There’s an old saying that the Irish saved civilization. As a decendent of Irish immigrants, I’m rather proud of that. According to some theories, when the Roman empire collapsed under barbarians, it was the Irish - never fully under Roman or barbarian rule - who preserved monastaries and the ability to write books while Europe fell to the Dark Ages.
While there may be some disagreement about whether it was the Irish or Greeks who actually “saved” civilization during this time, Ancestry.com has no disagreement about the Irish roots of all four major party nominees in this year’s election.
From Newsweek’s Stumper blog:
Ounce for ounce, Joe Biden’s blood is probably the most green, Smolenyak says. His large Roman Catholic brood certainly fits the label. And the loquacious senator from Delaware has certainly been known to deliver the blarney (BEV Note: Gag on the “blarney” reference).
At the top of the ticket, Barack Obama-(O’Bama, maybe?) has at least one Irish ancestor, according to genealogists. At age 19, Obama’s great-great-great grandfather, Fulmuth Kearney, left Ireland in 1849 for America. And in a remarkable coincidence, Obama’s and Biden’s Irish ancestors arrived in the States within five weeks of each other, Smolenyak says. Both were shoemakers-and if the oratorical skills of their descendents is any guide, were presumably good salesmen as well.
On the GOP side, John McCain’s family has long claimed Scottish origin. There’s some debate about that, but Ancestry.com has found pretty definitive Irish roots. Senator McCain’s ancestor Alexander McKean, immigrated from Northern Ireland in the early 1700s, according to Smolenyak. It’s quite possible that the GOP candidate is of both Scottish and Irish origin.
Sarah Palin’s family tree also has a strong Irish branch. Her mother’s maiden name is Sheeran and her great-grandfather was born in Minnesota in 1876 to a first generation Irish-American couple.
