My take is that you can choose to value (or not) whatever you want from Irish existence. It's your birthright. It would be nice if you could find some part of "being Irish" to keep and maybe pass on. It's a shame to let traditions and ethnic identity die because it's been crowded out by a dominant culture that absolutely hated your ancestors. Maybe you should learn a tiny bit of gaelic. You might feel good being able to express yourself in the same way the Irish did long ago.
It probably was not your intention, but this does read a bit like you didn't read the whole screed. Which it's fair if you didn't, it's not your job to. But the probelm is that there is so much internal and external all going on I can't just take one little piece and stick with it. it would be nice to speak some Gaelic, but I have to stack that on top of other languages I'm already studying. It doesn't feel any more my birthright to speak that tongue than the Latin or Greek I use. It's not a problem that's easily unraveled.
I think I got you. When I said a tiny bit of Gaelic, I meant maybe a few phrases. It might be a way to start building a connection to Irishness on your own terms.
My take is that you can choose to value (or not) whatever you want from Irish existence. It's your birthright. It would be nice if you could find some part of "being Irish" to keep and maybe pass on. It's a shame to let traditions and ethnic identity die because it's been crowded out by a dominant culture that absolutely hated your ancestors. Maybe you should learn a tiny bit of gaelic. You might feel good being able to express yourself in the same way the Irish did long ago.
It probably was not your intention, but this does read a bit like you didn't read the whole screed. Which it's fair if you didn't, it's not your job to. But the probelm is that there is so much internal and external all going on I can't just take one little piece and stick with it. it would be nice to speak some Gaelic, but I have to stack that on top of other languages I'm already studying. It doesn't feel any more my birthright to speak that tongue than the Latin or Greek I use. It's not a problem that's easily unraveled.
I think I got you. When I said a tiny bit of Gaelic, I meant maybe a few phrases. It might be a way to start building a connection to Irishness on your own terms.