Did anyone here say it was exclusively Irish ? The red-hair gene has been found in Neanderthals too. The gene just flourished more in Ireland/Scotland than anywhere else for reasons probably linked to a combination of climate and sexual preference (if you want to go all Darwin on it). That combined with historical reasons why the Irish migrated a lot out of Ireland, including documented migrations of Irish groups into Mexico, and from there its all just probability.
eg I've got an Irish name, and I can trace my ancestry back to about the mid 1700s (ie pre-famine), all of which lived in South-West England. I can only extrapolate that before that they descended from a particular trading arrangement with some Lord back in the day who was known to have profited from trade with Southern Ireland in the 1500s, which led to some migration back then. Can I prove it ? Nope. Just probabilities - its the most likely. Most of the time that's all we've got if we don't have documentary evidence.
Anyway, its been fun, but back to boxing.......
eg I've got an Irish name, and I can trace my ancestry back to about the mid 1700s (ie pre-famine), all of which lived in South-West England. I can only extrapolate that before that they descended from a particular trading arrangement with some Lord back in the day who was known to have profited from trade with Southern Ireland in the 1500s, which led to some migration back then. Can I prove it ? Nope. Just probabilities - its the most likely. Most of the time that's all we've got if we don't have documentary evidence.
Anyway, its been fun, but back to boxing.......
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