Tim Walz has Irish ancestors

Kamala Harris’ presidential running mate Tim Walz is the latest American politician to have their roots traced back to Ireland – but where exactly his ancestors are from is a matter for debate.

The 41st governor of Minnesota’s relatives are to said to have hailed from County Wexford.

American genealogist Megan Smolenyak, who has been tracking politicians’ roots since Barack Obama first ran for president in 2008, believes his ancestors are from Ferns in the county.

However, local genealogists are suggesting it is Kilmore which is about 52km down the road.

Ms Smolenyak told BBC News NI that Mr Walz was “about 1/8th Irish”, pointing out that his ancestors moved to Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska.

She said, according to records, Mr Walz’s great-grandmother was called Laura Ellen Sullivan.

“A surname like Sullivan is a clear sign that you have Irish ancestry,” she told BBC News NI.

“I started working backwards then following the trail from there.

“His ancestors’ name was Sullivan. I found James Sullivan who was from Ireland, his daughter was Laura Ellen Sullivan.”

The hunt is now on for distant relatives of the man who could be another American in the White House with Irish connections.

Whatever way the US presidential election goes, Fianna Fáil senator Malcolm Byrne from County Wexford is hoping a relationship can be built with Mr Walz.

“Certainly from a Wexford perspective, we’d like to develop the links with the governor of Minnesota,” he said.

“There are a number of local historians and genealogists who are looking at the research that’s being uncovered in the US. Originally we thought it may be from the town of Ferns that the connection was based,” he added.

“It is now possible it might actually be from the village of Kilmore, but there are certain connections between what would have been the Diocese of Ferns.”

The Emerald Isle will almost certainly retain some representation in top level US politics when Joe Biden leaves the White House in January.

Mr Walz becomes the second running mate with claimed ancestry from the island in this year’s presidential election, after Donald Trump announced ‘Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart’ JD Vance as his pick for vice-president.

And, of course, Joe Biden is inordinately proud of his own personal Irish heritage – he had ancestors in County Mayo and County Louth.

He mentions it at every opportunity. During the election campaign in 2020 he was asked for a “quick word for the BBC”. He swiftly replied: “The BBC? I’m Irish!”

In 2021, the US Census Bureau stated that 31.5 million people in the United States reported having Irish ancestry – that is about 9.5% of the population.

The New England region of the United States has the highest proportion of people claiming Irish ancestry according to the US Census Bureau.

The peak of Irish emigration came around the Great Famine where nearly two million people – about a quarter of the population – emigrated to the United States during a 10-year period.

County Wexford can already claim one former president as John F Kennedy’s family hailed from Dunganstown in the county.

Each one of President Kennedy’s eight great-grandparents was born in Ireland and moved to Massachusetts in search of a better life around the time of the Great Famine.

Speaking about Irish identity in American politics, Ms Smolenyak said: “From [JFK] people judge politicians on whether you could have a pint in the pub with them.”

Whether it is Kilmore or Ferns, for people in the county there is now an interest in how Tim Walz will do in the upcoming election.

Dean of Ferns Paul Mooney is hopeful.

He told BBC News NI: “If Mr Walz is successful, I am sure that it would be seen as a positive for Ferns.”

And Senator Byrne sees the Irish link as an opportunity to strength relations with the US.

“I’m one of the the conveners of the Ireland US Parliamentary Friendship group and we’ve always been looking at ways to support connections between US and Irish parliamentarians.

“This is very positive in terms of trade, education, culture, tourism, all of those other links that that are really important,” he added.