Carney to visit his grandparent's home village in Mayo

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is concluding his official visit to Ireland with a personal journey to his ancestral homeland in County Mayo. He is set to meet his cousins in Aughagower, the village where his paternal grandparents, Robert and Nora Carney, grew up before emigrating to Canada in 1925.

Carney, who takes immense pride in his Irish heritage, described it as a significant part of his identity. The visit is both a political and business engagement, but also a deeply personal homecoming. He is expected to attend Mass in Aughagower and visit the local cemetery where some of his ancestors are buried.

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So, Mam and Pat's father was John Carney and he was the brother of Robert Carney who is Mark Carney's grandfather! Imagine, his grandson is the prime minister of Canada!

The prime minister will reconnect with over 20 relatives, including his grandfather's first cousins, Pat Carney and Maureen O'Malley. O'Malley's daughter, Rosaleen Heraty, expressed the family's excitement, noting the uncanny resemblance between Carney and his grandfather Robert. "Imagine, his grandson is the prime minister of Canada!," she exclaimed.

Local historian Harry Hughes and members of the Westport Historical Society have researched the Carney and Moran families, who were tenant farmers on the estate of Lord Sligo. They will present a commemorative history of the families to Carney at a civic reception hosted by Mayo County Council. The reception will also feature a presentation by Heraty, who manages the Townhall Theatre in Westport and is preparing for the event.

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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. She hardly missed a beat and just said 'ah yeah, we haven't seen them for years'.