From Charlie Sheen to Ben Stiller, Bruce Springsteen and even Meryl Streep – here are ten celebrities that have Irish heritage. Prepare to be surprised!

Charlie Sheen

The grandmother of actor Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen’s mother Mary-Ann Phelan was born in Borrisokane, Co. Tipperary. While Charlie Sheen has not been as vocal about his Irish background, Martin Sheen went to University in Galway to study English, philosophy and theology and has regularly spoken about his love of Ireland.

Ben Stiller

Zoolander star Ben Stiller is described as half Jewish and half Irish. His family are said to still get together to celebrate and dine for St. Patrick’s Day. His mother’s family had an Irish Catholic background which has been regularly mentioned in press interviews.

Bruce Springsteen

‘Born in the USA’ singer, Bruce Springsteen has now also been claimed as Irish in a book ‘Land of Hope and Dreams: Celebrating 25 years of Bruce Springsteen in Ireland’ by Greg Lewis and Moira Sharkey. The book traces his roots back to his great great grandmother who was originally from Co. Westmeath.

Meryl Streep

Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep actually has ancestry going back to Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal. Her great-great grandparents were Manus McFadden and Grace Strain who came from the townland of Muntermellan before emigrating for New York.

Mischa Barton

Stunning actress and star of the OC, Mischa Barton has an Irish mother, Nuala Quinn. Her mother’s father – her grandfather – was a Professor at the University of Belfast. Although Mischa grew up in New York she regularly speaks proudly of her Irish and UK descent and claims it strongly.

Lindsay Lohan

American actress and model Lindsay Lohan and her father Michael Lohan have had a well-documented mercurial past. While she was born in 1986 in New York and grew up in Long Island, he is, in fact originally from Co. Galway in Ireland.

Kurt Cobain

The star of 1990’s rock band Nirvana, who was born in Washington, DC has ancestors from the small village of Inisatieve, Tyrone in Northern Ireland. They emigrated to Canada five generations ago before ending up in Washington.

Muhammad Ali

Believe it or not Muhammad Ali’s grandfather, Abe Grady, hailed from Ennis in Co. Clare and he emigrated to Kentucky back in the 1860s. The recent death of the iconic boxer brought his Irish ancestry back into the spotlight. One of his most famous visits to Ireland was back in 1972 when he did a much-shown and iconic interview with presenter Cathal O’Shannon for RTE.

Lara Flynn Boyle

Actress Lara Flynn Boyle was given Irish dancing lessons as a child and her Irish identity was regularly at the forefront. Her Irish relatives include her paternal grandmother Helen O’Shaughnessy; maternal grandmother Kathleen Flynn, where she obtained her middle name and her paternal grandfather Jack Boyle.

Bridget Moynahan

American actress and model Bridget Moynahan has Irish relatives on both sides of her family – hailing from County Donegal and County Clare (Moriartys) and County Cork (Moynahans) and she has visited Ireland many times and always speaks of her enjoyment and love of the country.

Who knew?