Ancient ancestors of the Ui Maine tribe proven by DNA testing
The surname Keegan is an Irish patronymic surname dating back to around 1620 in the Dublin area. Keegan was originally spelled MacAodhagain and with this spelling dates back to around 1000AD.
The name MacAodhagain means "Son of Aodhagain" and was taken by Flann MacAodhagain to honour his father Aedhagain, a chieftain of the Ui Maine tribe.
Aodh (pronounced Hew) means fire and "gain" means "small" so the name possibly suggested Aedhagain was small and firey. Perhaps this was his temperament or perhaps he had red hair. At any rate. the name would be pronounced "Mac hew gain."
In central Ireland as Gaelic spellings fell out of favour the name became written MacEgan and other variations such as MacKiegan and McKeegan were found in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Eventually the anglicised spellings Egan and Keegan became more prominent.
The descendants of Flann MacAodhagain held their clan home at Redwood Castle in Lorrha, County Tipperary and they were hereditary Brehons.
A brehon was a cross between a historian, a lawyer and a judge. They drew up an enforced Ireland's laws. The clan were also responsible for some of Ireland's earliest history books - which is maybe one reason the clan is so well documented.
I have theorised that Murtagh MacAodhagain (born around 1600) was the father of Murtagh Keegan (born around 1620) and his siblings - demonstrating where and when the name change occured.
It has been proven by DNA testing (that I have taken part in) that Keegan and Egan have the same common ancestor.
All MacAodhagain histories agree that the clan grew out of the Ui Maine tribe that was established by King Maine and included a notable high king called Cairbre Crom. The Ui Maine has various lineages but DNA testing has confirmed that the lineage which places Maine as the son of King Niall of the Nine Hostages, is the one we should pursue.
The MacAodhagain clan claims lineage from the Milesian tribe which conquered Ireland thereby establishing a celtic race in the country.
Legend has it that Milesius was a Brigantes chieftain from Galacia, Spain whose family had originated in Scythia (modern day Eastern Europe), the line traces back to Gael Glas (after whom the Gaelic people are said to be named).
Gael Glas was the son of Niul, King of Scythia whose wife was Scota (after whom the Scots are named). She was the daughter of an Egyptian pharoah named Smenkhares whose father was Akhenahten.
Archaeology and DNA testing have confirmed that the Brigantes and other celts did indeed come from North Africa and begin their journey through Scythia, north through Europe and over to Ireland.
I took a DNA test for Y Chromosome (paternal line) that confirmed by Hapologroup was R1B1A2 and that I am indeed descended from Nial of the Nine Hostages - and also that I have the same hapologroup as Tutankhamun who was the son of my ancestor Akhenahten.
Niul's Scythian line comes from the chiefs of Tepe Gawra in Mesopotamia (modern Iran-Iraq) and traces back many generations to the grandson of Abraham. Of course going back four thousand years we have to look at sources like the Bible and the Sumerian king lists as well as archaeological evidence.
My lines are all descended from the post-flood Shemite line which is said to come from Noah's son Shem (which gives us the word Semetic, referencing Jewish tribes). Of course from Noah (who has his counterpart in Sumerian history with Atra Hasis or Ziusudra) we can go all the way back to Adam (or the Sumerian Alulim).
Because the Biblical Adam and Eve would appear to be symbolic or mythological, or at the very least a heavily fictionalised person drawing from Babylonian figures such as Alulim, Marduk and Adapa,
There are another scientific Adam and Eve - and they are "Y Chromosome Adam" and "Mitochondrial Eve". Unlike their Biblical namesakes, they were not the first living people or even the only people around at the time.
Mitochondrial Eve is the earliest female ancestor from whom everyone alive today is descended. If everyone in the world were to trace their mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's etc..... back thousands of generations, eventually they would get to Mitochondrial Eve, who lived around 200,000 years ago probably around Kenya.
Y Chromosome Adam is the the earliest male ancestor from whom everyone alive today is descended. If everyone in the world were to trace their father's father's father's father's father's etc..... back thousands of generations, eventually they would get to Y Chromosome Adam, who lived around 60,000 years ago probably around Kenya.
So of course Eve and Adam never knew each other - in fact it's fair to say Eve was probably one of Adam's ancestors.
From Y Chromosome Adam we can plot all the DNA mutations and where our ancient ancestors migrated.
The Keegan paternal line's Y Chromosome ancestors made their way out of North Africa around 30,000 years ago which roughly coincides with the dating of Cro Magnon Man.
From this time 30,000BC to 6,000BC the Ice Age came and went and around the Fertile Crescent, civilisations began and by 4000BC we are back to the era of Biblical Adam.
The name MacAodhagain means "Son of Aodhagain" and was taken by Flann MacAodhagain to honour his father Aedhagain, a chieftain of the Ui Maine tribe.
