To be sure, clan loses its Irish heritage
FOR many centuries, their proudest boast has been that royal blood runs through their veins.
Now, thanks to modern DNA testing, it appears that the Clan MacNeil i sn’t descended from Ireland’s ‘greatest’ king, Niall of the Nine Hostages, after all but is probably of Viking extraction.
Hundreds of mouth swabs were taken from members of the clan, which is particularly associated with the Isle of Barra, but no trace of ancient Irish royalty was found.
The so- called MacNeil surname Y-DNA project was l aunched by genealogists Vincent MacNeil and Alex Buchanan, who set out to investigate the long-held belief that the clan was related to Niall through an 11th century Irish prince who emigrated to Scotland.
But Mr MacNeil, from Nova Scotia, Canada, said: ‘We don’t have one participant from Barra that matches the O’Neills of Ireland.
‘If you look at the history of the Clan MacNeils, we are probably of Norse descent. We have legends and myths that have been passed through generations. But Mother Nature knows who we are. Oral history is wonderful and often there is truth to it. But everybody’s family history is in their DNA.’
The clan’s link to the Vikings should perhaps have been obvious. The MacNeils were i nfamous throughout Scotland and beyond for their Norse-like pirating and seamanship.
Sailing from their base at Kisimul Castle, their vessel of choice was the Birlinn, a type of boat similar to a Viking longship.
Across the world, members of the clan are now trying to adjust to their new heritage – some more easily than others.
Western Isles Nationalist MP Angus MacNeil, who lives on Barra, said: ‘The MacNeils were a notoriously pirating clan. It’s no surprise we have Norse DNA. Maybe we are the last Vikings.’
He added: The clan motto is “con- quer or die”. Given the size of the island we ended up on, we must have been better at the dying than the conquering.’
Paul MacNeil, 70, from Washington state, US, said he was ‘devastated’ when he got the news.
‘I found solace in the fact that, if not a Celt, I am nevertheless a Gael,’ he added.
Michael MacNeil, 62, from Nova Scotia, Canada, said: ‘It wasn’t what I expected.’ The aerospace engineer, whose family emigrated from Barra seven generations ago, added: ‘I’m pretty good with being of Viking descent. I have no problems at all. You are what you are.’
Calum MacNeil, a retired fisherman who lives near Castlebay, Barra, joked: ‘I knew that anyway but I didn’t want to tell anybody.’
Niall of the Nine Hostages, who died in 405AD, was named after his favoured strategy of seizing and holding followers of rival chieftains.
His dynasty dominated Ireland between the fi f th and tenth centuries.