Genealogy tourism big business as US visitors seek to trace their roots

Just like US President Joe Biden, many Americans are crossing the Atlantic to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors. President Joe Biden is greeted by Michael Ring, TD, Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States and Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation Dara Calleary TD, last month. Photo: Julien Behal

The number of visitors flying to Ireland from the USA this summer is expected to reach 96% of pre-covid figures, according to Tourism Ireland.

The Irish tourism marketing body says that demand among Americans for holidays in Ireland this year is high, with the strong performance of the US dollar working in our favour.

The most recent figures for American visitors are from 2019, as data collection by the CSO at ports and airports was suspended due to covid.

A spokesperson for Tourism Ireland said: “The United States is the second-largest source market for tourism to the island of Ireland. In 2019, we welcomed 1.7m American visitors. The United States is our most important market in terms of revenue, responsible for 27% of all tourist revenue. Revenue generated by American visitors in 2019 was €1.6bn.” 

And, just like US President Joe Biden, many are crossing the Atlantic to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.

“Genealogy tourism is huge in the States, and it’s massive for Ireland,” said Denise O’Leary, programme co-ordinator with Ireland Reaching Out. "They’re coming in their thousands to research their roots."

Established in Galway 14 years ago, Ireland Reaching Out is a non-profit organisation that seeks to connect members of the Irish diaspora with the home parishes of their ancestors.

Its meet-and-greet programme features a nationwide network of 220 volunteers, who help people with Irish heritage to trace their roots. In some cases they take them to visit their ancestors’ homes, or even meet distant cousins.

Bruce Springsteen was captured on video singing 'My Hometown' in The Burrow pub in Rathangan, Co Kildare, where his ancestral home is. Video: Twitter

“The year before covid we welcomed 600 visitors,” said Ms O’Leary. "During covid we stopped completely, so we're just building it back up. Last year we welcomed 100 visitors. This year we're hoping to double that again.

“It's all volunteers, there's no money changing hands. This is all done on the back of local volunteers wanting to say: ‘Your ancestors lived here, you're part of this community’. There’s nothing like meeting a local person. It's so important to them."

She recalls a recent visitor who was driven to Liscarroll, Co Cork, by a volunteer to see the home of his great-great-grandfather.

“It was hugely powerful," said Ms O'Leary. "The man was really emotional. He’s the first generation to come back. He grew up listening to Irish stories all his life, but none of his family had ever been back to Ireland.

"They’re looking to experience the locality, to sit down with a local person and hear the history of the town. They're looking for the social context of the place that their ancestors lived in, to get a feel for it.

“Their Irishness is of huge importance to them. But it's not recognised. So meeting with a local, and a local seeing them as a local, that is hugely powerful for them.” 

Kieran Jordan, a volunteer based in Fermoy, became involved in the programme following his retirement.

He said: 

People are very pleased to be able to walk in the same place their ancestors were. I met with a woman last week, and she was in tears. We went out to Inch where her father was from, and it really meant a lot to her.

Mr Jordan feels that his visitors’ Irish heritage is “significant in that it’s somewhere for them to connect with”.

“Some people are aware that they have ancestors from places like Germany and Sweden also, but they seem to have more of a connection with their Irishness than with other countries.” 

MaryBeth Brennan Madonia from Ohio travelled to Ireland last July to find out more about her great-grandfather, Patrick J Gray, who was born in Co Laois in 1882.

She met with volunteer Paddy Lacey, who took her to see the homestead, church, school, and village where Patrick grew up before emigrating to the USA at 17.

“I was shocked at the amount of work he (Paddy) must have done," she said. "He drove us in his car and took us everywhere. All along the road he'd point something out and tell us the history of it. To have a volunteer like that, who is so knowledgeable. And that wasn’t even his area, he came from far away to help us and spent the whole day.” 

Barack Obama and his wife Michelle visited his ancestral homeland the village of Moneygall, Co Offaly, during his trip to Ireland in 2011. Picture: Maxwells Dublin

Ms Brennan Madonia was “amazed” to see the ruins of the cottage where her great-grandfather had lived.

She says her Irish heritage has always been “a big part” of her life.

“I’ve come to appreciate it more as I've gotten older — who I am, where I'm from, what that means. 

"That was my second time going to Ireland. I absolutely love it there and there's this very strange feeling when I'm there that I don't have when I go anywhere else. 

"It's hard to explain. I feel like a part of me belongs there. Going there feels a little bit like going home.”