Why do I have a fascination with the Irish? Why do I want to be Irish?
Ireland’s National Pride
The pride Irish people have in their country is something I envy. Ireland is a country the Irish are proud of. You an hear the pride in Irish people’s voices when talking about their home. The Irish withstood colonization, man-made famine, and have emerged as a people with a beautiful culture, and they advocate for other colonized people.
The Landscape
Ireland is a place on my bucket list. I made a promise around 3 years ago to my mom that once I graduated and got a full time job, I would bring her on a trip to Ireland. I want to see the cliffs, the sea, the pastures. I want to meet people who have been there for generations and discuss Irish folklore, history, and current politics in a neighborhood pub over a Guinness (I would try a Guinness once, but I know I would hate it, so I would probably drink something else). I want to rent a car or a bike and go to all of the small towns and villages. One place that I want to see, just for kicks and giggles, is the gas station in honor of Barack Obama. As I was writing that sentence I was singing the song about the town and reciting, “… no one is as Irish as… Barack Obama.”
Trinity College Dublin
This university is one that I want to visit in my life. I want to see the architecture with my own eyes and walk around with my mom listening to students discuss humanities and social sciences.
Third Spaces
Ireland knows how to do third spaces and that is in the form of pubs. I want to experience the pub culture. North America does not really have this, and it is something that I would love to experience. I want to experience it in the cities and in towns to get the full Irish pub experience.
The Irish Language
I want to learn some Celtic. It is a language that I think would be really cool to know some of. It is a language that was suppressed for so long, and it would be an honor to learn some of it to communicate with people in their native language.