03/18/2026
Did you know that several signers of the Declaration of Independence as well as other Revolutionary War Patriots had Irish roots? Irish Americans played important roles in the fight for independence, and their contributions remain part of the history DAR members research and preserve today.
Irish-born signers James Smith, Matthew Thornton, and George Taylor each journeyed to America and became signers of the Declaration—contributing to the founding of a new nation.
Other notable Irish American Patriots include Henry Knox, who left his Boston bookshop to join the Patriot militia, and Hercules Mulligan, who gathered vital intelligence as a spy in British-occupied New York. Mulligan’s impact is still remembered today with a newly established overseas DAR chapter in Dublin named in his honor.
Also among them was the President General’s own Patriot ancestor, Lilly McIlhaney Bowen, an Irish-born woman who supported the cause by loaning funds and providing food and supplies to the Continental Army. She is just one of nearly 1,300 documented female Patriot ancestors connected to DAR members—with many more stories still waiting to be uncovered.
Explore your family history through the DAR Genealogical Research System at www.dar.org/grs
