When you hear the name Tom Brady, you think of football greatness. A seven-time Super Bowl champion, five-time Super Bowl MVP, and arguably the most accomplished quarterback the NFL has ever seen. It’s no secret at this point: from Foxborough to Tampa Bay, from clutch 28-3 comebacks to unforgettable championship drives, Brady has become synonymous with winning.
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But what many fans might not know is that the NFL icon has deep Irish roots — and he’s never shied away from embracing them. In his recent appearance on The Late Late Show with Patrick Kielty, the former Patriot didn’t just talk about his football career — he opened up about his heritage, his family history, and what Ireland truly means to him.
“Absolutely, yeah — an Irish boy at heart for sure,” Brady said when Kielty welcomed him to the show with a playful quip: “Are we allowed to say welcome home?”
While most might take the Patriots legend’s statement as a feel-good soundbite, those who’ve followed him for years know it’s not. His paternal side of the family is 100% Irish, with roots tracing back to Milltown, County Cavan. His mother’s side hails from County Cork, and like many Irish families, both lineages emigrated to the United States during the Great Famine in the mid-1800s.
Reflecting on that family history, the GOAT told the host what it’s been like to reconnect with Ireland in recent years — even joking about how his Irish identity seems to grow with every visit.
“I’m 50% [Irish], but trending,” he quipped. “The more visits I take here, the more Irish I’m becoming.”
This growing connection isn’t new. Brady further delved into this by recalling a special father-son golf trip to Ireland 22 years ago that left a lasting impact.
“I was here 22 years ago with my dad on a father-son golf trip, and I haven’t been back since,” Brady recalled. “So coming back and bringing all this good weather from the States, I’m going to bring more of that the next time I come.”
Since then, other members of the Brady family have also made the journey. His parents, sisters, and even his niece (Maya Brady) — one of the top softball players in the U.S. — have visited Cavan in recent years, though their plans were slightly spoiled by classic Irish weather.
“It rained every single day they came,” Brady said with a laugh. “They couldn’t even play any games. All the fields were bogged down… but it was still a great experience for everybody.”
Even in earlier interviews, Tom Brady has been candid about how Ireland trips helped him better understand his roots — not just as a family man, but as someone carrying forward a name that came from somewhere meaningful.
“I am very proud of my Irish roots,” he told Go Wild Magazine in 2020. “Anyone who’s been over to that part of the world comes away with a greater sense of history.”
It’s ironic, in a way, that the 7 time Super Bowl winner spent most of his career as a Boston sports icon with the New England Patriots, not far from where his ancestors first landed in America. But his journey has always had a deeper lineage — one that stretches across the Atlantic.
So, is Tom Brady Irish? The answer is yes — by blood, by pride, and by a growing personal connection. Moreover, as he put it, the more he visits, the more Irish he becomes. And judging by the warmth he received in Dublin, Ireland’s more than happy to claim him back.
