Fiona Fitzsimons, researcher with the Irish Family History Centre, said descendants of former US presidents John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Mr Obama and president-elect Mr Biden all left Ireland for America “within about 10 years of each other”. Two of Biden’s great great grandfathers were originally from Ireland – Patrick Blewitt from Ballina in Co Mayo and Owen Finnegan from the Cooley Peninsula in Co Louth. The Blewitts and the Finngeans eventually ended up settling in Scranton, Pennsylvania, having left Ireland in the late 1840s. Ms Fitzsimons said although Biden was raised with “a keen sense of being Irish”, Mr Kennedy’s links to Ireland were stronger. The Irish Family History Centre publishes a free magazine every quarter which is available at https://irishlivesremembered.ie/

Source: The Irish Times November 22, 2020 13:18 UTC