You read it right! Walt Disney himself was part Irish, and took great pride in his heritage. Although his family left Ireland in the mid-1800s, he and Lillian ventured to Dublin for the premiere of Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

The Disney family has a complex heritage, but they are primarily of Anglo-Irish descent. The family name actually originated in France as "d'Isigny" (from Isigny-sur-Mer). Following the Norman Conquest in 1066, the family settled in England (Norton Disney), and a branch later moved to Ireland in the 17th century. Walt Disney's great-grandfather, Arundel Elias Disney, lived in County Kilkenny before emigrating to North America in 1834. Walt's father, Elias Disney, was born in Canada to Irish-born parents (Kepple Disney and Mary Richardson). Walt himself was deeply proud of his Irish roots and visited Ireland in 1949 to trace his ancestry in Freshford and Kilkenny. In 2026, his Irish connection is celebrated at the Walt Disney Family Museum, which details how the "Emerald Isle" influenced his storytelling and personal identity, particularly his fascination with folklore and the "luck" often featured in his early animations.