Josh Hartnett's Dingle Roots

Hollywood star discloses Dingle Peninsula roots

Josh Hartnett's family tie with West Kerry

One of Hollywood's hottest young actors, Josh Hartnett, disclosed a close tie with West Kerry as this week as he revealed that his stepmother's family originally hail from the Dingle Peninsula.
The 29-year old American actor, who has starred in Hollywood blockbusters Pearl Harbour, Black Hawk Down and Sin City revealed his Kerry lineage in an interview in Dublin last week while promoting his new movie, 30 Days of Night currently playing in Cinemas throughout the country.
"My father is half-Irish and my stepmother is fully Irish, and I've spent quite a bit of time in Ireland" he said.
"I've been on the southwest coast a few times, because that's where my family is from originally."
"My mom's family is from the Dingle Peninsula" he said.
Josh Hartnett, who spent some time in Ireland earlier this year at the Oxygen Festival in Punchestown during the summer, was born in 1978 in Minnesota .
He was raised by his stepmother Molly, an artist, whose family hail from the Dingle Peninsula and his father Daniel, who also claims Irish Ancestry.
He is currently starring in the Vampire movie 30 Days of Night, currently on release in Cinemas throughout Kerry.

His most successful movies include WW II epic Pearl Harbour starring alongside Ben Affleck and Kate Beckinsale,The Black Dahlia starring alongside Scarlett Johanssen and Sin City with Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba.

Cairdeas Idirnaisiúnta Chorca Dhuibhne, a Dingle based group dedicated to establishing links with the Dingle Peninsula and the USA have expressed excitement at the news and have extended an invitation to the actor.

"If Mr. Hartnett would like to explore his ancestry on the Dingle Peninsula, we would accommodate him in any way we could" said Cairdeas spokesperson, Dingle Restaurateur John Moriarty

"It just goes to show the far-reaching influence people from Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula have had across the world."

"The late Gregory Peck also had connections with the Dingle Peninsula, he he spent a lot of time here over the years and we've always been keen to welcome people to come back and search their roots" said Mr. Moriarty.