RSS
roots


Home Page > Roots > Sarah Palin’s Irish heritage
comment on article 13 Comments
print this article Print
email this articleE-mail

Sarah Palin’s Irish heritage

By
INTELLIGENCER,
Irish Voice

Published Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 1:45 PM
Updated Wednesday, November 25, 2009, 2:15 PM

 

Bookmark and Share

Add Sarah Palin to the list of famous Irish Americans in politics
Add Sarah Palin to the list of famous Irish Americans in politics

Sarah Palin deals extensively with her Irish Catholic roots in her new autobiography "Going Rogue."

Her mother Sally Ann Sheeran was “born into a large educated Irish Catholic family in Utah,” she reveals in her book. She was descended from Roscommon immigrants.

Her grandfather, Clement Sheeran, was a mediator for General Electric and “was wild about Notre Dame,” she remembers

“Grandpa was witty and poetic,” Palin remembers, “like a graying Ronald Reagan. He loved to entertain us with silly poems and Irish songs and sayings.”

At Catholic school she remembers arguing with nuns over catechism and a particular nun who tried to teach her to write the letter E which she had difficulty with.

Her mother made the switch from Irish Catholicism after a friend urged her to attend a new evangelical church in Anchorage. “There Mom found a depth of spirituality she had been seeking,” Palin writes.

Not long after Palin began attending Sunday school at an Assembly of God church She attended a youth Bible camp in Alaska and "I made the conscious decision that summer to put my life in my Creator’s hands."

Her siblings and her left the Catholic faith and were baptized together in a freezing Alaska lake by Pastor Paul Riley.

print this article Print
email this articleE-mail


13 Comments

It may take several minutes for your comment to appear.
Report abuse
Posted by CaeteyChu on Dec 03, 2009, 08:40 PM EST
It's a terrible shame Sarah Palin and her family left the Catholic faith. I pray to God and St. Anthony that she and her family return to the Catholic Church.
Report abuse
Posted by Debmarie on Nov 28, 2009, 07:28 AM EST
For all of you over in Ireland who still think the Democrats here are for the people....you need to look a little harder. They are all about bigger gov't and controlling the people now...it isn't like it was 40 or 50 years ago. Thank God for Sarah Palin...no, she isn't a "silver tongued devil" like Obama....she is HONEST, is a true Christian, and has a heck of a better decision making track record than our President. She did wonders in Alaska...Obama is making a shambles of our country.
Report abuse
Posted by Debmarie on Nov 28, 2009, 07:23 AM EST
I love Sarah..and wish she hadn't changed from her Catholic roots....but...it is those roots where she got her strength!
Report abuse
Posted by irishwxman on Nov 27, 2009, 08:23 PM EST
Keep dreaming eiregirl.
Report abuse
Posted by eiregirl on Nov 27, 2009, 08:00 PM EST
Yeah, Ms. Palin is great craic. She's about as much craic as a bag of hammers. You are all mad about finding out US politicians Irishness. Do we care, I don't for one. She has not association to Ireland, and we should all be greatful for that. Let's move on to more pressing issues. Obama will get elected next time around anyway, so Palin can go and tent to signing books, if she can remember why.
Report abuse
Posted by irishwxman on Nov 27, 2009, 04:28 PM EST
What disturbs me the most about some of these comments and the hidden message in this article is, it has been reported on this website more than once that Irish researcher sought and found remains of Obama's ancestors...a heritage Obama really has no interest in whatsoever. In fact he met an Irish girl in Washington and couldn't even recognize her brogue accent. He is ignorant to anyting Irish. Yet this website went out of its way to let everyone know of Obama's Irish roots, yet when Sarah Palin makes it known of her Irish roots, and her Irish pride, she is attacked for it. So, since when do people get to pick who they want boasting about their Irish pride? It's OK for Obama to have Irish roots, but not Sarah Palin? That is ridiculous. To quote the Dixie Chicks, "I am ashamed that our president is a descendant of Ireland."
Report abuse
Posted by michaelvona on Nov 27, 2009, 02:36 PM EST
Now I know what her problem is:she left her Catholic roots and things just never came together for. For shame. We should pray for her return to the Church..Catholic ,i.e.
Report abuse
Posted by slainte9 on Nov 27, 2009, 12:51 PM EST
Regarding Sarah Palin's switch from "Irish Catholicism" to an evangelical Christian church: "I made the conscious decision that summer to put my life in my Creator’s hands." Firstly, there is no such thing as Irish Catholicism. There is one Catholic faith and we are all one in Christ, "neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, but all one in Christ." While I respects others and their religions, Ms. Palin's remarks, at least as portrayed here, show a callous insensitivity to the beliefs of others, eg, Catholics, who are just as devout as her and believe that their lives too are in the Creator's hands. Her remarks are a compelling reason for keeping religion private and out of politics. While what Ms. Palin has to say about her personal choices and devotion to Christ may be music to some people's ears, it's impossible for her to voice these sentiments without disrepecting the beliefs of others. In this case and in particular Catholics: "Vote for me, yee of little faith, isn't exactly a winning slogan."
Report abuse
Posted by killowen on Nov 27, 2009, 11:55 AM EST
Why waste time on a sicko. Have ye not learned a ting. I suppose, its of some interest to Erinacts.
Report abuse
Posted by PatrickLee on Nov 27, 2009, 10:47 AM EST
to benhoy: You think Sarah Palin isn't dealing from a full DECK but Obama is?!! to Marine67: Go ahead and puke, maybe you'll get a clear thought. and to ericmills: sounds like you are talking from experience. Why would you equate the use of the word rogue (not performing in the way they are expected) to a twisted british definition. Maybe you all are practicing recto-cranial-inversion. How's that hope and change working out for you?
Report abuse
Posted by benbhoy on Nov 27, 2009, 09:51 AM EST
THIS WOMAN IS NOT DEALING FROM A FULL PACK.
Report abuse
Posted by Mairin67 on Nov 25, 2009, 11:47 PM EST
I think I'm going to puke! Any American with TRUE Irish connections NEVER equates anything Irish with Notre Dame.... what is the deal with that anyway? Just because their football team is called the "Fighting Irish"? Puh-leeze! Goes to show she hasn't a clue what she is talking about.
Report abuse
Posted by ericmills on Nov 25, 2009, 08:13 PM EST
Sarah's book is a hoot! Doesn't everyone know that "going rogue" is British slang for "having unprotected anal sex"? This explains a lot. Wait'll Stewart and Colbert get a hold of this!
 


Click to learn more from DiscoverIreland.com.


Connect to IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or sign-in directly

Welcome to IrishCentral!
Please provide the following information in order to create your account

Username:
E-Mail Address:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy


Welcome to IrishCentral!
All we need is the following information and you will be part of the #1 Irish community in the US

E-Mail Address:
First select a unique username:
Username:
Now choose a password:
Password:
Confirm Password:
I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
Thank you!

Just one more step and you will be part of the largest Irish community in America! Tell us a little more about you to start enjoying all the features of IrishCentral.

Additional Information:

First Name:
Last Name:
Date of Birth:
Zip:
Gender: Male  Female 
Country:
Degree of Irishness:
Household Income:
Level of Education:

Subscribe to our newsletters:

The Best of IrishCentral - Daily Newsletter
Special Offers from our sponsors

or
Skip

You can edit your information at any time, just go to "my account" when you're logged in.

Log into IrishCentral with your Facebook account

or sign-in directly

E-Mail:
Password:
 Remember me Forgot my password