When you have Irish ancestors or relatives, you may wish to find out more about them and your Irish heritage. Even if you were born and raised in the United States, you still have Irish blood flowing through your veins thanks to those who came before you. When you want to embrace the Irish aspect of your ancestry, there are several things you can do to learn more about the Irish and celebrate the part of you that hails from the Emerald Isle.
Interview Your Irish Relatives
When you get a chance to talk to relatives who live in Ireland, have visited there or used to live there, ask them to share details about what life there was like. While you don’t have to get out your pen and paper and take notes, you can store these wonderful stories away mentally to share with your children someday. Ask your relatives show you the treasures they’ve brought with them and to share stories of what they miss about the area they left behind. Take time to really listen. If you’d like to, record these memories in writing.
Enjoy Irish Cuisine
While you may already enjoy eating Irish dishes that your relatives prepare, you can always take it one step further. Ask them to share recipes for the dishes they make that you love so much or to show you how to prepare them. Locate a cookbook full of Irish dishes and learn to prepare those that sound appealing. Make the dishes a part of family dinners and know that you’re carrying on traditions that have lasted through the years.
Join An Irish Heritage Group
Check your area for a group of Irish and Irish descendants who gather regularly for fun events. Fish fries, Irish dancing, storytelling and musical performances are some activities you may get the chance to enjoy in the company of others with Irish heritage. Be ready to share your stories and listen to theirs as you celebrate the commonalities of your lives as Irish-Americans.
Learn Your Irish Heritage Language – Gaelic
Take a Gaelic language class or purchase a book or CDs that you can use to teach yourself Gaelic. Spoken as a first language by some Irish and as a second language by a much larger group, Gaelic will quickly link you to the natives who speak it. Ensure that you’re learning Irish Gaelic rather than Scottish Gaelic. Even if you pick up a smattering of phrases to use when visiting Ireland, you’ll be able to show the locals that you’re interested in their language and want to communicate in their native tongue.
Explore the Land of Your Irish Heritage
One of the most enriching experiences you may enjoy as the descendent of an Irish citizen is a visit the motherland. Study travel guides to determine which sights you most want to see. You may want to visit the area from which your ancestors came, cities with an active nightlife or historical sites that interest you. Create a flexible itinerary to ensure you hit the spots that are most important to you and be sure to take plenty of photos and video footage.
No matter whether your connection to Ireland is as near as your parents or dates back several generations, you can be proud of your heritage and find ways to interweave it into your daily life in America. By connecting to Ireland and your loved ones who came from there, you can embrace your Irish heritage until it becomes a beloved part of you.
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