Tom Brady may be a sports icon in the United States, but the people of Ireland can also lay claim to him.
It should come as no surprise that the quarterback has Irish ancestry given his last name. He has only grown more and more proud of his Irish heritage over the years.
The former New England Patriot, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr., was born in California. His Irish ancestors first immigrated to America through Massachusetts, the second-most Irish state. These ancestors are on his dad's side; his mother is of German, Polish, and Scandinavian descent.
In more recent years, the football player and dad-of-three has spoken about his love for Ireland and its golf courses. He even revealed his family took an ancestral trip to visit some of the places his Irish ancestors came from.
Yet in 2005, a then 20-something-year-old Tom was caught off guard when asked about his Irish roots at a press conference. "Well, my father is all Irish and I'm half Irish," he said.
"I've seen the family tree - I actually had to do a family tree when I was younger. I don't know, I wish I had a better answer."
Tom Sr seemingly had more understanding of the family history, revealing their roots can be traced back to Co Cork and Co Cavan. Like those of many Americans who claim Irish heritage, their ancestors came to the US while fleeing the Great Famine of the 1840s.
A more recent look at their family tree confirmed Tom Sr really is "all Irish", as both his maternal and paternal great-grandparents came from Ireland. A 2017 Boston Globe report shows Irish surnames the whole way through his lineage.
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Tom Sr's dad was Harry C Brady (Tom Jr's grandfather), born to Philip Francis Brady and Nellie G Donohue. Philip was born to John Brady and Bridget Bailey, while Nellie's parents were Dennis Donohue and Margaret Devenney.
Tom Sr's mother was Margaret Peggy Buckley (Tom Jr's grandmother), daughter of Michael Buckley and Barbara Lally. Michael's parents were Patrick Buckley and Bridget Donlen, while Barbara was born to Martin Lally and Elizabeth E Moore.
So, in short, all of Tom Sr's great-grandparents were Irish. This means his ancestry is 100% Irish, which in turn means Tom Jr is a solid 50% Irish. Still with us?
More is known about John Brady and Bridget Bailey than the rest of the NFL star's great-great-grandparents. John fled Ireland during the potato blight in the mid-1800s and came to Boston, where he found work as a laborer.
There, he met fellow famine refugee Bridget. The pair married and had two sons, with records showing they lived at a home in South Boston.
Bridget's sister, who had also immigrated and married in the US, left Boston with her husband when he was offered a job in San Francisco. The Bradys followed in their footsteps and moved west sometime before the American Civil War.
California has been the family's home ever since John and Bridget relocated. Little did the two Irish Famine refugees know it would later become the birthplace and stomping ground of their seven-time Super Bowl champion descendant.
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