The IDEA of being Irish

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today is a day to celebrate not so much Irish national pride, but a view of a shared Irish heritage, which is why St. Patrick’s Day has transcended purely being about Irish nationalism.  

Like I discussed last year, St. Patrick’s Day is not a huge deal in Ireland. It was Irish immigrants in New York City who wished to show Irish pride, in the form of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade where the celebration of the day began to become popular.

While at first, these Irish immigrants were often looked down upon, after a couple of generations, it became nearly ubiquitous for people to be able to claim some sort of Irish heritage, or a kinship to what Irish heritage represents.

To be Irish is to persevere through great adversity but retain a fundamental charm and sense of humor. The history of Ireland is often one of oppression, but who is the greatest figure associated with Ireland? St. Patrick (Who I would like to reemphasize was not Irish!), whose story of kidnapping by Irish pirates, enslavement in Ireland, escape, then return to Ireland to convert the people, is perhaps an excellent example of perceived “Irishness.”  He both forgive the people that harmed him and held a belief that due to that experience in the end he came out better for it.

Looking around the world for most “influential nations,” Ireland likely would not be near the top of the list, but looking at the world’s most influential cultures, Irish culture is near the top, as it is everywhere.  

Their is a well known idea that anywhere you go in the world you will find an Irish Pub. Infact there is a wonderful song about that fact:

That same thing cannot be said about a Spanish tapas restaurant, a Brazilian steakhouse, or a Japanese hibachi restaurant. (All are awesome though!)   

This is the same reason why there is a worldwide appreciation for traditional Irish music. When is the last time you heard a traditional Spanish song? French song? Russian song? Italian song? German song? I am sure given a minute you might come up with something, but I am sure in the last couple of months you have come across or at least ambiently heard at least one of the following: Danny Boy, The Black Velvet Band, The Fields of Athenry, or Whisky in the Jar. 

The reason for this popularity is that cultural perseverance. Irish immigrants left Ireland, but the cultural perseverance of the Irish came with them, wherever they went. Over time, even if seen as “other” by the peoples of their new nations, the knack of the Irish to both remember where they came from and continue to move forward and doing so with a sardonic wit was endearing to the point of eventual assimilation. In this case the assimilation was not fully that of the Irish immigrants, but an acceptance of the new nation that there was an integral Irishness in the identity of the nation itself. It is that reason that no matter the color, creed, or religion, on St. Patrick’s day, everyone is Irish!    

And on this St. Patrick’s day, Let me leave you with the traditional Irish Blessing. Perhaps one of the most wonderful and universal blessings ever conceived:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

And rains fall soft upon your fields

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.