Ed Sheeran faces criticism over Irish identity claim on podcast
Ed Sheeran opens up about grandparents’ forbidden love and cultural roots
Ed Sheeran's claim that he identifies culturally as Irish on the Louis Theroux Podcast caused a backlash, which exposed the devastating family gap at the center of his roots.
The 34-year-old singer was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, and famously grew up in Suffolk. He has many relatives in Ireland and remembers spending happy childhood vacations there.
He is one of eight siblings born to Nancy Mulligan and William Sheeran, and his father John's family is from Belfast.
Ed's 2017 hit song Nancy Mulligan, which was named after his grandmother, was inspired by this bitter fallout in his paternal lineage.
His grandparents were rejected because they married outside of their religions, according to the folk song.
Ed remarked, "They got engaged and no one showed up at their wedding," as he reflected on the romance. They wore borrowed clothing to the wedding, and he melted all the gold teeth he had from his dental practice into a wedding ring.
"And just had this Romeo and Juliet romance, which is the most romantic thing ever."
When will Ed Sheeran’s album 'Play' come out?
The Grammy winner, Ed Sheeran’s new album Play is slated for a September 2025 release.