Entertainment


The incognito Irish - the surprising American stars with Irish roots

From Chuck Norris to Iggy Pop you'll be surprised who has Irish ancestry in the US...we really are everywhere!


Johnny Depp’s Irish roots come from his mother, Betty Sue Palmer. He is very curious about his Irish side, and once said: “I’d really like to [trace Irish roots], because there’s a part of me that say
Johnny Depp’s Irish roots come from his mother, Betty Sue Palmer. He is very curious about his Irish side, and once said: “I’d really like to [trace Irish roots], because there’s a part of me that says, hey, I might be related to Phil Lynott or someone great like that.”

PHOTOS -  Guess who's incognito Irish!

Some celebrities are obviously Irish - think Conan O'Brien,  Denis Leary and Maureen Dowd, while others, like President Obama, are a little harder to spot.

These undercover Irishmen and women may not “look the part,” but that doesn’t mean they’re any less Irish than a pale redhead with freckles.

We present to you the IrishCentral top 10 list of the incognito Irish:

1. Chuck Norris

The world famous Chuck Norris is usually thought of as an American badass who delivers a mean roundhouse kick to people’s faces. The Texas Ranger is the son of Wilma (née Scarberry) and Ray Norris, both of whom are of Irish and Cherokee Native American descent. In fact, Norris’ paternal grandfather was an emigrant from Ireland.

2. Christina Aguilera

This genie in a bottle got lots of attention for her Latin name. According to her Irish American mother: "A lot of people get all in a fuss about Christina wanting to explore her Latin side and not mentioning her Irish side much, but that's only logical," Shelly Kearns told Irish America magazine. "She has no need to go exploring her Irish heritage because she has always known it."

3. Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has enthused about his Irish heritage to Irish newspapers in the past. Depp’s Irish roots come from his mother, Betty Sue Palmer. He is very curious about his Irish side, and once said: “I’d really like to [trace Irish roots], because there’s a part of me that says, hey, I might be related to Phil Lynott or someone great like that.”

4. Jerry Garcia

Jerry Garcia's name doesn’t sound too Irish, but his ancestry his actually composed of Spanish, Irish and Swedish. The Grateful Dead legend was born August 1, 1942 to Jose Ramon "Joe" Garcia and Ruth Marie "Bobbie" (née Clifford) Garcia.


See more: Irish Ancestry , Irish Roots , Irish Genealogy , Irish Entertainment
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8 Comments

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This article may just send Stevenstar over the edge :)
As I said in a previous post, the Irish do not ASSIMILATE; they became AMERICA, they shaped AMERICA and they lead AMERICA. The few here that can't point to an Irish ancestor wish they could! Thank you Ireland for so much of what is best about America.
Jeter? oh man say it aint so, we dont him!!
Surprised Shakira Shakira hasn't contacted IC to explore her possible Irish roots. Come to think of it, she may have roots in her hair arranged by a hairdresser who has Irish roots, so she might well have Irish roots, as well. As for myself, both parents (R.I.P.) were born in County Leitrim, so I suppose I have Irish roots.
My last name is German (Hinsman), but that only comes from my Father's side of the family. Irish comes from both sides of my parents... O'Neill, McKenna, Harney and Anderson (Scots Irish). 40% of our heritage comes from Ireland, which is the largest percentage from Europe.
Ali? Deniro? SLAINTE'
My mother's maiden name was Caldwell,my father's last name was Hearne. I was surprised to learn through our genealogy that Hearne was Irish not English and Mother's father was Irish not Scot.Our first ancestor on the Hearne side was first recorded in Ireland in the 1400's.Little is known about the background of my mother's father,except he arrived on a riverboat in Arkansas,USA when he was thirteen.
Derek Jeter.....mother's maidan name Connors. Alfred Hitchcock.....mother's name Emma Jane Whalen. Charles Laughton.....mother's name Elizabeth Conlon.
 




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