Off-limits passage at Knowth

A few years ago filmaker and author Bob Quinn gave a lecture in Trinity College Dublin on the subject of his latest book “The Atlantean Irish”. It was his contention that the original origins of the Irish were not Celtic.

Mr Quinn noticed similarities between Connemara culture and those of the other Atlantic seaboards of Europe and even North Africa across to the Mediterranean to the near Orient. Not being a scientist, his observations were of a predominantly cultural variety and took into account dress, language, music, religion and in particular the peoples’ relationships with the sea itself. He went further into exploring the ideas of how we identify our culture as being Celtic and explained away this fallacy for the most part. But what about the people?

But are the Irish a Celtic people?

Well, yes and no.

No, in that the first settlers were not celts. This should not come as a shock – Ireland received its first guests in 8000BC. These first generation Irish went on to form a fairly dense (in relation to contemporary populations) homogenous population for seven thousand years before the spread of celtic culture across Europe.

Yes, in that Celtic culture did indeed influence Ireland, but this was much later, and really only as a by-product of pan-european trade routes. Bear in mind, the oft-touted swirls and spirals of ancient Irish monuments pre-date Celtic culture by over 4000 years in some cases. But go to the National Museum on Kildare Street in Dublin and it is plain to see that a lot of the metalwork that has been found is truly Celtic in nature.

DNA

Genetic studies have borne out these facts and state that any post-Bronze age population invasions did not form isolated genetically pure communities of Celts but mingled with the native Irish.

A recent survey (highlighted in an even more recent RTE documentary) by Trinity College Dublin found the nearest population to those Irish people who trace the longest insular lineages, is a story of the western European Atlantic seaboard. The genetic ties to the Basque people are very strong. This is seconded by a study by Christian Capelli, David Goldstein and others at University College, London which found further links through Scottish, Welsh and some English populations, particularly in areas with Gaelic place-names. Now there’s a huge surprise.

Bibliography
The Atlantean Irish: Ireland’s Oriental and Maritime Heritage, Bob Quinn, Lilliput Press, 2004
A Y Chromosome Census of the British Isles, Current Biology, Vol. 13, 979–984, May 27, 2003, Authors: Cristian Capelli, Nicola Redhead, Julia K. Abernethy, Fiona Gratrix,James F. Wilson, Torolf Moen, Tor Hervig, Martin Richards, Michael P.H. Stumpf, Peter A. Underhill, Paul Bradshaw, Alom Shaha, Mark G. Thomas, Neal Bradman, and David B. Goldstein
Genetic studies show our closest relatives are found in Galicia and the Basque region, by Dick Ahlstrom, Irish Times 16 Feb 2009

Mikey on his inlay card

Mikey Dread (Michael Campbell) died in the US on 15 March 2008. Born in Jamaica in 1954 his life was cut short by a brain tumour.

Radio

Mikey rose to prominence working at Kingston’s Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation as a radio engineer and eventually becoming a DJ (albeit after midnight, and for over four hours at a at stretch) and solely playing reggae. Dread at The Controls didn’t last long in this incarnation and he found himself at odds with management who wanted more international pop music. The Inquisition has never heard recordings of this show but is lead to belive it was a precursor to his music – full of riddim, sound effects and whatever came to mind at the time.

Recording Artist

In 1978 Mikey recorded his first hit single – Barber Saloon. It is a paean to natty dreads and the antagonism of seeing the bald-heads in their barbershops. Or something along those lines. Within the year he followed it up with more singles and two albums.

According to his own website he diversified while still working as an engineer he began to produce for artists including Sugar Minott, Junior Murvin, Earl Sixteen, Wally Bucker, The Ovationz, Sunshine, Jah Grundy, UB40 and Rod Taylor. It was this work that got him recognised by the Clash who heard his music in London with its large West Indian communities. For most his legacy will be his collaboration with the Clash, having produced several tracks on their Sandinista album, including the single from those sessions – Bankrobber.

As a radio DJ he soared high with large listenership figures and accolades. As a musician and producer he worked with some of the biggest names in reggae. He eventually returned to his roots, as a sound engineer, studying National Broadcasting School in London the same year he worked on Sandinista.

Living in Miami Mikey waited for previous contracts to expire so he could re-release them. He bided his time with further education in TV/Video Production at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, and at Lynn University studying International Communications. In the end he, sadly, expired before all the contracts.

Swansong

The Inquisition has one memory of seeing Mikey “perform” which will outlast any other. On an episode of Easyjet’s fly-on-the-wall documentary; Airline.

Mikey arrived at Luton, late for his flight. It had already gone. In a lame attempt by Easyjet’s customer service to show how hip they are, he got awarded cut-rate seats on the next flight by performing an a capella version of Happy Birthday for a staff member.

Bibliography
Obituary in the Guardian
Mikey Dread Website