{"id":60118,"date":"2026-06-14T11:48:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:48:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/canadian-prime-minister-heads-west-to-ancestral-homeland\/14\/06\/2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T11:48:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T15:48:23","slug":"canadian-prime-minister-heads-west-to-ancestral-homeland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/canadian-prime-minister-heads-west-to-ancestral-homeland\/14\/06\/2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian prime minister heads west to ancestral homeland"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has travelled to County Mayo on the second day of his state visit to the Republic of Ireland.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Carney, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cx2xpv8v7v9o?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:spent Saturday in Dublin;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;spent Saturday in Dublin&quot;}\" class=\"link \">spent Saturday in Dublin<\/a> with Taoiseach (Irish PM) Miche\u00e1l Martin, met his cousins on Sunday in Aughagower &#8211; the village his grandparents, Robert and Nora Moran, left when they emigrated to Canada in 1925.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Carney has said he is proud of his family heritage and described his Irish ancestry as a &#8220;big part of who I am&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Irish President Catherine Connolly met Carney in Westport House on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">During his Mayo visit, the Canadian prime minister and his wife Diana Fox Carney attended Mass at the parish church and visited a graveyard where some of his relatives are buried.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When asked what it was like to be in Aughagower, Carney said: &#8220;It&#8217;s fantastic to be back, I&#8217;ve been here twice, but no one noticed the last few times I came, so it&#8217;s a great thrill.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Carney met more than 20 of his cousins including Pat Carney and Maureen O&#8217;Malley, first cousins of his father and two of the prime minister&#8217;s closest Irish relatives.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Carney met his oldest living relatives Maureen and Pat Carney [PA Media]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">After Mass, Carney planted an Irish oak tree in the cemetery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He joked that he had a previous &#8220;career as a gardener&#8221;, and his wife Diana Fox quoted Christy Moore&#8217;s Don&#8217;t Forget Your Shovel as he worked.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Speaking after the Mass, he thanked people for coming and encouraged them to visit what was once &#8220;Carney&#8217;s sweetshop&#8221; and the local pub.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Martin and Carney shake hands and a tri-colour hands to the right hand side of the pair. Martin a bit taller and bald on top. Carney has short grey hair. \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/o58B.AqAOIHJbhK5JJZhdw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/6c5f1a4fd38037273f29de37002b049c\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>It is the first bilateral visit to Ireland by a Canadian prime minister since Justin Trudeau&#8217;s in 2017 [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Earlier, Maureen O&#8217;Malley&#8217;s daughter, Rosaleen Heraty, told Ireland&#8217;s national broadcaster RT\u00c9 about the family connection.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Mam and Pat&#8217;s father was John Carney and he was the brother of Robert Carney, who is Mark Carney&#8217;s grandfather. Imagine, his grandson is the prime minister of Canada,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It&#8217;s all we can talk about, generations of the Carney clan, and we are so excited to finally meet him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;If you compare photos of him and his grandfather Robert, there is an uncanny likeness. I noticed it when I spotted him on the telly when he was Governor of the Bank of England. I saw the name Carney and saw the face and said it to Mam.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;She hardly missed a beat and just said &#8216;ah yeah, we haven&#8217;t seen them for years&#8217;,&#8221; said Heraty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Heraty, manager at the Townhall Theatre in Westport, said she has been busy preparing for the civic reception on Sunday evening to honour Carney.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">During the ceremony Carney will be presented with a commemorative history of the Carneys, written by local Westport historian Harry Hughes, alongside fellow researchers and editors James Kelly and Miche\u00e1l Casey.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Tenant farmers who endured famine aftermath<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Carney steps out of a shiny black car. He wears a sharp suit. Behind him a solider salutes. \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/LEsn9jru.qk.VjprmAZYtg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/7531e29c5dfd0d3c4c7ff1081ed35f56\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Martin said the visit would be an opportunity for Carney to celebrate and explore his Irish heritage [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Carney and Moran families were tenant farmers on the estate of Lord Sligo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Carney homestead, located in the townland of Ayle, was a standard rural dwelling of the time: a thatched cottage with two windows in the front. Nine people lived in two rooms, with a third room added later.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The Moran home in the townland of Mace North was nearby.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Both Ayle and Mace were in the parish of Aughagower, where, according to local lore, St Patrick is believed to have stopped off on his way to Croagh Patrick.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The prime minister&#8217;s grandparents would have faced much hardship during their life in Ireland, living through a period of upheaval and transformation that followed the Irish famine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When they left, they would have become part of the wave of mass emigration that saw more than one million people sail from the island.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The couple emigrated to Canada in 1925, married the following year and had three sons.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/world\/articles\/canadian-prime-minister-heads-west-095741102.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has travelled to County Mayo on the second day of his state visit to the Republic of<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/canadian-prime-minister-heads-west-to-ancestral-homeland\/14\/06\/2026\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/rA7Fg_aG7QWI6c6J.d.DQA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyMDA7aD02NzU7Y2Y9d2VicA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/b876d611258d46346f726ae9fa791f5c","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60118"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}