A new graphic put together by Tourism Ireland shows that Bruce Springsteen's ancestry really does trace back to Kildare. The amazing discovery shows that the Boss' family roots are delved deep into Kildare as his great-great-great grandfather was a native of Rathangan.
Research carried out by genealogists at the Irish Family History Centre confirms that before the Springsteens, Ireland had the Gerritys. Christy Gerrity, from the parish of Rathangan in Co Kildare, was something of a hell-raiser as a young man – and he was the great-great-great-grandfather of none other than Bruce Springsteen himself. Arrested and imprisoned in 1823 under the Insurrection Act – which targeted those protesting the social injustice of excessive tithes, rent payments and related evictions – Christy finally settled down in 1827. After marrying Catherine Kelly, the pair went on to have no fewer than eight children. In the townland of Mountprospect, the 10 Gerritys lived in a simple mud cabin with a thatched roof. Throughout the years of the famine, he sent them to study at Rathangan National School; but eventually, like millions of others, Christy’s family became famine refugees. He left Co Kildare for New Jersey in 1853 – and the rest is history!
Mark Henry, Tourism Ireland’s Central Marketing Director, said: “Bruce Springsteen may have been ‘Born in the USA’ – but his ancestors emigrated from Co Kildare in 1853 and we are delighted to share the details of his Irish ancestry. We are encouraging people around the world to visit the island of Ireland in 2016 and learn more about their heritage. Our message to the Irish Diaspora everywhere is that there has never been a better time to visit, to trace their ancestry and learn more about their Irish roots.”
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