The best Irish heritage gift this Christmas is a DNA test, because it answers the question every Irish family asks: where exactly do we come from? Below are 14 gift ideas for anyone with Irish roots, from DNA kits and Brian Boru books to traditional music and days out in Ireland, with something for every budget.
Quick picks
- Best overall: Family Tree DNA Family Finder, a cousin-matching DNA test anyone can take
- For a father or grandfather with an Irish surname: Big Y-700, which traces the male line back to its clan
- For a reader: Seán Duffy’s Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf
- For a music lover: The Chieftains 2 on vinyl
- For someone visiting Ireland: Book of Kells Experience tickets
- The big splurge: a night at Dromoland Castle, the O’Brien family seat
- Y-37: shows whether a man’s paternal line fits the Irish Type III (R-L226) pattern of Brian Boru’s kindred.
- Big Y-700: places the male line on a specific branch of the tree, the test that project administrators recommend.
- Family Finder: covers all family lines and finds cousins from the last five or six generations. Anyone can take it.
- Free projects: once tested, join the R-L226 project and the family’s surname project to compare results.
DNA test gifts
1. Family Tree DNA Family Finder
The safest DNA gift because anyone can take it, man or woman. Family Finder reads DNA from every side of the family and matches the tester with cousins from roughly the last five or six generations. For Irish families, those matches often lead to the parish or townland a branch emigrated from, which the paper records alone can’t always show. It’s usually the cheapest test in the range, and during the November and December sales it drops to around half price. See Family Finder at Family Tree DNA.
2. Y-DNA tests: Y-37 or Big Y-700
The gift for a father or grandfather with an Irish surname. Only men can take a Y-DNA test, because it follows the Y chromosome down the direct male line, the same line as the surname. A Y-37 test shows whether the family fits the Irish Type III pattern of Brian Boru’s kindred. Big Y-700 goes much further and places the line on a named branch of the clan’s family tree. If the surname is O’Brien, MacMahon, Kennedy or MacNamara, or any of the families in our Brian Boru kindred surnames list, this is the gift.
Gift tip: the kit is registered to the person who takes it, so give the box with a note rather than activating it yourself. Results take several weeks, so the present on the day is the kit and the promise of an answer. Our Brian Boru descendants and DNA guide makes a good companion for the results.
Books for anyone with Irish roots
3. Brian Boru and the Battle of Clontarf by Seán Duffy
The best modern book on Ireland’s most famous king, by a professor of medieval history at Trinity College Dublin. Readable without any background, and it tells the real story behind the legend of Clontarf. Check price on Amazon.
4. Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn
The classic Brian Boru novel since 1980, and a perfect holiday read for anyone who prefers a story to a history. Big, romantic and broadly faithful to the main events of Brian’s life. Check price on Amazon.
5. Brian Boru: Emperor of the Irish by Morgan Llywelyn
The same author’s retelling for younger readers, a good fit for children of about 10 and up who are curious about their Irish heritage. Check price on Amazon.
6. Brian Boru: Ireland’s Greatest King? by Máire Ní Mhaonaigh
For the reader who already knows the story and wants to know how historians separate fact from family propaganda. Shorter than Duffy and pairs well with it. Check price on Amazon. More titles are in our guide to the best books about Brian Boru.
Irish music gifts
7. The Chieftains 2 on vinyl
The 1969 album that made Brian Boru’s March famous around the world, and a classic of Irish traditional music. A record makes a far better present than a download. Find The Chieftains 2 on vinyl.
8. Alan Stivell, Brian Boru
The Breton harper’s 1995 album named after the king, mixing Celtic harp, pipes and electric guitar. A good pick for someone who likes their folk music loud. Check price on Amazon.
9. O’Neill’s Music of Ireland
Francis O’Neill’s 1903 collection of over a thousand traditional tunes, including Brian Boru’s March, still in print. The standard tune book for anyone who plays. Check price on Amazon.
10. A tin whistle
The cheapest way into Irish traditional music and a great stocking filler. Choose a whistle in the key of D, the standard for Irish music, from a beginner-friendly brand such as Clarke or Feadóg. Our page on Brian Boru’s March links to free sheet music for a first tune.
Experiences in Ireland
For someone planning a trip home, an experience beats an object. These can all be booked online and printed or emailed as a gift.
11. Book of Kells Experience, Trinity College Dublin
The ticket includes the Long Room, where the medieval harp known as the Brian Boru harp is on display. The Old Library is due to close for restoration in late 2027, so a 2026 or 2027 trip is the time to go. Book Book of Kells tickets.
12. Bunratty Castle and Folk Park
The restored MacNamara castle in County Clare, later held by the O’Brien Earls of Thomond, 15 minutes from Shannon Airport. Ideal for a family with Clare roots. Bunratty tickets and tours.
13. Cliffs of Moher tour
Ireland’s most famous view, with O’Brien’s Tower on the cliff top, built in 1835 by Cornelius O’Brien. A day tour from Dublin or Galway takes care of the driving. See Cliffs of Moher tours.
14. A night at Dromoland Castle
The O’Brien family seat in County Clare, now a five-star castle hotel near Shannon Airport. The ultimate present for an O’Brien, or anyone who wants to spend a night where Brian Boru’s descendants lived. Check rates at Dromoland Castle.
Planning the whole trip? Our Brian Boru trail links these sites into a 4-day route.
A gift for a family name
One of the most personal presents costs nothing extra. Pair a DNA kit with the story of the family name, printed from our surname histories, such as the Kennedys, MacNamaras, Hogans and O’Deas. The DNA test then tests the story.
A word of warning on “family crest” gifts: a coat of arms belongs to one person, not to everyone with a surname, and many cheap versions get the design wrong. Our guide to the O’Brien coat of arms explains what to look for.
Ordering in time for Christmas
- DNA kits: order by early December, especially for delivery to Ireland, the UK, Australia or Canada, since international shipping slows down in the Christmas rush. Shipping is charged on top of the test price.
- Books and records: check the delivery date shown at checkout before you buy.
- Experiences and hotel stays: booked online and confirmed by email, so they work as last-minute gifts.
- Best prices: Family Tree DNA’s sales run from early November to the end of December. Our Family Tree DNA Black Friday page tracks the current prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good gift for someone with Irish ancestry?
A DNA test is the most meaningful choice, because it can link the family to the place and clan it came from. Family Finder suits anyone, and Big Y-700 suits a man tracing his surname.
Can you give a DNA test as a gift?
Yes. Buy the kit and give it unopened. The person who takes the test registers the kit in their own name, and results arrive by email several weeks after the sample reaches the lab.
Which DNA test is best for Irish heritage?
For a man tracing an Irish surname, a Y-DNA test such as Big Y-700. For women, or anyone tracing several family lines, Family Finder.
What is a good gift for an O’Brien?
A Y-DNA test to check his line against Brian Boru’s kindred. For a big occasion, a night at Dromoland Castle, the O’Brien family seat.
Sources
- Family Tree DNA, Test and Upgrade Prices.
- Family Tree DNA, Offer Rules and Regulations.