# Irish Dopers: Post about your roots here!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998 "2002-12-06T19:56:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/1 "2002-12-06T19:56:19Z")
Of course you can tell from the name that I have Irish roots, my roots date back from the late 20’s and early 30’s I may have relatives in Ireland that I don’t even know about. What are your roots, where are your Irish relatives from? are you part of the Irish diaspora? If so can you tell me your history! ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/2 "2002-12-06T20:05:48Z")
Do you consider yourself Irish? What percentage of your roots are Irish? I’m a quarter Irish. My family comes from Tipperary. However, I wouldn’t presume to call myself Irish. I’m three-quarters not-Irish, after all. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/3 "2002-12-06T20:09:35Z")
I’m 1/8 Irish I know ain’t much is it? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/4 "2002-12-06T20:30:00Z")
My paternal grandfather’s family (my last name) were from County Tyrone. My paternal grandmother’s family was from Scotland (Clan Douglas). My maternal grandfather’s parents were from Kilkenny. My maternal grandmother’s family was from County Cork. Round numbers, 3/4 Irish, once we go back across the pond, but there was a German in there somewhere. My parents were born in the US, and I’m fairly sure only one of the previous generation came over on a boat personally. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/5 "2002-12-06T20:46:25Z")
All 4 grandparents were born in Ireland, and came to America in the late 1920s or early 1930s. Father’s father was from Westmeath. Virtually all his siblings came to America, so if I still have any relatives there, we’ve fallen completely out of touch with them. Father’s mother was from the boonies in Limerick- still stay in touch with a few relatives there. Mother’s father was from Tralee in County Kerry; mohter’s mother was born in Clare, but grew up in Tralee. Have loads of relatives in Kerry, and we visited them (and vice versa) often when I was a kid. Saw many of them again a few weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/6 "2002-12-06T20:48:21Z")
Whats the best advice to track down my lost relatives? ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/7 "2002-12-06T22:04:37Z")
sorry ry, can’t help you on that. i’m 5/8 irish (dad is an ulsterman, maternal grandmother is 1/2 irish-hugenots from cork) 1/4 jewish (maternal grandfather was jewish-he was 1/2 spanish/ north african sephardi, 1/2 german/russian ashkenazi) 1/8 german lutheran (the other half of my maternal grandmother’s makeup…possibly…there’s a question mark that she could have been mixed race) my and sisters and i all look pretty “exotic”, as far away from my black-haired, blue-eyed, pale father as it is possible to get! kinky hair, almond eyes, dark skin, we got them! ---
**Author:** ![Hickory6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecae2f/32.png) [@Hickory6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hickory6)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/8 "2002-12-06T23:04:06Z")
I’m Irish a couple generations back. Mother’s maden name is Egan. I think we have some Lynches running around, as well. Don’t know where they come from, though. A County Clare native I play music with thinks it’s a west of Ireland name, but I doubt that means too much anymore. I’m more interested in my Irish present. 🙂 I play fiddle in several different Irish acts around here. I do use my adopted name, though, which is Dutch. Oh, and irishgirl… ``` How YOU doin? :-D ``` ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/9 "2002-12-06T23:07:38Z")
Airman is three-quarters Irish, which makes Aaron three-eighths Irish. (Airman’s maternal grandmother is Spanish, I believe.) Suffice it to say, we had Black Bush at Aaron’s bris. 😉 Robin ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/10 "2002-12-07T02:34:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryan\_Liam \* > \*\*Whats the best advice to track down my lost relatives? \*\* Start with [RootsWeb](http://www.rootsweb.com). ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLivia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@AnnaLivia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLivia)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/11 "2002-12-07T03:52:46Z")
Also try the geneological library next door to the National library in Dublin if you ever get the chance. Not irish, just a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/12 "2002-12-07T04:42:20Z")
Aye. ---
**Author:** ![raz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@raz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raz)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/13 "2002-12-07T06:43:54Z")
I’m 1/4 Irish. My grandmother came to the States when she was in her 20’s I think. Maiden name was Morrissey. She still has a sister, I think, and some cousins that live in Ireland. I’ve always wanted to visit Ireland! It looks so beautiful in pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/14 "2002-12-07T06:51:18Z")
I know my mom is half Irish, half Scottish (her mom’s maiden name was Flynn, and her dad’s name was Cameron) We think my dad is half Irish. His paternal grandfather died when his dad was only a few years old, and later that year someone burned down their house and destroyed all the family records. We know he was a second generation immigrant, but we’re not entirely sure from where. To this day, we don’t know anything about that side of the family past the early part of the 20th century. My paternal grandmother was genuine European mongrel: English, French, German, Norweigen, Russian, and a little bit more Irish. I may be as much as half Irish, but probably more like a third or so. ---
**Author:** ![cadolphin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cadolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cadolphin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/15 "2002-12-07T06:59:26Z")
I’ve got Irish ancestry but it’s pretty far back… 5th great grandfather on one line, from Armagh, Ulster, Ireland (1700s). My father was proud of his Irish heritage and there are family stories about additional ancestry but I haven’t found it yet. This is one of the most complete sites on the net for doing your family history research. [http://cyndislist.com](http://cyndislist.com) then there is this one [http://lds.org](http://lds.org) good luck with your reach. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/16 "2002-12-07T07:26:43Z")
Dad’s grands were from Co. Mayo, mum’s from Co. Cork. The tiny cottage where my dad’s grandad was born still stands in Killadoon, Co. Mayo. It was inhabited by a relative until a few years ago, when the thatch roof caved in. ---
**Author:** ![Innanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecd19e/32.png) [@Innanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Innanna)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/17 "2002-12-07T16:40:11Z")
Slightly over 1/8th Irish–g-grandfather came from County Antrim, which should be easy to trace, but his name was William Lee. D’ya know how many William Lee’s are in Co. Antrim alone? Sheesh. Just discovered a tiny bit more Irish on another branch–Irish by way of Canada. Last name Grady. I am more proud of my Irish roots than I am of the German, French or English. I think that I must consider the others boring, or something. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tir\_Tinuviel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tir\_Tinuviel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tir_Tinuviel)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/18 "2002-12-07T18:31:48Z")
Have I got any Irish in me? Not until Boxing Day! 😃 ha ha ha ha ha! I crack myself up… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/19 "2002-12-07T18:34:44Z")
More Irish than Riverdance. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998/20 "2002-12-07T20:15:59Z")
Actually, I may be Irish (The official confirmation of said lineage has yet to be determined) but I’m more Scottish. My g-granpda came here when he was a boy in 1901 from Scotland. So I’m definitely Scot. But that’s no reason to exclude me from the Gaelic fun, aye? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/irish-dopers-post-about-your-roots-here/140998.md?page=2)