Around 2004, the first DNA findings seemed to confirm the history books They showed Irish similarities to Iberia (north Spain-Portugal) Gaelic texts like the Books of invasions had claimed the Gaels invaded from Spain But - it was a false positive (2)

The research used mitochondrial DNA - the maternal side This was like a snapshot, missing 99% of the picture It took until 2016 for the revolution to reach Ireland - whole genome sequencing - analysing 3.2 billion base pairs First used in 2004 but costing billions, it

Lara Cassidy & Dan Bradley were the 1st to sequence ancient Irish They examined a Neolithic woman who died around 3300BC, from Ballynahatty Co. Down And 3 men from Rathlin Island from 2000BC The woman showed the Neolithic Irish emerged from Anatolia - modern day Turkey (4)

Findings all across Europe confirmed this route Farmers spread from the Fertile Crescent to populate & domesticate They gave Irelands its farming lifestyle, stone fields & many retained daily habits But the Rathlin Island men revealed something else entirely (5)

They show a near complete replacement of the Neolithic Irish by later ‘Beaker phenomenon’- some 93% They came from Eastern Europe & Russia They brought metal working to complement farming practises This was likely population swamping rather than violent invasion, 2500BC (6)

In 2020 Lara Cassidy & team sequenced 44 ancient Irish Their findings confirmed earlier work But other DNA sources now showed something remarkable Tens of thousands of people using services like Ancestry showed the Beaker-Steppe arrival was the last in Ireland (7)

The findings completely rewrote 20th century history books There was no ‘Celtic’ invasion of Ireland Outside of basic trade, the Irish went undisturbed - no Celts, Romans, Saxons For 3000 years from 2000BC to 1100AD, it was internal evolution with external inspiration (8)

We now know late Bronze Age / early Iron Age Ireland saw influence from Celtic Europe Most significantly, the Irish language shows Celtic inspiration Iron work - Artwork - Kinship structures - Druid class Celtic Europe inspired much, via trade contact & elite emulation (9)

By about 500BC, the Irish have become the ‘Gaels’ (a later term applied retrospectively) Over the next 1000 years they will develop an extraordinary civilisation on Europes western fringe Brehon Law - the most advanced, equitable & humane in Europe Artistic appreciation -

Genetic analysis shows us a very modest augmentation from Vikings raids & small settlements They accounted for about 3% of the population & 3% of modern DNA (higher in Waterford, Wexford, Dublin) Later Anglo-Norman arrivals mostly assimilated English plantations could account

The DNA evidence has banished old myths: The Celtic/Gaelic invasion - there is no such thing. The same people have lived in Ireland for 3000 years, developing their culture with Celtic, Roman & other inspiration The Milesian / Iberian myth - the story told in the ‘Book of

The findings could not be clearer The Irish had been left to their own devices for some 3000 years This is unsurprising for an island outcrop on Europes western edge, before the advent of ocean seafaring One that avoided Roman & Saxon interests They were not isolated - they

See; 2020 Cassidy et al: https://www.nature.com/article... Beaker phenomenon: https://www.nature.com/article... Irish DNA atlas: https://www.nature.com/article...

@itsjohncrotty So the Irish are not Celts they are Gaels who adopted Celtic culture?

@TadhgCalbhaigh Yes We were highly influenced by that culture from about 800BC. We know that because what developed in Ireland has correlations, like Gaelic deriving from Celtic languages but becoming its own thing. The same can be said for other things. Even artwork, but we refined it and

@itsjohncrotty I thought that the indo Europeans who arrived were bell beaker letenne culture ( proto celtic)

@AMarston27231 Yes, beakers around 2500-2000 and no one after them What came later was external influence but internal evolution

@itsjohncrotty Sinn Fein like to rewrite history. And given your political leanings, it is in your interest to promote the Celts as non-invading. Many other sources disagree.

@ulstertimes What sources disagree, please share

@itsjohncrotty The Irish are an offshoot of an ancient Briton tribe.

@itsjohncrotty They’re diet British.

@itsjohncrotty I am all for nationalism but this is epic cringey. How the hell can you push this delusional nationalism when your speaking English? If your gonna be a good nationalist at least do it right 😅

@itsjohncrotty John. Incredible. Any suggestoon there is a smidgeon of English, Scots & Welsh blood is an outrage. We may, though, have a problem with St.Patrick.

@itsjohncrotty Your graphs highlight the point I made to you a few days ago - the Irish, Scots and Welsh (eastern Britons) are essentially one group. The outliers are the Anglo-Saxons in the south-east of England That means the Ulster-Scots aren't "planters" but rather brothers

@itsjohncrotty They have blurred the lines with DNA companies basing it off others who got the test done in the area and not a archeological link. Basically if a polish person took the test here and an Irish person took the test here it would skew the result. They're a scam.

@itsjohncrotty Has anyone done this for Scotland John?

@itsjohncrotty A fascinating summary and food for thought. Thank you for your efforts and composing these threads. 👏

@itsjohncrotty "Brehon Law - the most advanced, equitable & humane in Europe" Especially on how one's slaves should be treated. 🤣🤣🤣

@itsjohncrotty Whaaaat... no Celtic migration?? Just trading? Shocked. Utterly shocked!

@itsjohncrotty What a load of 1-eyed BS. I notice you never even attempted to argue how the Irish are a different race or nationality to the rest of the British Isles. Genetics research proves the people of the British Isles have common ancestry & are genetically similar but differ from Europe

@itsjohncrotty I always thought along those lines. Rathlin man had hemochromatosis and Ireland still has the highest rates of that genetic disorder on the planet.

@itsjohncrotty Enjoyed that, interesting

@itsjohncrotty Super post.

@itsjohncrotty A old university lecturer many years ago said the native Gaels were drinking the best of continental wine before the Normans arrived, trading away! English crown protrayed the natives as savages! But then again they’re still doing that elsewhere