Taylor Swift playing sell out concerts in Dublin at the end of this month
Irish Emigration Museum EPIC, and their genealogy partners The Irish Family History Centre, have uncovered her ancestral ties to Ireland through her great-great-great grandmother Mary Douglas (nee Gwynn).
The story of Taylor’s ancestors began aboard a ship called AMY sailing from Derry on June 11, 1836, where Susan Davis, a 21-year-old dressmaker, and Francis Gwynn, a 21-year-old weaver, were passengers heading for America to seek their fortunes and a new life.
Their meeting on the ship marked the start of a love story that would transcend generations, laying the foundation for a far-reaching legacy in the form of Love Story singer Taylor Swift.
After a two-month voyage the AMY ship arrived in port and Susan and Francis settled in Philadelphia, marrying in 1839 and raising a family of six children, two girls and four boys.
Francis Gwynn established a successful soap-making business, and the family prospered.
However, their idyllic life in Philadelphia was marred by tragedy. Five of the Gwynn children predeceased their parents.
Only one, Mary Douglas (née Gwynn), Taylor Swift’s great-great-great-grandmother outlived her parents.
In December 1886, Mary buried her father, Francis, and in February of the following year her mother, Susan, passed away.
“Susan and Francis’ story serves as a poignant reminder that love can help us endure the toughest journeys, a theme often encapsulated in Taylor’s lyrics,” Eilish Carew of EPIC says.
“As audiences prepare to witness Taylor’s performances in Ireland, we invite visitors to visit and experience the moving and unforgettable stories of those who left the island of Ireland, and how they influenced and shaped the world.”
Fiona Fitzsimons, director at the Irish Family History Centre, situated at EPIC, says: “The journey of Susan Davis and Francis Gwynn is not just a personal love story, but a testament to the resilience and courage of countless Irish emigrants.”
Swift, who is also reported to have English, Scottish and Italian connections, previously told the Sunday World that Ireland is one of her favourite countries in the world.
“I am so in love with every single movie that’s shot in Ireland,” she told the newspaper.
Taylor (34), who was single at the time of our interview – she’s now dating American sports star Travis Kelce (34) – revealed to us that she fancied dating an Irishman.
“I like guys,” she giggled. “The perfect guy for me has to have incredibly witty banter and a sense of humour and be, like, very sarcastic.
I love sarcasm, I think it’s so funny. And self-deprecating humour is really funny too.”
“I need to go date an Irish guy,” Taylor laughed. “That would be awesome. But he will have to have a really, really great appreciation for music. He doesn’t have to be in music or be a musician, just someone who loves music as much as I do.”
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