CNN's John King electing to visit Irish ancestral home

John King, anchor and chief National correspondent, CNN, has never had the chance to take in his heritage as he would like.  File picture: CNN website

He became a darling for a whole new audience here during the US presidential election, and now CNN stalwart John King wants to feel the love himself in his ancestral home.

A native of Irish-American stronghold Dorchester in Massachusetts, CNN's chief national news correspondent captured the imagination of hardcore and general political enthusiasts alike with his calm, cool, and cerebral take on the ever-shifting landscape in the 50 states.

His Magic Wall was compelling viewing as he took viewers through voting patterns county-by-county in the swing vote states, earning legions of fans on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

An affirmative reply to a tweet from Derry Girls creator Lisa Magee about his Irish heritage sent his new fans into a frenzy, with many urging him to visit the home of his West of Ireland ancestors.

John King aims to take up cousin Jackie Kenny's invite to visit the family in Connemara, as well as a pint at Keogh's pub in Ballyconneely

On RTÉ radio, he said he found the whole process "exciting but exhausting" as he kept viewers abreast of developments in the states of Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Georgia.

"I am 100% Irish — well, Irish American — and I grew up in the Irish Catholic neighbourhood of Dorchester in Boston. I was one of seven children, five boys and two girls," he said.

While he has been in Ireland before on many occasions, he has never had the chance to take in his heritage as he would like, he said.

His visits were "always for work — not as a tourist and not as an Irish American retracing my roots".

He aims to take up cousin Jackie Kenny's invite to visit the family in Connemara, as well as a pint at Keogh's pub in Ballyconneely.

"As soon as she says it's the right time to visit, I will be there," he said.