Parents of former NFL superstar Tom Brady visit ancestral home in Co Cavan

The family of the man considered to be the “greatest quarterback of all time” visited the tiny village of Milltown, Co Cavan on Sunday afternoon. Tom Brady’s parents, Tom snr and Galynn alongside his sisters Julie and Nancy and their grandchildren came to the village to view their ancestral home.

There was great excitement in the village on Sunday morning as the family arrived at the annual blessing of the graves in Drumlane Abbey to pay tribute to the parents of Tom snr’s great grandfather John Brady who set sail for the United States in 1850. They were greeted afterwards in the local school by excited villagers who were keen to tell them their ancestry.

Tom snr’s father was Harry C Brady (Tom Jr’s grandfather), born to Philip Francis Brady and Nellie G Donohue. Philip was born to John Brady and Bridget Bailey, while Nellie’s parents were Dennis Donohue and Margaret Devenney.

Tom snr’s mother was Margaret Peggy Buckley (Tom jnr’s grandmother), daughter of Michael Buckley and Barbara Lally. Michael’s parents were Patrick Buckley and Bridget Donlen, while Barbara was born to Martin Lally and Elizabeth E Moore.

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More is known about John Brady and Bridget Bailey than the rest of the NFL star’s great-great-grandparents. John fled Ireland during the potato blight in the mid-1800s and came to Boston, where he found work as a labourer. There, he met fellow famine refugee Bridget. The pair married and had two sons, with records showing they lived at a home in south Boston.

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 followed in their footsteps and moved west sometime before the American Civil War. The family now lives 20 minutes outside San Francisco in San Mateo.

The family are hoping for another visit with Tom sometime in the future. Tom snr said: “He’s a busy guy but he loves Ireland and he has been taught all about it and our ancestors growing up, he will definitely visit with his children some day soon.”

The Brady family visit coincided with the upcoming Cavan Calling Festival which will see thousands of people with Cavan ancestry from all over the world return to the county to celebrate their heritage.

Fr Gerry Comiskey who co-ordinated the Brady family visit to Milltown was delighted to present the family with a beautiful handcrafted memento of their visit and a cup bearing the Brady family crest.