but they also invented a pedigree of Mil's ancestor's going back to Noah and thence to Adam. All this was accepted as indubitable truth by our native scholars.
- Early Irish History and Mythology - T.F. O'Rahilly

There are various SNP’s within the O’Neill’s in Ireland and outside Ireland, and it’s not known who is who and who is related to whom and how they ended up with that SNP, since the most of the time those who dealt with the O’Neill’s y-dna spent their time chasing the Niall of the Nine Hostages hype of the day. Then we must not forget that there are countless O’Neill clans throughout Ireland, and not all are of the Royal O’Neill’s. A high majority of O’Neill’s that live in Ulster that have not tested and those that have tested, but we don’t know if they are of the Royal O’Neill’s, and to make things complicated those O’Neill’s in Spain and Portugal representing the Clannaboy O’Neill’s, and O’Neill’s of the Fews, respectly the Asturias O’Neill’s of the Fews and Sevilla O’Neill of the Fews, to date have not come forward with a y-dna sample. You also have an O’Neill DNA project in shambles with its members mainly in ungrouped categories. There was much hoopla over the O’Neill’s En France a few years ago, and yet I have not heard of any the O’Neill’s En France coming forward with a y-dna test. We know that the majority of the tested O’Neill’s are of the SNP P312/S116R1b1b2a1ban estimated to be a 5,300 years old, and it’s mainly found in Western Europe with one of its members that has genealogical documents going back to the O’Neill’s of the Fews . You will find O’Neill’s of the SNP L21/S145/M529R1b1a2a1a1b4an estimated 4,000 years old, and is highly found in Ireland, Britain, Northwest France, and South-West Norway. It’s associated with the Brythonic, Gaelic, and Gaulish Celtic. Also O’Neill’s of the SNP M222 R1b1a2a1a1b4bthat is an estimated 3,000 years old and found high concentration in the North-West of Ireland and Western Scotland is associated with the Gaelic Culture. A few O’Neill’s of the SNP S28/U152 R1b1a2a1a1b3 that is an estimated 3,500 years old and found in high concentrations in theRhine, Meuse & Rhône basins, Alps, North Italy it’s associated with the Alpine Celts. Then O’Neill’s of the SNP L2/S139 R1b1a2a1a1b3c a SNP estimated to be a 2,500 years old, andmainly found in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Ireland, Norway and its associated with the Alpine Celts. An interesting Neely / O’Neill’s of the SNP M405/S21/U106 R1b1a2a1a1a, an estimated 3,500 years old, mainly found in Frisia, Belgium, England, Austria, northern Italy, and believed to be of a West Germanic origin. That claim to be descendants of the Royal O’Neill clan, and this is an interesting find since this SNP is found in Belgium a region inhabited by the Belgae a Germanic / Celt peoples before the Roman invasions, and were conquered by Rome circa 57 B.C.The SNP Z196 R1b1a2a1a1b2, an estimated 4,800 years old that is mainly found in Iberia, Southwestern France, and it’s associated with the Celtiberians, Iberians, Basques, and Gascons. Is a SNP that I would like to see among those O’Neill’s tested, since it will be somewhat in line with the Milesian myths? Yet I have not seen any only test positive for it so far. Let’s take a look at the possible descendants of these O’Neill’s currently tested.


The possible descendants of the Érainn / Belgae tribes of Belgium:

1. O’Neill’s of the SNP M405/S21/U106 R1b1a2a1a1a 3,500 ybp.
2. O’Neill’s of the SNP L2/S139 R1b1a2a1a1b3c 2,500 ybp.


The Érainn according to T.F. O’Rahilly’s theory were of a Belgae origin and dominating power in Ireland until 325 B.C. they were composed of the Uluti, the Darini, the Iverni, and the Ebdani. My theory is that the Érainn dominated Ulster, and the Gaels most of Ireland. We do know that the Uluti founded the ancient capital of Ulster named EmainMacha. The Goidels are believed to have arrived into Ireland form Southern Gaul, and the Érainn from Britain from the ultimate home land in what is now modern day Belgium or the Belenux regions. The O’Neill’s currently tested for the SNP L2/S139 R1b1a2a1a1b3c, and the SNP M405/S21/U106 R1b1a2a1a1a fit this theory very well. Then you have the other O’Neill’s tested do fit the Goidels invasion, but that would not make them the original members of the Érainn tribes.


The Descendants of the Goidelic / Gaul Celts invasion:

1. O’Neill’s of the SNP L21/S145/M529 R1b1a2a1a1b4 4,000 ybp.
2. O’Neill’s of the SNP S28/U152 R1b1a2a1a1b3 3,500 ybp.
3. O’Neill’s of the SNP M222 R1b1a2a1a1b4b 3,000 ybp.

O’Neill’s of the SNP P312/S116 R1b1b2a1b 5,300 ybp. Native population absorbed into the O’Neill clan.

According to T.F. O’Rahilly’s invasion modal:

1. The Cruithne or Preteni invading Ireland circa 700 – 500 B.C.
2. The Belgae or Érainn circa 500 B.C.
3. The Laigin, the Domnainn, and the Gaolin circa 300 B.C.
4. The Goidels or Gael circa 100 B.C.

