by Shelley Germeaux

Note: This article has been updated as of April 14, 2023 for new information about
Paul’s and Ringo’s ancestry, based on the 2018 book, Inside the Beatles Family
Tree by Richard A. Edmund.

Fans of the Beatles know that all four lads were from Liverpool, England, but few know of their Irish heritage. As the world celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, if you get misty-eyed over Ireland while singing along to “Oh Danny Boy”, you might enjoy a bit of Beatles Irish history.

Liverpool has been called the “Capital of Ireland” because an estimated three-quarters of its people have Irish roots. Irish immigrants poured into Liverpool after the 1798 rebellion as well as the Great Famine of the 1840s, greatly impacting its demographic make-up. As such, all four Beatles have ancestry in Ireland.

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