BORN IN.. MULLINGAR; The Boss has Irish roots.

Byline: MAEVE QUIGLEY

HE is famous for being Born In The USA but Bruce Springsteen's roots are in Ireland.

A new book called Land Of Hope And Dreams: Celebrating 25 Years of Bruce Springsteen In Ireland traces The Boss's family tree back to the generation which left famine-ravaged Ireland in the 1850s.

And it reveals that the New Jersey rock star is really from Mullingar in Co Westmeath - home town of the late showband legend Joe Dolan.

Authors Moira Sharkey and Greg Lewis discovered that Springsteen's great great grandmother Ann Garrity grew up in the Mullingar area and later crossed the Atlantic for a better life.

She arrived in the United States in 1852 and settled in Freehold, New Jersey, where Springsteen himself was born 60 years ago.

Moira Sharkey, from Derry, said: "This is the first time the full extent of Springsteen's Irish roots has been uncovered."

"Bruce's paternal lineage is made up of generation after generation of Irishmen and women and he could call any corner of Ireland his home.

"His father's ancestors include the family names Garrity, Farrell, McNicholas, Sullivan, O'Hagan and McCann.

"The Springsteen surname comes from Anthony Springsteen who married into the Irish family. His wife was Martha O'Hagan. "Springsteen has an incredible connection with Irish audiences. Perhaps this family history reveals why that connection is so strong."

The new book, which is published this month celebrates the upcoming 25th anniversary of Springsteen's first show in Ireland, the Slane Castle concert in 1985.

The book is published by Magic Rat Books and is available from www.springsteeninireland.com and a limited number of bookshops, priced 19.99.

CAPTION(S):

LUCKY TOWN The Boss has roots in Mullingar