Maria Gandolfo

Niall and the Stone of Destiny Maria Gandolfo

Niall and the Stone of Destiny is the first fully-illustrated children's book about legendary Celtic High King, Niall of the Nine Hostages. Embark on an exciting journey, following Niall through his boyhood adventures and quest to become High King of Ireland. This well-researched historical fiction is designed to engage a younger generation of Niall's descendants in their Irish heritage and ancestry. Niall and the Stone of Destiny is a heroic tale with dozens of vivid-color, full-page illustrations. This story is sure to capture the interest and imagination of all readers, especially children ages 9 - 12. For more than 1,500 years the story of King Niall, also known as Niall of the Nine Hostages, was thought to be pure Celtic mythology. According to legend, Niall was born in the late fourth century AD and reigned as the High King of Ireland until sometime in the early fifth century. In 2006, an article was published by a research team from the Smurfit Institute of Genetics and the School of Histories and Humanities at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Their research provided DNA evidence that a common lineage from the Irish Dynasty UI NEill, which translated literally means "descendants of Niall," did, in fact, originate sometime during the fifth Century AD. With this discovery, Niall is propelled from the annals of folklore into the books of Irish history and permanently carved into the trunk of many a family tree.