Kevin Costner's ancestors hailed from County Kilkenny in the southeast of Ireland. His great-grandfather Michael Costner was born in the village of Graiguenamanagh, in County Kilkenny, in 1855. At the time, Ireland was in the grip of the Great Famine , a devastating period of widespread hunger and disease that lasted from 1845 to 1852.
Like many Irish people of the time, Michael Costner saw little hope for his future in Ireland and decided to emigrate to the United States in search of a better life. Michael Costner settled in California, where he married and raised a family. His son, William Costner, was Kevin Costner's grandfather, and it was he who instilled in Kevin a love for his Irish heritage.
William Costner was a successful businessman in California, but he maintained strong connections to his ancestral home in Ireland throughout his life. He even visited Ireland on several occasions, and he passed on his love for the country and its people to his grandson Kevin. (Interestingly, a story similar to Costner's great-grandfather's emigration from Ireland is reflected in "1923," the prequel to his hit show "Yellowstone.
" ) Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Kevin Costner has visited Ireland himself on several occasions, and he has spoken publicly about his love for the country. In an interview with The Irish Times in 2016, he said: "I have a lot of friends in Ireland, and I feel a connection to the people and the landscape. "I lo.