Tom Brady’s Irish Ancestry
The former New England Patriot Quarterback Tom Brady may have won his first Super Bowl at age 24 but despite all the acclaim he hasn’t forgotten his Irish heritage.
Back in 2005, a then 20-something-year-old Tom was surprised when asked about his Irish roots during a press conference. “Well, my father is all Irish and I’m half Irish,” he responded.
“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’s father is actually 100% Irish. And Tom’s mother is of German, Polish and Scandinavian descent.
So the NFL star is 50% Irish but stick around you’ll want to hear the full story.
Here’s the skinny! As it turns out Tom Brady’s Great-Great Grandparents John and Bridget had fled Ireland during the famine. John left Ireland during the potato blight in the mid-1800s and arrived in Boston, where he found work with local wealthy families in the area.
Then soon after young Bridget came ashore. The two lovers soon married and had two boys, with records showing they resided at a home in South Boston which at the time was almost entirely Irish.
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 then followed in their footsteps and moved west sometime before the American Civil War.
At one time California was known around the world as the “Golden State” and so it became the new home of his great-great grandparents John and Bridget. There the two young Brady’s, Irish Famine young lovers raised a family which would later become the birthplace and training grounds of their seven-time Super Bowl champion and six-time MVP great-great grandson.
Brady Charities
Tom works with a handful of charities he cares most about including Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Make-A-Wish Foundation. In fact Tom recently donated his Super Bowl rings ‘to the people’ as he put it, attending a ceremony officially announcing the exhibition of the rings in February 2024, where he said the super bowl rings were more than just a trophy piece: “They’re about the stories of people who helped other people win.”
He added, “They don’t belong in closets. They don’t belong hidden away in safes. These rings represent so much more than just accomplishments. They belong to the people.”
Investments
Over the last decade, Brady has founded or cofounded five companies, invested in at least another five, and through leveraging of endorsement deals, has become a shareholder in four others.
The acclaimed sports agent Leigh Steinberg said it this way, “He can transcend the narrow genre of hardcore sports fans because he’s a household name, and attach himself with anything in terms of a business enterprise that he desires”.
The Irish kid, Tom Brady was born August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California. He stands an imposing 6′ 4¼″, has light brown hair and baby blue eyes. Please stand with us all and raise an Irish Tipple to the Irish GOAT!