Bruce Springsteen visits Kildare to find out more about his family roots

The Boss came to the boglands of Rathangan this morning to pay a visit to what could be his ancestral home in Co Kildare.

The New Jersey singer/songwriter visited The Burrow pub, the community centre and also was shown where his relations may have come from in the townland of Mount Prospect. 

Cllr Mark Stafford said the council had extended an invitation to Springsteen to visit the town and they had been in communication with his team.

"We were told that he doesn't make a decision on where to visit until he actually arrives in the country he is visiting." he said.

Cllr Stafford explained how he got word late last night that Springsteen wanted to come to the Kildare town.

"We were told he was interested, but on the strict condition that it was to be a private visit and he didn't want any large gatherings. You can understand that as it was a personal visit. Anyone he did meet, he was very obliging and he had all the time in the world for them."

"He was delighted to be here and was interested in learning all about his heritage."

Earlier in the day he paid a visit to the library in Newbridge where historians, who had carried out research into his family roots, made a presentation to him.

It was revealed in 2016 that Springsteen's great-great-grandmother Anne Garrity emigrated from the Mount Prospect area of Rathangan during the Famine and settled in New Jersey in the US.