:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2148910064-3d6f90df6538435b8638ca185eb55d6e.jpg)
If you’ve been scrolling through TikTok lately or keeping an eye on the frantic world of celebrity real estate, you’ve probably heard the rumors. Or maybe you saw the headlines. Rosie O’Donnell moved to Ireland. It wasn't just a vacation, and it wasn't a PR stunt for a new movie.
On January 15, 2025, just as the political winds in the United States were shifting toward a second Trump inauguration, the former "Queen of Nice" packed her bags. She didn't just go alone; she took her 12-year-old daughter, Dakota "Clay" O'Donnell, with her.
Honestly, the move caught a lot of people off guard. We’re used to celebrities threatening to leave the country every election cycle. Most of them never do. They stay in their Malibu mansions and tweet about it. But Rosie? She actually pulled the trigger.
Why Rosie O’Donnell Moved to Ireland (It’s Not Just Politics)
While the re-election of Donald Trump was clearly the catalyst, the story is a bit more layered than a simple "I hate the President" exit. Rosie has been very open on social media—specifically her TikTok—about the fact that she felt the U.S. was no longer "safe" for her family.
She’s spoken specifically about the safety and sanity of her non-binary child. For Rosie, the move was a protective measure. She mentioned in a nearly ten-minute video that "the personal is political," and seeing the direction of the country made her feel like she had to get out.
But there’s also the fire.
👉 See also: Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
In January 2025, a devastating wildfire in Los Angeles destroyed her Malibu home. When you lose everything in a literal blaze and then look at the political landscape and see what you perceive as a figurative one, the choice to leave becomes a whole lot easier.
Finding "Home" in the Emerald Isle
Rosie isn't just a random American moving to Dublin. She’s 100% Irish-Catholic by heritage. If you ever saw her episode of Who Do You Think You Are? back in 2011, you know she has deep roots in County Kildare.
Her ancestors, the Murtaghs, survived the Great Famine in the Naas workhouse before being sponsored to emigrate to Canada in 1855. For Rosie, moving back to Ireland felt like a full-circle moment. She told the New York Times that she sees reflections of herself and her childhood everywhere she looks in Ireland.
- Location: She initially looked at a spot in Glengarry, near Dublin, but ended up in Howth after the first place turned out to have major mold issues.
- Lifestyle: She’s living in a Georgian farmhouse, taking walks like a "civilian," and trying to disconnect from the "chaos" of American cable news.
- The Child's Perspective: Her daughter, Clay, is reportedly thriving in an Irish school and has no desire to return to the States.
The Citizenship Battle and the Trump Feud
This wouldn't be a Rosie O'Donnell story without some drama involving the 47th President. Their feud is legendary—stretching back decades to the Miss USA pageants and The View.
Shortly after she moved and applied for Irish citizenship by descent (which she can do because her grandparents were Irish), the political drama followed her across the Atlantic. In July 2025, Trump reportedly made comments threatening to look into revoking the birthright citizenship of those who "flee" the country.
✨ Don't miss: Jeremy Renner Accident Recovery: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Whether that’s legally possible is a massive debate for constitutional scholars, but it added another layer of stress to Rosie’s "peaceful" relocation. Her brother, Eddie, has been helping her with the paperwork. It’s a tedious process, even if you have the bloodline.
Is the Move to Ireland Permanent?
Initially, Rosie said she’d consider coming back when the U.S. felt "safe" again—meaning after the 2028 election. But that tune has changed recently.
By late 2025, she admitted to the Washington Post that she’s likely in Ireland for good. She’s even looking at work over there. There are talks of her starring in an Irish sitcom and potentially hosting a weekly talk show on Irish television.
She sold her Manhattan penthouse in Midtown East for $4.75 million in May 2025. That’s a huge $3.25 million loss from what she paid, but it signals a "burning the ships" mentality. She’s liquidating her American life to fund her Irish one.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think she’s just hiding. But if you watch her clips, she’s still incredibly active. She’s just doing it from a place where she can breathe. She misses her four older children—Parker, Chelsea, Blake, and Vivienne—who are still in the U.S., but she seems convinced that for her youngest, this was the only move.
🔗 Read more: Kendra Wilkinson Photos: Why Her Latest Career Pivot Changes Everything
Lessons from Rosie's Relocation
If you're looking at Rosie's move as a blueprint for your own "Plan B," there are a few practical realities to consider.
- Heritage matters: Getting a passport through descent (Foreign Birth Registration) is the "golden ticket." If you have an Irish grandparent, you're in.
- Real estate is tricky: Even with millions of dollars, Rosie dealt with mold, bad rentals, and a tough market. Ireland is currently facing a massive housing crisis, and being a celebrity doesn't make the plumbing work any better.
- The "Exile" tax: Selling U.S. assets quickly to move abroad often leads to financial hits, as seen with her penthouse sale.
The actionable insight here? If you’re seriously considering a move abroad for political or personal reasons, start the paperwork for citizenship by descent now. It took Rosie months to even get the ball rolling, and she had a team of people helping. For the average person, it can take two years.
Ireland is beautiful, but as Rosie says, it’s "physically quite cold." Make sure you're moving to something, not just running from something.
Explore the Irish Foreign Birth Registration process if you have Irish grandparents to see if you qualify for the same path Rosie took. Check the official Irish Department of Foreign Affairs website for the most current requirements.