What does it mean to be Irish, if you were born outside Ireland?

Question

What does it mean to be Irish, if you were born outside Ireland?

Answer 1

I was born in the UK to Irish parents & we went back to Ireland when I was young but it wasn't until I was in my twenties & lived abroad that I really understood not so much what it is to be Irish as to be different - how a turn of phrase can befuddle someone, the need to use certain words, being Irish for me has always been about being pragmatic, adaptable, hard working, easy going & God Almighty do we get about - on the last island at the edge of the world, there'll be a Chinese restaurant, an Irish pub & a corner shop run by someone called Patel.

Answer 2

Well, it is more of a family tradition sort of thing, I guess. I am not the overly sentimental Irish American sort, and we really didn't talk much to relatives about "the old country" because they would get sad and frankly we were living our own lives. Some of our family was born in Ireland and some weren't, it wasn't a big deal.

Some of the foods, habits, phrases, traditions etc...are very similar, we look the same....I guess it just is what you make of it. It's heritage/family background. I am not sure place of birth really defines anyone. Peoples own actions and intellect are what make them what they are, not geographical position on the planet.

So, just tradition and history, really. Many of the people who left Ireland influenced Ireland from afar....it's a bit tangled. I don't consider myself Irish, I am Irish American.

Orla above is right about the schmaltz factor with some. I hate to be painted with that brush when it is undeserved. And can I just say - most Americans do not look at Ireland as "The Quiet Man" - because it's just a movie. No more a reflection than the "King and I"  is an accurate view of Thailand. We can tell the difference between, thanks...it often seems the rest of the world cannot separate film from fact in regard to the US.

Answer 3

It means you are Australian, Canadian or  American.

Answer 4

I can go you one better...I don't even have Irish heritage! But I am a harper; I play Irish harp, and I do not believe that one's name needs to begin with "O" or "Mac" to partake in the tradition and culture.

I'm not Irish, and I don't pretend to be. But Irish culture and history is worthy of admiration and respect, and the people themselves have a well-deserved reputation for generosity and wit that goes back centuries. I try to carry on the cultural and musical tradition regardless of whether an accident of birth dictates that I should.

As Americans, we tend to be imprecise in our expression of heritage. I am not Spanish, German or Lebanese; I am American. I am of Spanish, German and Lebanese heritage, or descent. I think the Irish find that imprecision a bit annoying, especially around March 17th, when everyone says they're Irish and it becomes an excuse for drunkenness--a cultural stereotype that, as an Irish musician, I think I'm about done contributing to.

If you are of Irish heritage, that is worthy of commemoration, and it is important to maintain connection with the place of your ancestors' birth. Go and visit, but as Orla says, you can give it plenty of respect but leave the schmaltz out of it.

Answer 5

People claim to be Irish when they're not born in Ireland because they're distant relations emmigrated(e.g. my great great grandfathers father?? wtf!) during the famine....I personally believe you're not Irish if you're not born and raised here,simple as that!

Answer 6

My dear grandma on my dad's side was Irish. I loved spending time baking with her when she'd come to visit during the winter holidays. She was a tall red haired woman with a lovely demeanor. But I suppose that me being Irish and born in the U.S.A. simply means that I fight when provoked and drink when not!!! I also Had a bit of a problem with this Irish grandma being as she put it, "Descended from Druids" and my other granny was Southern Baptist.That has made a bit of a spiritual conflict in my personality to this very day. However I do try to blend everything together in a gentle brew of a woman some call Maggie the Good. Peace&Love be with you...~M~

Answer 7

I imagine it depends on how you're brought up, on how you're taught to regard it.

Some people are given the whole 'faith of our fathers' spiel, how the soft notes of a Celtic harp can cause the soul to soar, how it's the country of your ancestors (even if it's your granny's sister's husband's brother's sister-in-law's cousin's dog or whatever) and how it was occupied for centuries .... yes, you can look at it from the Darby O'Gill/Quiet Man/ Disneyfied perspective if you like.

Or you can look at it simply as my ancestors were born there and I have relatives there and it's a nice place to visit, as are many other places. And leave the smaltz out of it.

Your choice!

Answer 8

To feel your heart move when you here a celtic song or pipes, to feel your soul cry because you feel Irish inside despite what people say about you not being born in Ireland.  To feel alive when you step on Irish soil and know deep in your spirit you are home.  Its hard.  But it doesnt matter what anyone says whether I have half irish or whole.  I am Irish inside and will be until the day I die and will happily teach my children the same to not let others make them feel lame.