Aodh (pronounced Hew) means fire and "gain" means "small" so the name possibly suggested Aedhagain was small and firey. Perhaps this was his temperament or perhaps he had red hair. At any rate. the name would be pronounced "Mac hew gain."
In central Ireland as Gaelic spellings fell out of favour the name became written MacEgan and other variations such as MacKiegan and McKeegan were found in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Eventually the anglicised spellings Egan and Keegan became more prominent.
The descendants of Flann MacAodhagain held their clan home at Redwood Castle in Lorrha, County Tipperary and they were hereditary Brehons.
A brehon was a cross between a historian, a lawyer and a judge. They drew up an enforced Ireland's laws. The clan were also responsible for some of Ireland's earliest history books - which is maybe one reason the clan is so well documented.
I have theorised that Murtagh MacAodhagain (born around 1600) was the father of Murtagh Keegan (born around 1620) and his siblings - demonstrating where and when the name change occured.
It has been proven by DNA testing (that I have taken part in) that Keegan and Egan have the same common ancestor.
All MacAodhagain histories agree that the clan grew out of the Ui Maine tribe that was established by King Maine and included a notable high king called Cairbre Crom. The Ui Maine has various lineages but DNA testing has confirmed that the lineage which places Maine as the son of King Niall of the Nine Hostages, is the one we should pursue.
The MacAodhagain clan claims lineage from the Milesian tribe which conquered Ireland thereby establishing a celtic race in the country.
Legend has it that Milesius was a Brigantes chieftain from Galacia, Spain whose family had originated in Scythia (modern day Eastern Europe), the line traces back to Gael Glas (after whom the Gaelic people are said to be named).
Gael Glas was the son of Niul, King of Scythia whose wife was Scota (after whom the Scots are named). She was the daughter of an Egyptian pharoah named Smenkhares whose father was Akhenahten.
Archaeology and DNA testing have confirmed that the Brigantes and other celts did indeed come from North Africa and begin their journey through Scythia, north through Europe and over to Ireland.
I took a DNA test for Y Chromosome (paternal line) that confirmed by Hapologroup was R1B1A2 and that I am indeed descended from Nial of the Nine Hostages - and also that I have the same hapologroup as Tutankhamun who was the son of my ancestor Akhenahten.
Niul's Scythian line comes from the chiefs of Tepe Gawra in Mesopotamia (modern Iran-Iraq) and traces back many generations to the grandson of Abraham. Of course going back four thousand years we have to look at sources like the Bible and the Sumerian king lists as well as archaeological evidence.
My lines are all descended from the post-flood Shemite line which is said to come from Noah's son Shem (which gives us the word Semetic, referencing Jewish tribes). Of course from Noah (who has his counterpart in Sumerian history with Atra Hasis or Ziusudra) we can go all the way back to Adam (or the Sumerian Alulim).
Because the Biblical Adam and Eve would appear to be symbolic or mythological, or at the very least a heavily fictionalised person drawing from Babylonian figures such as Alulim, Marduk and Adapa,
There are another scientific Adam and Eve - and they are "Y Chromosome Adam" and "Mitochondrial Eve". Unlike their Biblical namesakes, they were not the first living people or even the only people around at the time.
Mitochondrial Eve is the earliest female ancestor from whom everyone alive today is descended. If everyone in the world were to trace their mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's etc..... back thousands of generations, eventually they would get to Mitochondrial Eve, who lived around 200,000 years ago probably around Kenya.
Y Chromosome Adam is the the earliest male ancestor from whom everyone alive today is descended. If everyone in the world were to trace their father's father's father's father's father's etc..... back thousands of generations, eventually they would get to Y Chromosome Adam, who lived around 60,000 years ago probably around Kenya.
So of course Eve and Adam never knew each other - in fact it's fair to say Eve was probably one of Adam's ancestors.
From Y Chromosome Adam we can plot all the DNA mutations and where our ancient ancestors migrated.
The Keegan paternal line's Y Chromosome ancestors made their way out of North Africa around 30,000 years ago which roughly coincides with the dating of Cro Magnon Man.
From this time 30,000BC to 6,000BC the Ice Age came and went and around the Fertile Crescent, civilisations began and by 4000BC we are back to the era of Biblical Adam.
The Brythonic ('P Celtic') Celts in descent from Brutus and the Gaelic ('Q Celtic') Celts in descent from Milesius
The Clann MacAodhagain (clan Keegan) traces its descent through the Ui Maine tribe to a chieftain named Milesius. Like other Ui Niall-descended clans such as the irish Molloys (Clann Maolmuaidh) and the Scottish Clan Buchanan, the MacAodhagain Clann are Gaelic Celts, sometimes called Q Celtic. The Milesian tribes were descended from the Brigantes tribes of Carthage and Gallacia.
