It is well known that Donald Trump has a Scottish mother, Mary Anne MacLoed from Lewis, born in Tong, in the parish of Stornoway. Inspired, however, by the tradition of American presidential Irish roots (remember Fulmoth Kearney President Obama's Irish ancestor from Moneygall, Co, Offaly), a researcher from Irish Genealogy, Aibhrean O'Tuathail, started trawling through the records to see if there is a blood line tracing back to Ireland.

Her research threw up a surprising revelation.

Aibhrean said, "I had a sense that if there were Irish roots in the Trump line they would probably emanate from his mother's side. I spent some weeks searching through the registers but it started to become clear that the Scottish side of the family were deeply rooted across Scotland", sic. as far as records go back, "and particularly across the inner and outer Hebrides." Aibhrean then turned her attention to Donald's Father's side of the family and low and behold found a direct descendant.

Donald Trump's father, Fred, is originally for the a small German town Kallstadt in the Rhineland-Palatinate. His mother, Donald's grandmother, was Elisabeth Christ daughter to a merchant from Liverpool, Charles Evans who's paternal ancestry stems from Lancaster. Jump back 2 more generations to Charles grandmother Mary Francis Cusack on his mother's side and you find her mother Ann de Valle emigrated from Ireland in the early 1700's from Arklow. Further back the blood line Mary Francis' family were from the South West of Ireland, Limerick predominately.

So Donald Trump's closest Irish ancestor, his Great Great Great Great Grandmother, is originally from Arklow.

Aibhrean intends to continue her research into Mary Francis Arklow roots and will be liaising with local historians.

There are no plans of a Trump visit at this time but Aibhrean has written to the Trump family to inform them of her find. Online records for the Trump family only go back a few generations on the Scottish side and to Donald Trump's Grandfather Fredrick Trump on the German side so perhaps they are unaware of their Irish roots. Aibhrean has also contacted the American Embassy, Tourism Ireland who have, as always, been proactive by contacting the County Council and local Councillors to prepare well in advance of a possible visit.

I wouldn't hold my breath though. On a recent trip back to his mother's home on the Hebrides Mr Trump landed his famous Trump jet and only spent 20 minutes at the house meeting some of the residents of the town. When pressed the residents of Tong refuse to talk about their connection with the Trump family.

Will this be the case in Arklow?