Lisa Kudrow jokes about difficulty of tracing Irish ancestry

Lisa Kudrow jokes about difficulty of tracing Irish ancestry

Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow joked with Conan O’Brien about the difficulty of tracing his Irish ancestry.

The actress has produced the series Who Do You Think You Are? – which helps celebrities research their family history – since 2010. She joined O’Brien on his chat-show recently, and admitted that tracing Irish family history is notoriously hard because “everyone has the same name”!

Lisa Kudrow jokes about difficulty of tracing Irish ancestry

O’Brien told his guest that he had been approached by the Who Do You Think You Are? team about appearing on the show. He said that he gave a DNA sample and a few basic details but has heard nothing back in a year.

Ogham, the mysterious language of the trees The Origins of the Ogham alphabet are still a mystery for many historians, but it is primarily thought to be an early form of the Irish written Language. Bealtaine Fire

O’Brien asked Kudrow why he hadn’t heard anything to which she replied: “Irish ancestry is really tough.”

She pointed out that it is not too difficult to trace family history of Irish Americans in America, but the problems start when they try to follow the trail further back to Ireland.

O’Brien jokes that no-one in Ireland keeps records and everyone is drinking.

Kudrow does point out that there are useful records available, within the Catholic Church and also the prison system.

Many people take an interest in researching their family tree, and in recent years the task has become a little easier thanks to online documentation.

O’Brien is one of millions of Americans that has descended from Irish immigrants.

Take a look at O’Brien and Kudrow below.


More popular articles and videos

The real life mystery of what Maureen O’Hara whispered to make John Wayne look so shocked





Meghan Markle can trace her family tree back to Ireland




Matt Damon winning hearts and minds with charm assault on Ireland





Cork trio showcase Irish dancing in all its glory




Action hero Tom Cruise was once attacked by an old man in a Kerry pub





Celebrate with the top 10 Irish recipes

Liam Neeson speaks about his late wife in emotional interview





Dating site explains why Irish men make wonderful husband material





How to become an Irish citizen




Billy Connolly says public should ignore politicians and listen to comedians




Take a look inside Hollywood star Saoirse Ronan’s stunning Irish home




Join our community