Surprise Roots: Hollywood Star Kevin Costner Traces Heritage to Kilkenny
Hollywood A-Lister Kevin Costner’s Family Roots Discovered in Graignamanagh
Kevin Costner, the acclaimed actor and director, is among the many celebrities with deep ancestral ties to Ireland — specifically, County Kilkenny.
As Costner presented his latest directorial epic, Horizon: An American Saga, at the Cannes Film Festival in May — now showing in cinemas — attention has turned to the Irish roots that shaped one of Hollywood’s most enduring legends.
Costner’s great-great-grandfather, Michael Costner, was born in 1855 in the picturesque town of Graignamanagh, Kilkenny. Like many Irish families during that time, the Costners emigrated to the United States in the aftermath of the Great Famine, which devastated the country between 1845 and 1852.
The family eventually settled in California, where Michael raised his children, including his son William — Kevin’s grandfather. Though raised in America, William maintained a strong connection to his Irish heritage. He made several visits to Ireland and ensured that love for the Emerald Isle was passed down to his family.
Kevin Costner has often spoken warmly about this heritage. In a 2016 interview with The Irish Times, he said:
“I have a lot of friends in Ireland, and I feel a connection to the people and the landscape. I love the way the country has preserved its history and traditions, and I always feel at home when I’m there.”
Over the years, Costner has explored many of Ireland’s iconic historical sites, including the Rock of Cashel in Tipperary and Glendalough in County Wicklow. He even spent time living in West Cork while researching the life of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins for a film project.
Though Michael Collins was famously brought to screen by Neil Jordan in 1996 with Liam Neeson in the title role, Costner had envisioned a different take.
In a 2020 interview with Joe.ie, he reflected:
“I wanted to make the Michael Collins story — I still do. I know it was made by another director, but that’s not the story I was going to tell.
I found him to be an incredible person who was compromised by politics. His story continues to resonate.”
Costner praised a script written by Irish writer and journalist Eoghan Harris, calling it “an epic… like a real Lawrence of Arabia look at Collins.”
He recalled the moving final line from Harris’s screenplay:
“‘God, Ireland, I love you.’ It was a fictional line, but it encapsulated who he was. That always stayed with me.”
Whether or not his version of Michael Collins is ever made, one thing is clear: Kevin Costner’s bond with Ireland runs deep — rooted not just in ancestry, but in admiration for the country’s enduring spirit, history, and people.
