ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the genetic history of Ireland. The Republic of Ireland is made up of twenty-six geopolitical units known as counties, and Northern Ireland contains six counties. Archaeological evidence suggests that Ireland was first inhabited by hunter-gatherers about 9,000 years ago, followed by Neolithic farmers. In addition to having experienced multiple invasions and settlements, Ireland is interesting because of the rapid changes in population size that took place during the nineteenth century. The increase in population size was related to traditional patterns of marriage and inheritance in rural Ireland. The chapter discusses three examples of the use of genetic analyses in reconstructing the population history of Ireland. In Ireland, the itinerant population is known as the Irish Travellers, formerly referred to as the Irish Tinkers. The west coast of Ireland, and in particular the Aran Islands, has often been regarded as having very traditional Irish culture.
