Everything We Know About Norah O'Donnell's Family

If you thought the presidential debate was entertaining — Donald Trump is still smarting from the rally attendance jabs doled out by his opponent, Kamala Harris — then get ready for the hold-my-beer moments anticipated at the October 1 vice-presidential debate. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris's pick, is a charismatic speaker who doesn't suffer fools gladly. Meanwhile, JD Vance, Trump's out-of-left-field running mate, is expected to hammer home Republican talking points about the economy and the border crisis, with a few "cat lady" and "eating pets" claims thrown in. But the debate moderators, Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan, will be more than up to the challenge. O'Donnell, in particular, comes from a family who knows all about hard work.

Formerly a White House correspondent, O'Donnell is now the lead anchor and managing editor of "CBS Evening News." She also recently learned that she's the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of some very hardy and daring grandparents. On the sixth season of "Finding Your Roots," the PBS series showcasing celebrity genealogy, the veteran journalist learned some startling things about her family. Host Henry Gates showed O'Donnell a scrapbook containing the passenger manifest on the S.S. Coronia, a ship transporting emigrants from Belfast, Ireland, to Quebec in 1924. 

Among them was her grandfather, Edward O'Kane, a 27-year-old farmer looking for opportunities in the new world. "We know within three weeks, he hopped a train across the border to the United States," though he didn't have the required paperwork to leave Canada, Gates revealed (via PBS). Somehow, O'Kane managed to escape detection for 16 years and he subsequently established the family line in America.

It's appropriate that Norah O'Donnell will be part of the only all-female debate team this election season. She comes from a proud Northern Irish family who didn't let anything stand in the way of their goals. On "Finding Your Roots," the veteran journalist learned that her maternal great-grandfather, Dennis McCaulley, was a miner for Holmes Oil who died in a tragic workplace accident. He left behind a 19-year-old widow, Sarah, and their nine children. The oldest, O'Donnell's grandmother Mary, was tasked with supporting the family at just 12 years old by working in a linen factory. Eventually, Mary boarded a ship to America, with no idea of where she might live or work. "Just that idea, that somebody's going to meet you, or what life lies ahead — to me, that's the most incredibly courageous thing," O'Donnell acknowledged.

Equally fearless and determined was Sarah McCaulley. Following her husband's death, she had the presence of mind to take advantage of a brand-new British law allowing families of injured workers to sue employers for insurance money. Sarah took Holmes Oil to court — a remarkable leap of faith for an uneducated teen mom. "That makes me very proud of her," O'Donnell confirmed (via PBS). 

She also reflected on the episode with "Inside Edition," sharing, "Every time I am down in the dumps, I think of my courageous grandmother and how hard she worked every single day." Today, O'Donnell is the mom of three teen children herself (daughter Tracy is shown above) and a multi-award-winning journalist. Though O'Donnell has had a complicated career with CBS, her role in questioning the two vice-presidential candidates should be a bright spot in her already impressive history.