The Irish Emigration Museum recently revealed that new research - by their geneology partners the Irish Family History Centre - unveiled the singer/songwriter’s Derry connections. They outlined on their website https://epicchq.com/ how Swift’s great-great-grandparents left Derry, aboard the ship AMY, for the United States in the 1830s. Susan Davis was a 21-year-old dressmaker and Francis Gwynn a 21-year-old weaver.Their two-month-long voyage culminated in the ship docking in Philadelphia on August 20 of 1836. The pair married three years later and had six children – Ann, John, William, Francis, Joseph, and Mary. Sadly, five of those children predeceased Susan and Francis. They were survived by daughter Mary Gwynn, who is Taylor Swift’s great-great-grandmother.US singer and songwriter Taylor Alison Swift, also known as Taylor Swift performs on stage at the Paris La Defense Arena as part of her The Eras Tour, in Nanterre, north-western France, on May 9, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)The Irish Emigration Museum recently revealed that new research - by their geneology partners the Irish Family History Centre - unveiled the singer/songwriter’s Derry connections. They outlined on their website https://epicchq.com/ how Swift’s great-great-grandparents left Derry, aboard the ship AMY, for the United States in the 1830s. Susan Davis was a 21-year-old dressmaker and Francis Gwynn a 21-year-old weaver.Their two-month-long voyage culminated in the ship docking in Philadelphia on August 20 of 1836. The pair married three years later and had six children – Ann, John, William, Francis, Joseph, and Mary. Sadly, five of those children predeceased Susan and Francis. They were survived by daughter Mary Gwynn, who is Taylor Swift’s great-great-grandmother.US singer and songwriter Taylor Alison Swift, also known as Taylor Swift performs on stage at the Paris La Defense Arena as part of her The Eras Tour, in Nanterre, north-western France, on May 9, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)
The Irish Emigration Museum recently revealed that new research - by their geneology partners the Irish Family History Centre - unveiled the singer/songwriter’s Derry connections. They outlined on their website https://epicchq.com/ how Swift’s great-great-grandparents left Derry, aboard the ship AMY, for the United States in the 1830s. Susan Davis was a 21-year-old dressmaker and Francis Gwynn a 21-year-old weaver.Their two-month-long voyage culminated in the ship docking in Philadelphia on August 20 of 1836. The pair married three years later and had six children – Ann, John, William, Francis, Joseph, and Mary. Sadly, five of those children predeceased Susan and Francis. They were survived by daughter Mary Gwynn, who is Taylor Swift’s great-great-grandmother.US singer and songwriter Taylor Alison Swift, also known as Taylor Swift performs on stage at the Paris La Defense Arena as part of her The Eras Tour, in Nanterre, north-western France, on May 9, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP) / -- IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE -- (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images)

12 famous people who have family roots in Derry and Donegal

By Laura Glenn
Published 19th Jun 2024, 10:13 BST
Updated 9th Jul 2024, 12:23 BST
Did you know there are several famous people across the world who claim Derry and Donegal heritage?

While they may not have been born here, well-known faces such as Meryl Streep, Lewis Capaldi, Declan Donnelly and more, have strong family connections to Derry and Donegal and speak very proudly of their roots. And of course, Taylor Swift was recently revealed to be a Derry girl!

Check out our picture gallery and let us know if there’s anyone we missed.

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep has spoken of her love of and connections to Donegal. Her maternal great-great-grandparents, Manus McFadden and Grace Strain, were from the Horn Head area of Dunfanaghy. She visited Donegal in Donegal in 1998 for the premiere of Dancing At Lughnasa and later named her daughter, Grace, after her great-great grandmother. US actress Meryl Streep speaks during a "Rendez-Vous With Meryl Streep" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

1. US actress Meryl Streep

Oscar-winning actress Meryl Streep has spoken of her love of and connections to Donegal. Her maternal great-great-grandparents, Manus McFadden and Grace Strain, were from the Horn Head area of Dunfanaghy. She visited Donegal in Donegal in 1998 for the premiere of Dancing At Lughnasa and later named her daughter, Grace, after her great-great grandmother. US actress Meryl Streep speaks during a "Rendez-Vous With Meryl Streep" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 15, 2024. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (Photo by VALERY HACHE/AFP via Getty Images) Photo: VALERY HACHE

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Declan Donnelly's parents, Alphonsus Donnelly and Anne Donnelly, are both from Desertmartin in Co. Derry and later moved to England. Dec explored his Derry heritage on TV show 'Ant and Dec's DNA Journey' on ITV in 2019.LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 05: Declan Donnelly attends the National Television Awards 2023 at The O2 Arena on September 05, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

2. Declan Donnelly

Declan Donnelly's parents, Alphonsus Donnelly and Anne Donnelly, are both from Desertmartin in Co. Derry and later moved to England. Dec explored his Derry heritage on TV show 'Ant and Dec's DNA Journey' on ITV in 2019.LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 05: Declan Donnelly attends the National Television Awards 2023 at The O2 Arena on September 05, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images) Photo: Getty

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Actor Henry Cavill reportedly has links to Newtowncunningham in Donegal through his mother. I wonder will we see him around Derry or Donegal anytime soon?LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 10: Henry Cavill attends the Lionsgate Presentation during CinemaCon 2024 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)

3. Henry Cavill

Actor Henry Cavill reportedly has links to Newtowncunningham in Donegal through his mother. I wonder will we see him around Derry or Donegal anytime soon?LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 10: Henry Cavill attends the Lionsgate Presentation during CinemaCon 2024 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images) Photo: Gabe Ginsberg

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Many people from Scotland have Irish roots and singer/songwriter Lewis Capaldi is one of them. The 'Someone You Loved' singer has previously spoken of his Donegal connection and revealed his mother's side of the family moved from the county to Scotland before he was born.Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi performs on The Pyramid Stage on day 4 of the Glastonbury festival in the village of Pilton in Somerset, southwest England, on June 24, 2023. The festival takes place from June 21 to June 26. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

4. Lewis Capaldi

Many people from Scotland have Irish roots and singer/songwriter Lewis Capaldi is one of them. The 'Someone You Loved' singer has previously spoken of his Donegal connection and revealed his mother's side of the family moved from the county to Scotland before he was born.Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi performs on The Pyramid Stage on day 4 of the Glastonbury festival in the village of Pilton in Somerset, southwest England, on June 24, 2023. The festival takes place from June 21 to June 26. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images) Photo: OLI SCARFF

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Related topics:DerryDonegalLewis CapaldiTaylor Swift