Old Cornish and Welsh royal lines trace their ancestry back to the likes of Beli Mawr and Bran the Blessed, and to ancient tribes like the Trinovantes and Calluvellauni. Beli Mawr was said to be descended from a Trojan king named Brutus and it was sometimes claimed the name Trinovantes literally means "Troy Nouveau" (new Troy). The Welsh/Cornish celts are referred to as P Celts.
The reasons for dividing the celts into P Celtic and Q Celtic is to show a linguistic and cultural definition.
As an example the Irish/Scottish word Conn (head) is in Welsh Pen. So there are many Gaelic places with names like like Kintyre (head of the land) and lots of Welsh places with names like Penbroke.
As another example a Scotsman may be called Connor Mac Donald (Connor son of Donald) as a Welshman may be called Hew ap Gruffydd (Hew son of Gruffydd).
The Scots/Irish K or Q sound is the Welshman's P sound.
During the Ice Age various people who we now retrospectively call Celts arrived in Britain. One such tribe was that of Brutus the Trojan, grandson of Aedd Mawr whose descendants include the Trinovantes and Catuvellauni.
Prior to Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55BC the Trinovantes were the most powerful tribe in Britain. Their leaders included Imanuentius, Mandubracius, Addedomarus, Dubnovellaunus and Cunobelinus.
Cunobelinus was also king of the Catuvelauni. His father was Tasciovanus. Legend states his grandfather was Lud, who himself was the son of Beli Mawr who ruled in about 100BC
Every significant Welsh royal line traced its descent to Beli Mawr, who in turn could be traced back to Brutus the Trojan.
The rule of Brutus took place in around 1112-1081BC.
The lineage is as follows:
Aedd Mawr
Silvius
Brutus
Locrinus
Maddan
Mempricus
Ebraucus
Brutus II
Leil
Rud Hud Hudibras
Bladud
Leir
Regan
Cunedagius
Rivallo
Gurgustius
Sisillius
Kimarcus
Gorboduc
Ferrex and Porrex
...............
Dunvallo Molmutius
Belinus
Gurguit Barbtruc
Guitheline
Sissillius II
Danius
Morvidus
Archgallo
Elidurus
Gerrenus
Millus
Porrex II
Cherin
Andragasius
Urianus
Eliud
Cledaucus
Clotenus
Gurguntius
Merianus
Bledudo
Cap
Oenus
Sisillius III
Archmail
Eldol
Redon
Redechius
Sawyl
Pir
Capoir
Digueillus
Beli Mawr
Old Cornish and Welsh royal lines trace their ancestry back to the likes of Beli Mawr and Bran the Blessed, and to ancient tribes like the Trinovantes and Calluvellauni. Beli Mawr was said to be descended from a Trojan king named Brutus and it was sometimes claimed the name Trinovantes literally means "Troy Nouveau" (new Troy). The Welsh/Cornish celts are referred to as P Celts.
The reasons for dividing the celts into P Celtic and Q Celtic is to show a linguistic and cultural definition.
As an example the Irish/Scottish word Conn (head) is in Welsh Pen. So there are many Gaelic places with names like like Kintyre (head of the land) and lots of Welsh places with names like Penbroke.
As another example a Scotsman may be called Connor Mac Donald (Connor son of Donald) as a Welshman may be called Hew ap Gruffydd (Hew son of Gruffydd).
The Scots/Irish K or Q sound is the Welshman's P sound.
During the Ice Age various people who we now retrospectively call Celts arrived in Britain. One such tribe was that of Brutus the Trojan, grandson of Aedd Mawr whose descendants include the Trinovantes and Catuvellauni.
Prior to Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain in 55BC the Trinovantes were the most powerful tribe in Britain. Their leaders included Imanuentius, Mandubracius, Addedomarus, Dubnovellaunus and Cunobelinus.
Cunobelinus was also king of the Catuvelauni. His father was Tasciovanus. Legend states his grandfather was Lud, who himself was the son of Beli Mawr who ruled in about 100BC
Every significant Welsh royal line traced its descent to Beli Mawr, who in turn could be traced back to Brutus the Trojan.
The rule of Brutus took place in around 1112-1081BC.
The lineage is as follows:
Aedd Mawr
Silvius
Brutus
Locrinus
Maddan
Mempricus
Ebraucus
Brutus II
Leil
Rud Hud Hudibras
Bladud
Leir
Regan
Cunedagius
Rivallo
Gurgustius
Sisillius
Kimarcus
Gorboduc
Ferrex and Porrex
...............
Dunvallo Molmutius
Belinus
Gurguit Barbtruc
Guitheline
Sissillius II
Danius
Morvidus
Archgallo
Elidurus
Gerrenus
Millus
Porrex II
Cherin
Andragasius
Urianus
Eliud
Cledaucus
Clotenus
Gurguntius
Merianus
Bledudo
Cap
Oenus
Sisillius III
Archmail
Eldol
Redon
Redechius
Sawyl
Pir
Capoir
Digueillus
Beli Mawr