The Powerful Story of Sean Hayes' Namesake | Who Do You Think You Are?

[Music] Emmy award-winning actor and producer Shawn Hayes catapulted to fame on the groundbreaking sitcom Will and Grace his scene stealing portrayal of Jack McFarland made him one of Hollywood's favorite funny Men Behind the Scenes he's also a prolific producer Shawn lives in Los Angeles with his husband music producer Scott icenogle my name is sha Patrick Hayes uh I am named after nobody I know of I'm the youngest of five kids my family life growing up was somewhat tumultuous I had a father who uh wasn't present all the time I think he left when I was like five and because of that obviously uh we don't have a relationship now also I don't know anything about my father's father I would love to know what kind of father my father had so now of course I have a ton of questions about Patrick who I believe immigrated from Ireland how would I learn more about him I would go to the Cook County Circuit Court archives great Patrick was 48 years old in 1930 so this ISS occupation motorman so he probably worked on the street cars I think Chicago had one of the largest street car systems in the country wow it's a pretty good job at wages at hours so during the Depression while everybody's clamoring to get food in their stomachs my great-grandfather was working seemed seemed to be doing okay during that horrible time my great-grandparents were born in Ireland but all their children were born here here so my great grandfather was the first immigrant of my hay lineage to come to the United States wow here we are so wow Patrick Francis Hayes Street Car employee that's right oh wow there's his wife Jenny then he signs at Patrick Francis Hayes and that's his signature is this the actual ink the actual this is the actual document that is amazing to me so how do we learn more about Patrick and his life I think you're going to have to go to Ireland that's so cool I'm really excited I'll go to Ireland thanks Maggie I'm enamored with Patrick because of his drive and ambition and his want for a better life for himself and his family uh that's really inspiring to me we have found something that um will be of interest county Cary Form K yes prison what does that say prison TR County Carry okay so I'm anticipating my great-grandfather wasn't as great as we thought right there on page one January 3rd he received a sentence three counts of assault and this says Fine bail or hard labor HL hard labor yeah so after 3 months of hard labor yes he said sayara I'm out of here gets in a boat and goes to New York General register Charlie prison Patrick hay is here it is MHM does that say junior yes is that imply his father was a senior Patrick that is unbelievable so I never knew the name of my great-grandfather and now I know the name of my two times great-grandfather what does that say well that's Tor Petty sessions and so this will be the petty Sessions Court so is that Courthouse still around this particular building is is still standing oh my God can we see it this is the courthouse courthouse and House of Correction so here are the documents wait a minute wait wait wait wait wait so this is Patrick Hayes and this is Patrick Hayes Jr is the defendant Patrick Jr attacked Patrick senior that's the allegation so my great- great-grandfather is bringing his children to court correct so I just wonder what the fighting was about list of criminal infractions for Patrick hay seni from 1864 to 1914 if you look then again in 1888 the picture changes dramatically again right yeah drunk and disorderly on the public Street just over and over and over again what made him start drinking so much 1888 deaths registered in the district of tarbert husband so that's my great great grandmother that's right and this is her death certificate that's her death certificate well that just explains so much for 10 years seems like he was a good family man and then his wife died in 1888 which was explain this Sudden Change in Behavior maybe Patrick senior starts dealing with it by drinking and that of course affects everything that affects all his kidss including Patrick Jr they were probably just as affected by their mom dying as as he was about losing his wife of course right nobody probably knew how to deal with it so they all just drank about it what you perhaps could do is travel to B Longford the area where they live yes and see what sort of a town it is now thinking about my name Sean Patrick Hayes has whole new meaning Patrick Jr seems to be the only one who left for for better reasons he just decided you know it's now or never that's exactly what I did I I had those same conversations in my head at 24 years old got my car and drove to La I wanted to get away from it and Patrick junor did too and I I feel this sense of camarad with [Music] him

Channel: TLC

Views: 365,227

Keywords: reality tv series, celebrity genealogy, researching ancestry, celebrity stories, ancestry tracking, personal stories, Sean Hayes (TV Program Creator), will and grace, namesake, Family History (Field Of Study), History (TV Genre), Ireland (Geographical Feature), irish roots

Id: 4SR8VgWVtw4

Length: 6min 21sec (381 seconds)

Published: Fri Apr 03 2015