Ireland- A Journey to Find My Irish Heritage
One of my major quests on this spiritual journey is to discover who I am. I have started looking into my Scottish and Scandinavian heritage, now it is time for me to discover my Irish heritage too.
Looking at my DNA composite, I am 30% Irish, with most of my Irish ancestors coming from my father's side of the family.
To begin my discovery of my Irish heritage, I first must discover the history of Ireland.
I discovered that Ireland occupies most of the westernmost major island of the British Isles. Ireland is known as the Emerald Isle because of the green hued landscape, Ireland is also known for its unique culture,beautiful language and intriguing folklore.
Irish culture shows its character with distinctive language, literature, songs and conversations. The Irish Pub is a focal point for many villages. In these pubs is where you will find the Irish art of conversation weaving elaborate tales and folklore.
The beginning appears to have been around 4000 B.C. when the first people, most likely farmers, arrived in Ireland to begin the Stone Age.
The Celts arrived around 3000 BC and had a large influence on forming the Ireland we know. One of the beginning languages of Ireland comes from the Celts. The Celtic warriors were also the providers of many famous Irish myths.
The Viking Era of the 9th century is very interesting to me with my Scandinavian heritage. The Vikings invaded and eventually settled and mixed in with Irish society. It was during the Viking Era when the capital city, Dublin, was founded.
Ireland has had its share of troubles too. Throughout Ireland's history there has been war and conflict. Clan rivalries of the early Celts, independence from Britain, and troubles in Northern Ireland to name a few.
Regardless of its history, when I think of Ireland I think of the beauty of the Emerald Isle. I think of the green landscapes, beautiful towns with magnificent views. I think of the Irish castles, the druids,the Celtic and Gaelic languages, the folklore and the tales at the pub. I think about what role my ancestors had in all of this.
I can only scratch a small amount of the surface in this blog. Personally, I am going to narrow down where my ancestors came from and focus on those towns and the culture that comes with them. But for all of us, I am going to focus my future blogs on digging deeper into all of the history, war, languages and cultures of the Emerald Isle. We can learn it all together as we journey to Ireland. I am embracing my Irish heritage.
By Michael Walters
The Ancestor's Fire
Writing the voice of the unheard
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