In a surprising turn of events, a U.S. scholar became an Irish citizen after uncovering his pure Irish roots through a DNA analysis. John Portmann, aged 61, achieved Irish nationality after producing evidence that his biological father, Thomas Fitzgerald, was a Dublin native whilst his biological mother, Térese Delahanty, originated from County Kilkenny.
Portmann, adopted during his childhood and oblivious to his lineage, now holds an Irish passport. He speculates that he is the pioneer to be granted Irish citizenship purely based on DNA evidence. The 61-year-old, currently a Religious Studies professor at the University of Virginia and a prolific author, was born on the 6th of June, 1963, in Phoenix, Arizona, under the supervision of the Sisters of Mercy nuns.
Back then, both Ireland and the United States shared similar societal prejudices against single mothers and children conceived out of wedlock. His mother, hailing from a Catholic family in Minneapolis, moved to Phoenix to give birth, complying with the arrangement that her child would be given up for adoption. His adoptive parents, Walter and Carol Portmann, disclosed to their three children from a tender age that they were adopted.
In an unexpected twist of fate, Portmann discovered his total Irish genetic heritage in 2019 through analysis conducted on ancestry.com. “It was completely out of the blue that I had this Irish connection. It was widely assumed I had Scandinavian heritage,” he revealed. He utilized the expertise of DNA detectives to delve deeper into his family history. “Adoptees always face daunting challenges when seeking information about their biological parents, but these detectives have mastered the craft. It was astounding that my hired detective could identify my biological father.”
This revelation came slightly too late as his mother passed away just a few months prior to his receipt of the ancestry.com report, and at the age of 90 in 2019. She hadn’t had any other offspring. His biological father has been deceased for the past 14 years.
Mr Portmann brought a legal case to an Arizona court, where children have a legally protected right to identify and acknowledge their biological parents. The presiding judge, Fanny Steinlage, in September 2020, affirmed the evidence that suggested his parents were Thomas Fitzgerald and Térese Delahanty.
Afterwards, Mr Portmann presented this evidence to the Passport Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin. The office consulted Ormond Quay Paternity Services, a group of specialist DNA analysts, to confirm that Thomas Fitzgerald was, in fact, Mr Portmann’s biological father. This confirmation qualified Mr Portmann for an Irish passport.
Mr Portmann articulated the challenges he faced in his quest for acceptance from Ireland, considering he was adopted and had no paperwork to prove his origins. He highlighted that Ireland is not bound to respect verdicts from other nation’s courts. However, the DNA evidence was pivotal in his case.
Prof Portmann announced publicly for the first time that, in an unprecedented situation, Ireland opted to acknowledge DNA proof as evidence of Irish lineage, in lieu of birth certificates.
He chose the Adoption Rights Alliance Facebook page to make his story public. In October of the previous year, he paid a visit to Ireland for the first time, meeting several of his blood relatives he had never met before. He toured Belvedere College, his father’s alma mater.
A measure of surprise was evident in his words as he had never thought he would have Irish roots, given people mostly took him for a Scandinavian. Expressing his heartfelt gratitude towards the country, he highlighted the generosity Ireland has shown him.
While the Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment specifically on Mr Portmann’s case, it did affirm that others had tried to achieve Irish citizenship through DNA testing. It further explained that the Passport Service might consider DNA evidence as one of the criteria to ascertain a person’s right to Irish citizenship through an Irish parent.