Bruce Springsteen sent a video message to residents of Rathangan, Ireland, as the town celebrated Féile Springsteen, a festival honoring his family's roots in the community. The video, credited to the Rathangan Freehold Twinning Association, was shown in The Village Pump pub on Aug. 22, with the event featuring a performance by the band The Human Touch covering some of Springsteen's songs.
In the video, Springsteen offered congratulations and warm words to the celebrants. "This is just to congratulate you on the twinning of our two cities and the fabulous planting of the two copper beech trees that will cement the soul bond between us all," he said, according to northjersey.com. "I want you to have a great, great celebration. Sending all my love and I hope to see you soon."
Ancestral connection
Rathangan is the ancestral home of Springsteen, whose great-great-grandmother, Ann Garrity, emigrated from the town to Freehold in 1852. A copper beech tree believed to have been planted by Garrity stood for over a century at a Springsteen family home at 87 Randolph Street. The tree's loss was later mourned by family members.
The Bond Tree plants a new copper beech in July at the Monmouth County Historical Association in Freehold were attended by Springsteen's two sisters, including Virginia Shave, a former resident of that address. "I remember that tree so well and we were so sad when it died," Shave said at the event, as reported by nj.com. "So this is a new beginning."
Another copper beech tree was reportedly planted in Rathangan, further cementing the symbolic connection between the two locations. The twinning of the towns made official in June 2025, according to NJ advance media.
The Féile Springsteen celebration included a range of activities, from musical performances and historical tours to art exhibitions and film screenings. Springsteen, now 76, had previously visited Rathangan in 2023, where he led a cappella rendition of "My Hometown", as noted in nj.com coverage.