What It’s Like To Be Irish All Year Long
Irish. It’s not just something that you are on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s not just a title to sport. Being Irish is so much more. Irish is every day, all year round. It’s in your heart. It’s part of you and who you are.
What is it like to be Irish year round?
You proudly wear your heritage on your heart. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have red hair, freckles, pale skin and an accent. You can be tan, have dark or light hair and sport and a non-Irish accent.
You indulge in the Irish food, both traditional and non-traditional, any day of the year. You eat Bangers and mash, pasties, colcannon, Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage and shepherd’s pie when you want to. Let’s not forget a glass of Guinness!
The Claddagh and the Celtic trinity knot, also known as the triquetra, have meaning to you. Love, friendship and loyalty are important to you and represented in the Claddagh. The trinity knot represents multiple meanings such as the holy trinity and the promises of love, honor and protection.
There is a clan or family, somewhere in your family’s genealogy, that started it all. You thank them for your heritage. It could be the clan O’ Reily, Boyle or the Flanagan family. No matter the name, you’re proud.
The Irish flag and colors spark a fire inside you that makes you proud.
You long to spend time amongst the rolling hills and beautiful land.
Irish sayings and blessings are felt in your heart.
“An áit a bhfuil do chroí is ann a thabharfas do chosa thú.” [Your feet will bring you to where your heart is.] – An Irish Proverb
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
–An Irish Blessing
You are familiar with the “Irish Goodbye.” It may be a joke of sorts, but you know it’s true at times. When you get really heated and mad on the phone with someone, you just hang up. There’s no need to say anymore. You abruptly leave a public space without telling someone goodbye. You’ve mastered the art of the Irish goodbye, regardless of its merit to experts.
You don’t need to wait until St. Patrick’s Day to watch a movie that has an Irish-based setting or plot line. You can watch “The Luck Of The Irish” from Disney Channel or “Leap Year,” in November or July, it makes no difference to you.
You get excited over musicians and actors that share your heritage. The Script, The Cranberries, U2, Sinead O’Connor and Samantha Mumba are just some of the musicians you’ve listened to at some point. Let’s not forget Flogging Molly and The Dropkick Murphy’s. Actors that brighten your day are Jonathan Rhys Meyers (August Rush), Jamie Dornan (50 Shades of Grey), Colin Farrell (Total Recall) and Colin O’Donoghue (Once Upon A Time). Maureen O’Hara (Miracle on 34th Street and The Parent Trap) and Evanna Lynch (Harry Potter) are two actresses that have made a name for themselves.
You love step dancing. Even if you can’t do it, you love to watch it and pretend that you can. The little jigs are exciting to watch and those dancers can really move.
St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have the same meaning to you as it does to some people around you. You don’t feel the need to drink copious amount of green beer and say “Kiss me I’m Irish,” even though it may be true, repeatedly.
If you’re Irish, feast on bangers and mash or some colcannon, dance a little jig, wave Ireland’s flag and proudly wear your Celtic knot or Claddagh. Raise a glass of Guinness and toast to being Irish!
If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough! –An Irish Saying