My Irish Heritage Analysis

My Irish heritage has been a central focus of my life for as long as I can remember, dictating the stories I hear, the food I eat, and the way I act. Every one of my ancestors hailed from Ireland on both my mother’s and my father’s sides of the family. My father’s family hails from County Kerry, and my mother’s from Counties Offaly and Mayo. Most of my relatives came to the United States four or five generations back, but my closest connection comes from my maternal grandfather. When his parents came to New York City, they had already met in Ireland, so when my great grandfather left for America to find work, my great grandmother Lucy Finnerty followed him over. My Irish lineage is so strong that my family has been able to track our ancestors …show more content…
It has always been surreal to me because I have heard of it only in stories. I know it as a beautiful place, full of history, and vibrant, larger-than-life people. Ireland to me is a place of legend, as are my ancestors and my heritage. I want to visit Ireland so that these legends that I have always loved can become real for me, so I can feel like my heritage is not all traditions and stories, but something personal and tangible. I need to feel closer to my Irish heritage so that I can pass on the love for it that has been instilled in me to future generations. Ireland is more to me than just a country, more than picturesque fields and crowded pubs. Ireland represents everything about the way I have been raised. Ireland is my big, tight-knit family. Ireland is loud conversations and even louder laughs. Ireland is the food, drink, and merriment that I have been taught to relish. Ireland is loyalty, faith, optimism, diligence, persistence, humor, and, above all, love. Ireland is a crucial part of who I am and what I know, and the only way to increase my appreciation of, respect for, and pride in my Irish heritage is to immerse myself in it. Ireland has been calling to me forever, and it is time I answered that