Overview

• A 24-page dossier titled 'The Family Footsteps of JD Vance' was commissioned by Northern Ireland minister Gordon Lyons to investigate Vance's ancestry.
• The research failed to establish a conclusive genealogical link between JD Vance and Northern Ireland, despite tracing a potential connection to an Andrew Williamson Vance born in Ireland in 1666.
• The Vance Family Association disputes claims that JD Vance is linked to Reverend John Vance, a key figure in the purported ancestry line.
• Emails from February revealed researchers encountered significant challenges and were unable to prove a direct connection to Ulster, describing the effort as having hit 'a proverbial brick wall.'
• The findings, which highlight gaps in the family tree and unresolved links, challenge the central identity narrative in Vance’s memoir, 'Hillbilly Elegy,' where he describes himself as a 'Scots-Irish hillbilly at heart.'