US TV host Jimmy Kimmel visits Mayo to explore Irish ancestry

Last week, the people of Mayo may have seen a famous face from America's television screens walking among them, as late-night talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel visited the county.

Jimmy Kimmel, one of the longest-serving and most recognizable faces of television in the United States, made the revelations on the most recent episode of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' on ABC.

Jimmy and many members of his family, including his five-month-old granddaughter, came to the Emerald Isle to explore family roots and Irish ancestry.

"We got to see the house where my Dad's great-grandparents were born in County Mayo," he stated. "We had a lot of family there; we found them on ancestry.com."

The well-known TV presenter was full of compliments for the hospitality he received while touching down on this side of the Atlantic.

"Everything they say about the Irish people is true. We had not one bad experience with anyone. My niece left her purse at a pub.

"A woman she'd never met before figured out where she was staying and drove it to our hotel and refused to accept money for it."

"She didn't know we have more of a hostage-type situation when we find a purse."

Kimmel also had plenty of quips when it came to discussing the Irish Presidential Election between Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphries, which occurred during his time in Ireland.

You can watch the clip of the show, which regularly broadcasts to 1.77 million viewers, here: