A scientific study has uncovered that Ireland's rare Old Irish Goat breed shares its closest genetic ties with goats from the Late Bronze Age, around 3,000 years ago. Researchers from University College Dublin and Queen's University Belfast analyzed ancient remains to confirm this unbroken lineage. The findings highlight the breed's role in Ireland's agricultural history and underscore the need for its conservation.
Scientists have determined that the Old Irish Goat, a critically endangered native breed, maintains a direct genetic connection to goats that inhabited Ireland during the Late Bronze Age, approximately 3,000 years ago. The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, involved examining goat bones from Haughey's Fort in County Armagh, dating to 1100-900 BCE, and from the medieval town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim. These specimens represent the oldest confirmed goat remains in Ireland.
Using radiocarbon dating, protein fingerprinting via ZooMS, and ancient DNA sequencing, the team compared the prehistoric and medieval samples with modern breeds worldwide. The results showed the strongest match with the contemporary Old Irish Goat, indicating continuity in Irish goat populations for over three millennia.
"Combining genetics, proteomics, and archaeological science has allowed us a glimpse of our animals hundreds and thousands of years ago -- and how their descendants likely still live with us, as part of our biocultural heritage," said co-lead author Assistant Professor Kevin Daly from University College Dublin's School of Agriculture and Food Science.
The Old Irish Goat, known historically as 'an Gabhar Fiáin' or the wild goat, features prominently in Irish folklore and traditions, such as the Puck Fair in Killorglin, County Kerry, where a goat is crowned "King Puck" each August. Professor Eileen Murphy from Queen's University Belfast noted that goats are often underrepresented in archaeology due to challenges in distinguishing their bones from sheep. "There is an assumption that sheep would have been more important than goats in the past but historical sources suggest that herds of goats may have been kept to supply a trade in skins from ports such as Carrickfergus," she explained.
The study also revealed a recent genetic bottleneck in the modern breed, with medieval goats showing greater diversity than today's population, which has declined sharply in recent decades. "This research is a huge milestone for the Old Irish Goat, and provides powerful scientific validation of what local communities and conservationists have long believed -- that the Old Irish Goat represents a living piece of our ancient heritage," stated Sinead Keane from The Old Irish Goat Society.
Co-lead author Dr. Judith Findlater from Queen's University Belfast contributed to the work before her passing.