I have always known that I have Irish ancestry. It is something that was brought up when I asked about my ancestry in relation to school projects. I am working on my family history, but AncestryDNA says my family has connections to Munster, specifically Limerick and Cork.
I remember watching Michael Flatley’s dance shows and
listening to the Irish Tenors and the Chieftains at a very young age. My family
and I would dance along to these shows and songs. One of my earliest memories
was being disappointed that an Irish dance group was running so late for a
performance that I had to leave before they started because I needed to go to
bed.
One St. Patrick’s Day in elementary school, we listened and
danced to a traditional Irish song. The melody stuck with me for years beyond this
day. I was listening to Barleyjuice, and one of their songs had a sample of this
song from way back when in the middle. I immediately emailed the band, and they
were gracious enough to respond with the song’s title, “The Rakes of Mallow.”
On one day in the summer between middle school and high
school, my grandmom told me to turn on our local PBS station because there was
a “cute blonde” singing. Curious, I turned it on and was immediately hooked. I
would learn that this blonde was Keith Harkin of Celtic Thunder. I continued to
watch the show, mesmerized by the music. I fell in love and looked forward to
seeing them on TV again.
Celtic Thunder inspired me to learn even more about Celtic
culture, including my own Irish heritage. I started high school, and my school
had a Celtic Cultural Club. We met on a Monday each month, getting together to
learn and discuss Celtic culture. We also took field trips to a local Celtic
festival and Irish pubs to try Irish cuisine. I never missed a meeting. In my senior
year, I was elected club president.
In October of my senior year, I got to see Celtic Thunder in
concert. It was an absolutely incredible
memory that I still think about often. Since then, I have seen them once more and
have seen members of Celtic Thunder perform solo. I have had the chance to meet
some of them as well. In college, I got to see the taping of Paul Byrom’s PBS
show in Easton!
Throughout college, I continued to embrace my Irish
heritage. I got to go to local Celtic festivals and attend concerts. My family
continued to support my love for and interest in the culture, which felt
awesome.
After college, I kept my interest alive. I continued to
attend concerts and events around Celtic culture as a whole and specifically
Irish culture. I started a Celtic Cultural Club at my library, which I decided
to end because no one was coming. I also started this blog to keep learning
about Celtic (and Irish) culture and to share my knowledge with others. I
represented Ireland at my high school’s International Spring Festival.
One thing that people are consistently complimenting me for is
my thick hair. It is something I have always loved and been proud of. According
to my AncestryDNA results, my thick hair is connected to my Irish ancestry.
This made me even prouder of this feature I have.
Related Articles:
-My First Burns Night: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/01/my-first-burns-night.html
-My First St. Patrick's Day Parade: https://kiltedowl.blogspot.com/2025/03/my-first-st-patricks-day-parade.html