A research has been undertaken by geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists from Queen's University Belfast to determine the sequence of genomes of the skulls of four Irish citizens. The research is aimed at revealing the origins of the Irish people. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the research paper on December 28 2015.

The modern technological and methodological techniques to examine the ancient DNA has enabled the researchers to generate complete genomes of all the four skulls, which were used to carry out their study, according to study author Dan Bradley, population genetics professor at Trinity College Dublin. The researchers were astonished to determine the prominent distinctions in the 5,000-year-old Neolithic woman’s skull discovered in Belfast in 1855 and the three 4,000-year-old men’s skulls, which were discovered offshore Rathlin Island in 2006.

The researchers argue that the huge genome variation with a difference of mere 1,000 years is quite surprising. This leads to the possibility of major migrations that might have taken place during those 1,000 years. "These genomes when taken as a whole are more like modern Irish, Scottish and Welsh - insular Celtic populations. This suggested some large degree of establishment of the genetics of these populations 4,000 years ago," said Bradley.

A few of the highest levels of certain genetic mutations have occurred in Ireland. This includes immunity towards dairy products, spread of certain dangerous diseases like haemochromatosis, and cystic fibrosis. Men’s DNA indicates that migration might have occurred from the Pontic Steppe area, the Eastern European area over the Black Sea, including Ukraine.

EurekAlert reported that, Ireland has intriguing genetics. It lies at the edge of many European genetic gradients with world maxima for the variants that code for lactose tolerance, the western European Y chromosome type, and several important genetic diseases including one of excessive iron retention, called haemochromatosis.

However, the origins of this heritage are unknown. The only way to discover our genetic past is to sequence genomes directly from ancient people, by embarking on a type of genetic time travel.