George Clooney is probably used to having ladies fighting over him, but Irish counties? Well…we’re not so sure about that one…
According to reports today, Kilkenny and Laois are at war because both counties are flat-out determined to be recognised as the last remaining link between Ireland and George.
A new documentary is claiming that George’s familial history can be traced to Abbeyleix in Laois, where his descendants were evicted from their home during the Potato Famine. George’s descendants are also said to have worked in a factory that made the carpets used on the Titanic.
This sounds pretty legit, but the heritage company which discovered President Obama’s link to Ireland have already proved that Clooney is from Kilkenny.
“George Clooney had already been proved to be of Irish descent, that was never in dispute. Our interest was in what we could say about the family and where they lived. We’ve identified a small farm holding in Knockeen, near Windgap, which remained in the family until the late 1850s,” said Fiona Fitzsimmons, the boss of heritage company Eneclann.
“There is no link between the Clooney family in Abbeyleix and the Clooney family in Windgap, and the Clooneys in Windgap were never evicted from their home. There may be somebody called Sarah Clooney who may have worked in the Abbeyleix carpet factory which may have made carpets for the Titanic, but they are not related to George Clooney’s family,” Ms Fitzsimmons added.
Kilkenny and Laois are fighting over George Clooney’s ancestry.
The research on George’s ancestry was commissioned by Noreen Burke Hayes who insists that her great-great-grandmother Mary Welsh was a niece of the Clooneys.
The findings prove that her relatives stayed in Knockeen after the rest of the family emigrated to America.
“We did this research to prove once and for all we are linked to the Clooneys. We’re not in it for the fame and we never would have thought we would be linked to George. But we’re delighted our lineage is authentic,” said Ms Burke Hayes.
But despite this, Laois is determined to claim Clooney as one of their own. What do you think ladies? Does George look more like a Kilkenny native or a Laois native?
