Bruce Springsteen will play Dublin on July 17th next and is expected to trace his Irish roots directly. The announcement set off a frenzy as his huge Irish fan base mobilized.

Irish hotels immediately began jacking up their prices when the news broke.

The announcement that the Boss is back prompted one hotel near the concert site to double prices for the July weekend.

The Herbert Park Hotel jumped prices from $200 a night to $400 once the concert was announced.
Springsteen has a huge Irish following and this will be his first concert there in three years.

A recent book has discovered that Springsteen has Irish roots through his paternal grandmother Martha O'Hagan. She married Springsteen's grandfather, Anthony Springsteen, who was of Dutch ancestry, in 1899.

------------------

READ MORE:

Bruce Springsteen shows his Irish roots as ancestors hail from Ireland!

More entertainment stories from IrishCentral

Pope appoints Irish American as Papal Nuncio to Ireland

------------------

And it turns out that Martha's grandmother, Ann Garrity, hailed from County Westmeath.

In fact, Springsteen's great-great-granny hails from Mullingar, the very same town as the late, lamented Joe Dolan.

Garrity left Ireland in 1852, five years after the famine devastated much of Ireland.

She settled in the town of Freehold, New Jersey, where Bruce himself was born 60 years ago.

Springsteen went to the Catholic St Rose of Lima School, where he was taught by nuns, presumably some Irish!

The book, "Land of Hope and Dreams: Springsteen in Ireland" is being released to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Springsteen's concert at Slane Castle in 1985.

Derry woman Moira Sharkey, who wrote the book along with Greg Lewis says the story makes sense when you consider how popular Springsteen is in Ireland.

"Springsteen has an incredible connection with Irish audiences, selling out show after show down the years. Perhaps this family history reveals why that connection is so strong," she says.

And the book reports that Springsteen can actually claim Irish heritage through a number of ancestors including the Farrells, McNicholases, Sullivans, O’Hagans and McCanns.

In fact, says Sharkey, with all his connections, Springsteen "could call any corner of Ireland his home."