There goes my street cred... I'm descended from sort of aristocracy

[Asher]

It's like claiming descent from King Solomon. Was there a King Solomon who ruled Israel? Probably. But our knowledge of him is based entirely on the Bible, written centuries after his time.

Is there a haplogroup that's been proven to be a trait of all descandants of King Solomon, like there is for Naill?

Do you understand the basics of genetics?

[Al B. Sure!]

And as for your genetic claims:

However, more recently some reservations have been expressed, as the subclade, which is defined by the presence of the marker R-M222, is found in a belt from Northern Ireland across southern Scotland and is not exclusively associated with the Uà Néill. It is now more commonly referred to as the Northwest Irish/Lowland Scots variety.[15]

[Al B. Sure!]

Is there a haplogroup that's been proven to be a trait of all descandants of King Solomon, like there is for Naill?

Do you understand the basics of genetics?

Even without those reservations, all the genetics stuff shows is there's a common male-line ancestor from 1700 years ago. It doesn't necessarily have to be this Naill.

Do YOU understand the basics of genetics?

I know I got you whenever you ask me a stupid question like that

[Asher]

The haplogroup is R1b1b2a1a2f2

This is how they traced it back to Naill:

They calculated that the most recent common ancestor was likely to have lived about 1,700 years ago. Coupled with the geographical distribution centred on the northwest, this pointed to the Ui Neill dynasty.

The researchers then checked genealogical records, which recorded the relationships between different Irish families over centuries. Katharine Simms, head of Trinity’s history department, provided the geneticists with a list of modern surnames linked by genealogical tradition to the Ui Neill dynasty.

“We found that the frequency of this variant, this Y chromosome, was much higher in this group,” said Bradley. “That was the clincher — the Ui Neill, this group that held sway and power in Ireland, seemed at some stage to have had a single patrilineal ancestor.

“It’s another example of a linkage between prolificacy and power. It confirms these medieval genealogies.”

Among those who carry the distinctive pattern of Y chromosomes in their genes, indicating probable descent from the warlord, is Bradley himself. “I’m from the northwest, so it is not that unusual,” he said. “One in five of the people I would meet on the street at home would also be descended.”

Powerful men in medieval Ireland had many wives and children. Divorce and concubinage were allowed and illegitimate sons were claimed and had rights under law.

“Under Brehon law a man had a first wife, a live-in concubine, a live-out concubine and someone he just casually met and so on,” said Simms. “In each of these cases a child could take the father’s name.”

Modern surnames tracing their ancestry to Niall include Gallagher, Boyle, O’Donnell, O’Doherty and O’Kane. Even in the 15th century, Niall’s descendants were producing offspring in abundance. Lord Turlough O’Donnell, who died in 1423, had 18 sons with 10 different women and had 59 grandsons in the male line.

23andme's take on it:

Haplogroup R1b1b2a1a2f2
R1b1b2a1a2f2 reaches its peak in Ireland, where the vast majority of men carry Y-chromosomes belonging to the haplogroup. Researchers have recently discovered that a large subset of men assigned to the haplogroup may be direct male descendants of an Irish king who ruled during the 4th and early 5th centuries. According to Irish history, a king named Niall of the Nine Hostages established the Ui Neill dynasty that ruled the island country for the next millennium.

Northwestern Ireland is said to have been the core of Niall's kingdom; and that is exactly where men bearing the genetic signature associated with him are most common. About 17% of men in northwestern Ireland have Y-chromosomes that are exact matches to the signature, and another few percent vary from it only slightly. In New York City, a magnet for Irish immigrants during the 19th and early 20th century, 2% of men have Y-chromosomes matching the Ui Neill signature. Genetic analysis suggests that all these men share a common ancestor who lived about 1,700 years ago. Among men living in northwestern Ireland today that date is closer to 1,000 years ago. Those dates neatly bracket the era when Niall is supposed to have reigned.

Outside Ireland, R1b1b2a1a2f2 is relatively common only along the west coast of Britain.

[Asher]

And as for your genetic claims:

I don't make the claim based on the R-M222 marker, which is far more generic than the haplogroup.

[Donegeal]

Al, you are agueing genetics on a video game fansite. I'm pretty sure your 'street cred' was ruined long before you made this geneology discovery.

[Asher]

I've got him spending his time googling my ancestry. I always knew he had a thing for me.

[Barnabas]

I descend from peasants, hopefully one of them of the female sex was raped by a nobleman who impregnated her

[ZEE]

.

[-Jrabbit]

Where is this corner shop with 50 cent coffee?
Is the coffee any good?

[ZEE]

.

[Cort Haus]

plastic paddies

[Provost Harrison]

So Asher is actually Irish and Albie is descended from toucans? Intriguing.

[Asher]

So Asher is actually Irish and Albie is descended from toucans? Intriguing.

Toucan Sam?

And only part. Mostly British. Which really is worse, I think. Got Scottish in me too.

[Provost Harrison]

Oh it's great...really. Think of the territory we controlled