The fact is that no trust can be placed in the pedigree of pre-Christian times. The pedigree makers and the authors of Lebor Gabala worked hand in hand. Their object was the same, namely, to provide a fictitious antiquity for the Goidels and a fictitious Goidelic descent for the Irish generally.- Early Irish History and Mythology - T.F. O'Rahilly

Finding the tribal origin of the current O’Neill’s is a very interesting task, and I don’t believe it has been tried yet. First I will start with Ptolemy’s map of Ireland in 100 A.D., assuming it’s not a based on other accounts from 200 years earlier. One of these tribes was the Brigantes who were a Celtic tribe that controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England, and a significant part of the Midlands. Their kingdom is sometimes called Brigantia, and it was centered in what is modern day Yorkshire. Ptolemy shows the Brigantes in Ireland, in the modern day regions of Co. Wexford, Co. Kilkenny, and Co. Waterford. There are various ancient settlements named Brigantium throughout Europe such as Brigantia in Galicia, Spain; Bragança, Portugal; and Briançon and Bregenz in the Alps. Are these the tribe of the mythological Milesian and their King Breoghan? Then we get the Cauci tribe of early Ireland, documented by Ptolemy, were he places their location roughly in the region of modern County Dublin and County Wicklow. Are they Germanic Chauci of the Low Countries and north-western Germany? We do know that the Chauci were a Germanic sea faring people, and that may have been the way they invaded Ireland. They are close neighbors in Ireland to another possible Germanic tribe the Menapii, who were also a Belgic tribe of northern Gaul in pre-Roman and Roman times. Their territory according to Strabo and Ptolemy was located at the mouth of the Rhine and their territory corresponds roughly to the modern coast of Flanders, extended into neighboring France and possibly the Netherlands. This looks to be the ancient Irish tribe Manapii described to have occupied anciently the areas which are now modern day County Fermanagh, Ireland. This tribe was associated with the Belgae, a tribe that in Ancient sources are described to be of a Celtic or Germanic origin.
The tribes of the Belgae were these:

Ambiani,Atrebates,Atuatuci,Bellovaci,Caerosi,Caleti,Condrusi,Eburones,Menapii,Morini,Nervii,Paemani,Remi,Suessiones,Veliocassi, Viromandui.

One of the tribes in the North of Ireland were the Darini the ancient tribe described in Ptolemy's 2nd century mapshows them to have occupied in modern regions of South Antrim and North Down, Ireland.Some have suggested a strong relationship between the Darini and the Iverni. According to T.F. O’Rahilly’s theoryof his invasion model of Ireland, he believes that a branch of the Belgae also settled in Ireland, and were later represented by the historical Iverni or Érainn tribe, the Ulaid, and other tribes. His theory which is believed by many is that the name, of the legendary Fir Bolg’s, is the Irish equivalent of Belgae.
The Milesian myths, in my opinion, were created later on to provide the ruling clans of the day a legit origin in the eyes of the church, and by doing this they eliminated the Tuatha de Danann as mere ancient gods. The ancient Gael concept of the word Tuath which really meant 'people' and from this the root word emerged the word ' Deutsch'.

• Teutonic "of or pertaining to the Germanic languages and to peoples or tribes who speak or spoke them," from L. Teutonicus, from Teutones, name of a tribe that inhabited coastal Germany.
• Teuta, word for "people" Lith. tauto, Osc. touto, O.Ir. Tuath, Goth. þiuda, O.E. þeod.Dutsch.duit-isc, þeodisc "belonging to the people," common language of Germanic people, from þeod "people, race, from teuta- "people" cf. O.Ir. tuoth "people," O.Lith. tauta "people," O.Prus. tauto "country," Oscan touto "community".

The big question is are the O’Neill’s who have tested positive for the SNP L2/S139 R1b1a2a1a1b3c a SNP estimated to be a 2,500 years old, and that is mainly found in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Britain, Ireland, Norway and its associated with the Alpine Celts part of this Belgae, Tuatha de Danann, and Chauci origin? Or are the O’Neill’s of the SNP M405/S21/U106 R1b1a2a1a1a? An estimated 3,500 years old, mainly found in Frisia, Belgium, England, Austria, northern Italy, and believed to be of a West Germanic origin. Some have estimated that the Tuatha de Danann replaced the Fir Bolg’s (Belgae) in 1900 B.C.? I put no dates on any sort of invasions etc. But I have a theory that just small bands of warriors arrived in the 3rd century B.C. possibly from Britain or continental Europe and introduced Iron weapons and gained an advantage over the native populations. Was there a Germanic tribal invasion into Ireland? It’s very possible with the names of tribes shown in Ptolemy’s Map, and the current O’Neill’s tested with SNP’s with association with high frequencies in areas once occupied by Germanic tribes the answer is yes, in my opinion. How big was the invasion? That is another question. When more y-dna test are taken from the overall population of O’Neill’s throughout the world not just the O’Neill’s in Ireland , Australia , and the United States, but from the lands were many of the O’Neill’s served as mercenaries and military men for their new respected nations at the time Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Austria, and France. Then there are the countless countries in the Caribbean and South America.