When you talk to the British, Americans, even Canadians, and Australians about their ancestral roots, many of them are likely to say that their ancestors came from Ireland. This is a good thing, really. Few people would be ashamed of their Irish ancestry, but what about Irish ancestry?
Where did the Irish story begin?
This question is not often asked, well, like most good origin stories, there is more than one answer. So the six countries we are going to talk about today may be the ancestors of the "Irish people."
1,2,3. England/Scotland/Wales
I won’t say more about this question, because it seems obvious. But evidence of settlers in Ireland can be traced back to 12,000 years ago, during which the ice age was about to end in a muddy and rainy manner. Once the ice sheet receded, the small natural landforms that connected Ireland with parts of Scotland and northwest England (apparently) ceased to exist. With the warm temperatures of Emerald Island attracting ancient settlers from the East to travel long distances, migration is not only possible but almost inevitable. Later, Celtic traditions were shared on both sides of the Irish Sea. Coupled with the influence of the Ulster Plantation, Protestants in England and Scotland also came to settle on the island in the 17th century.
4. Spain
It is believed that the earliest settlers on the island of Ireland were probably from Spain. Although there is no concrete evidence, there is some fleeting evidence that shows that there is a historical connection between the two countries. It is speculated that Ireland’s Latin name Hibernia comes from the Iberia peninsula, which includes Spain and Portugal. If the name comes from Spain, does it fall mainly on the plains? I mean, does this mean that people also live on that plain? It is said that today, the largest group sharing DNA with the Irish live in the Basque Country in northern Spain, so who knows?
