Why My Irish Heritage is So Important to Me

Many of us claim Irish, Italian, German, or Polish descent. Yet, others say they are Americans. Want to know why my Irish heritage is so important to me?

I love being second-generation Irish! All four of my grandparents were born in Ireland and immigrated through Ellis Island to the U.S. My grandmother’s brogue was so heavy that when she told the immigration officer her name, he heard Helen, but it was Ellen. Thus, all of her paperwork was filled out as Helen Byrne. So, she came here and immediately took on a new identity!

Imagine what she thought when she first saw the Statue of Liberty. I get chills thinking about it!

In my opinion, immigrants are what has made America so wonderful. All the ethnicities merged, bringing us to where we are today. We’d be stuck eating ears of corn and lamb without all the other nationalities! Today, you can pretty much find every ethnic food there is in New York City.

What Traditions of Your Heritage Do You Practice?

There are so many things I do based on my Irish heritage. I drink tea every day around 3 pm. When I was school-age, I would have tea with Nannie (my grandma Quigley) when I got home each day. We typically ate a couple of Lorna Doone cookies too. This is such a happy memory from my childhood! I still crave tea every day around three o’clock.

I make Irish Soda Bread whenever I host a brunch (which is a favorite thing to do). The pot roasts and stews I make are my Nannie’s recipes. My husband’s wedding band is a Claddagh ring. Belleek pottery adorns my china cabinet. Some of my favorite jewelry is from Ireland.

Corned Beef and Cabbage are always on the St Patrick’s Day menu. I love the sound of bagpipes. And I absolutely love classic and rock Irish music.

My Irish Aunts and Uncles Were Delightful

I am happy I was raised in an Irish family. Our parties in Brooklyn were always a hoot! My grandma Kennedy’s sisters all had brogues and were very short. Aunt Alice always kissed us goodbye and said, “Oh, I know the next time I’ll be seeing you will be at me funeral.” This went on for years!

My Uncle Paddy was a character; he once hit a man over the head with a tire iron on the side of the Interboro Parkway in Queens. Paddy had run out of gas and left the car to walk to a gas station. Upon returning with his gas can, he found a man had jacked up his car and was stealing his tires. He supposedly hit the man and sat on him until the cops arrived. (Side note: Uncle Paddy was barely five feet tall.)

Whatever you’ve heard about Irish wakes is probably true. If a young person passed, then there would naturally be some sadness. But, if someone were older, the place would be filled with laughter and very loud. We sat around telling Uncle Paddy stories at his wake, and I shed tears from laughter, not sadness. The Irish celebrate the deceased’s life and share fond memories of them.

The Irish Played a Large Role in America

Did you know that an Irishmen built the White House? The architect of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was James Hoban. He was born in the heart of County Kilkenny. “Irish laborers were key in the construction of the building, in particular working on the bricking and plastering.” How cool is that?

Twenty-two American Presidents boast Irish roots, and nine signatories of the Declaration of Independence were of Irish descent. An Irish-American man established the Ford Motor Company. Henry Ford’s father was born in West Cork in Ballinascarthy.

Finally, “The Wild West’s most famous cowboy, Billy the Kid, was an Irish American named Henry McCarthy. One historian has uncovered evidence which suggests that the gunfighter was a fluent Irish speaker and may have even acted as a translator for Gaelic-speaking immigrants.” More information on these facts can be found at https://explore.blarney.com/irish-american-trivia/#:~:text=Irish%20labourers%20were%20key%20in,on%20the%20bricking%20and%20plastering.&text=33%20million%20people%20in%20America,of%20Bostonians%20have%20Irish%20heritage.

March is Irish American Heritage Month

March was established as Irish American Heritage Month by the President in 1991. A huge volume of Irish people came to America in the 19th century. As many as 4.5 million Irish arrived between 1820 and 1930. Suggestions for celebrating by National Today include: 1)Turn Irish for a month; 2) Try some green beer; 3) Take part in St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. More details can be found here: https://nationaltoday.com/irish-american-heritage-month/#:~:text=U.S.,Americans%20are%20of%20Irish%20descent.

During the summer between my sophomore and junior year in college, I did some temp secretarial work in New York City at an advertising agency. It was fun. I got to know all of the other clerical people, and there was one woman who I liked a lot. She was probably fifteen years older than me.

I gave her a dozen green carnations on St. Patrick’s Day. “Black people can’t be Irish, she said! I told her everyone is Irish on St. Paddy’s day. She burst into tears and hugged me. She peppered me with questions for the remainder of my time there. I told her as much as I could about Irish people. I learned a lot about her heritage too. It was awesome.

Celebrating Irish Heritage this Month

Here are my recommendations for celebrating the Irish this month:

• Learn how to make Irish Soda Bread (google the recipe)
• Have a cup of tea. Not herbal. It has to be black tea to count!
• Find a few jokes you can tell
• Drink the green beer or eat the green bagel
• Wear something green
• Grab a friend and go to an Irish Pub
• Eat corned beef and cabbage or Sheppard’s Pie
• Smile a lot!
• Look for a rainbow
• Sing, dance (jig), and be merry!

My Irish family was jovial. Eating, drinking, and having a good time were significant. There was so much laughter and fun when we got together. My mother definitely had what is referred to as Irish wit. She was fun to be around, and many cousins told me she was their favorite Aunt.

I feel honored to keep Irish traditions and honor my ancestors. I have teased my husband for years that it was true love for us, as who in their right mind would give up the name Kennedy for Rederscheid?

Kindly comment below and tell me your heritage and how or if you honor it. Please share this post with a friend to help me grow my following.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!