TOM BRADY is about as American as it gets, right? Wrong!
The NFL legend and Greatest Of All Time is actually a lot more Irish than most people probably realise.
And it’s that Irish blood that has helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback bag a record seven Super Bowl rings.
Don’t believe us? Here are just a few of his links to the Emerald Isle.
7. He’s got roots in County Cavan and Cork
Brady’s father, Tom Brady Sr, previously revealed the family’s Irish roots during an interview with Irish America.
Brady Sr's great-grandfather, John, hailed from County Cavan while his great-grandmother, Bridget, was born and raised in County Cork.
6. His family were forced to move to America after falling on hard times
John and Bridget Brady set off for America, the land of opportunity, after becoming refugees in the wake of the Great Famine that devastated Ireland.
They survived a treacherous crossing over the Atlantic on one of the many packed-out boats that earned the name 'coffin ships' because so many died from illnesses like typhus and cholera.
5. They started out in Boston before moving on to San Francisco
The Bradys initially landed jobs as labourers and servants, working in the homes of Boston’s more privileged families who had descended from region’s earliest settlers. They eventually moved on to San Francisco, travelling with Bridget’s sister and her husband.
Though life was a little more primitive in San Francisco with many residing in tents and basic dwellings, there were more opportunities with John Brady eventually establishing a better life with a saddlery business.
Getty4. Brady wasn’t the only famous Irish-American athlete in the family
John Brady’s son and Tom Brady Jr’s great-grandfather Philip loved baseball – but he wasn’t the first professional Irish American athlete to emerge from the Brady clan.
That honour went to Philip’s cousin, Pete Meegan, who carved out a career with the Pittsburgh Alleghenys in the late 19th century. ‘Steady Pete’ Meegan was an Irishman capable of throwing a menacing curveball. It was a curveball that helped the Alleghenys (who later became the Pirates) beat the Louisville Colonels. He died in 1905, a baseball legend, aged 42.
3. The quarterback loves his Irish roots
Brady has made no secret of his love for Ireland and the country’s importance to his father. “My father is 100 percent Irish,” he once said.“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.”
2. He loves nothing more than to play golf in Ireland
Brady has a particular favourite pastime he enjoys during his trip to the Emerald Isle.
"I’ve been golfing in Ireland...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.”
1. The New England Patriots star can speak Gaelic
Brady’s love of all things Irish goes beyond the norm too.
According to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Brady can speak Gaelic and was once heard ‘talking Gaelic’ during a spat with former Offensive Coordinator Bill O’Brien.
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