American Football star Tom Brady is proud of his Irish roots and enjoys spending time in both Ireland and Scotland.
The New England Patriots quarterback has won a magnificent six Super Bowl rings throughout a hugely successful career.
In five of those six wins he was named as the MVP – the game’s most valuable player.
The star also appeared in more Super Bowls than every other team in the NFL – other than his own.
He will go down as an all-time great of the game – not bad going when you consider he was only the seventh quarterback to be picked in the 2000 draft
Brady’s family come from Cork and Co Cavan. His great-great-grandparents John, from Co Cavan, and Bridget, from Cork, were forced to emigrate to America as Ireland was ripped apart by the Great Famine.
They found work in Boston as servants and labourers for wealthy families in the area.
They then joined Bridget’s sister and brother-in-law on the other side of the country in San Francisco where they settled after John found work at a saddlery business.
Brady said: “My father is 100 per cent Irish. We took a trip over there together and visited some of the places where my family came from.
“That was a great experience for me and obviously, I am very proud of my Irish roots.”
He added that he is also fond of Scotland and urged Americans to take a trip across the Atlantic to give themselves a ‘sense of history’.
He said: “I’ve been golfing in Ireland and Scotland as well. I’ve really enjoyed my time over there. Anyone who’s been over to that part of the world comes away with a greater sense of history. I know this will be a great experience for the players.”
