Jochen Lueg <jl@spamnet.co.uk> wrote in news:4dac3d393fjl@spamnet.co.uk: > In article <Xns96D49EAB1A26Delektrosmdonet@81.174.12.30>, > Alun L. Palmer <elektros@yahoo.com> wrote: > > >> This does fit with the Milesian genealogy, however, i.e. the idea that >> all Irish are descended from one man called Mile (or Milesius in the >> Latin) who came to Ireland from Spain. Perhaps there's a little grain of >> truth in that after all. > > > After 9000 years I can see how you can trace the decent of a population > back to one woman. To do the same to one man would be very difficult I > would have thought. > > Jochen > I'll now confuse things by replying twice to the same post! Looking at it another way, mitocondrial DNA would trace the female line, but the problem is that the written records follow the male lines. Anyway, if the latest DNA study says that the Hibernians are really Iberians, this does actually fit with the oldest traditions. Of course, the part of the traditional view that says we are all descendents of Milesius himself is rather hard to swallow, but can just be seen as an over- simplification. Also, it does make the Irish language rather hard to explain, as it is undoubtedly celtic.

In article <Xns96D8E624DF36elektrosmdonet@81.174.12.30>, Alun L. Palmer <elektros@yahoo.com> wrote: > Jochen Lueg <jl@spamnet.co.uk> wrote in news:4dac3d393fjl@spamnet.co.uk: > > > > I'll now confuse things by replying twice to the same post! Looking at > it another way, mitocondrial DNA would trace the female line, but the > problem is that the written records follow the male lines. > Anyway, if the latest DNA study says that the Hibernians are really > Iberians, this does actually fit with the oldest traditions. Of course, > the part of the traditional view that says we are all descendents of > Milesius himself is rather hard to swallow, but can just be seen as an > over- simplification. Also, it does make the Irish language rather hard > to explain, as it is undoubtedly celtic. Culture is often unconnected with the roots of language. Look at the different cultures within the Indo European group of languages. Do we know what language was spoken in along the Iberian coast? It can't have been a relation of the present language as that had to wait for the Romans. Jochen -- ------------------------------------ If you want to learn about Limavady, why not try http://www.binevenagh.com for some local history, photographs and the Roe Valley News Browser.