DNA Research Links Scots, Irish And Welsh To North-western Spain

Brian Donnelly, The Herald (Glasgow), 10 Sept. 2004

Celtic nations such as Scotland and Ireland have more in common with the Portuguese and Spanish than with the Celts of central Europe, according to a new academic report.

Historians have long believed that the British Isles were swamped by a massive invasion of Iron Age Celts from central Europe around 500BC.

However, geneticists at Trinity College in Dublin now claim that the Scots and Irish have more in common with the people of north-western Spain.

Dr Daniel Bradley, genetics lecturer at Trinity College, said a new study into Celtic origins revealed close affinities with the people of Galicia.

He said:"It's well-known that there are cultural relations between the areas but now this shows there is much more. We think the links are much older than that of the Iron Age because it also shows affinities with the Basque region, which isn't a Celtic region."

He added:"The links point towards other Celtic nations, in particular Scotland, but they also point to Spain."

Historians believed the Celts, originally Indo-European, invaded the Atlantic islands in a massive migration 2500 years ago.

But using DNA samples from people living in Celtic nations and other parts of Europe, geneticists at the university have drawn new parallels.

Dr Bradley said it was possible migrants moved from the Iberian peninsula to Ireland as far back as 6000 years ago up until 3000 years ago.

"I don't agree with the idea of a massive Iron Age invasion that took over the Atlantic islands. You can regard the ocean, rather than a barrier, as a communication route," Dr Bradley said.

Archaeologists have also been questioning the links between the Celts of eastern France and southern Germany and the people of the British Isles and the new research appears to prove their theories.

The Dublin study found that people in areas traditionally known as Celtic, such as Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany and Cornwall, had strong links with each other and had more in common with people from the Iberian peninsula.