BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Irish Culture Defining "Green": Who is Irish?

Here it is, out in the open...Trinity wants to know who's "really" Irish, and who isn't. Is this a first move on closing the borders of the Emerald Isle? Surely not to tourists, but what about first generation, second, third, and a wee drop of Irish?

"Interrogating Irish Identity" is an upcoming conference hosted by the English Department at Trinity College Dublin.

Go to:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art33069.asp/zzz
for the article with dates and contact information.

Personally, I believe that, regardless of the fact that it was over 200 years ago that my family came to America, I am still Irish. Not 100%, mind you, but Irish blood is in me, over 50%, and more importantly, Ireland is in my heart. I pray that they never close the borders. I may not be able to speak the language; I may not have the accent or the culture; I may not have the citizenship papers, but it is as much of who I am as is this 'melting pot' called America. My blood may run red, white and blue...but first-and still- it also runs green.

I feel the same way about being Irish. For some reason I feel a deep connection to my Irish heritage and anything Irish: music, history, literature, ancient sites, etc. I would LOVE to learn Irish dancing(I turn 60 tomorrow but I'm in great shape, and "60 is the new 40" after all!)and also I'd like to learn Gaelic.

Best wishes to you if you do decide to pursue the dancing and learning the language. I'd love to do both, too. I have a CD course for learning Irish, but I also have a problem hearing exactly how they are saying the words. I think I'd do better with an in-person teacher.

I think that it would be great to be able to do the Irish dancing! I guess if 60 is the new 40, then my 40 must be the old 60. I'm only 41 and am falling apart haha My knees and ankles couldn't handle it, but oh it would be so wonderful!

I know that it would feel so freeing, getting lost in the moment with the music and dance. Go for it!

"Dancing at Lughnasa" is another favorite movie <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />, and the sisters all dancing together that night under the harvest moon---hmmm, that would be about now!---was very, very powerful for me.

One doesn't have to be fit enough to Riverdance to enjoy Irish dancing. Put on the music and see what happens. There have been many times that the body didn't think it was ready but the spirit was, especially when the family is all together! <img src="/images/graemlins/irish.gif" alt="" /><img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />

http://www.ireland-information.com/irishmusic/fourgreenfields.shtml

This link got me to a site that displays the lyrics to "Four Green Fields" and plays the tune so you can sing along!

I just saw this movie on my preview guide last night - I remember because I've studied Gaelic (not nearly enough obviously)and I was trying to determine how to pronounce it!

Now, I'm going to have to go and check if it's being replayed so I can DVR it, darnit.

*crosses fingers*

Lis.

P.S. How /do/ you pronounce that, anyway?

<img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Hi Lis,

Lughnasa is the harvest festival, named after the pagan god, Lugh. It's pronounced loon-uh-suh, all short vowels. August is the month of Lughnasa and things seem to go a bit wild then. There are different spellings, but it's all the same.

"Dancing at Lughnasa" was performed on Broadway, and then there was the movie made. It's one of those movies that bears watching several times until you've wrung all the layers out. (At least that's how it is for me. I have a good two or three more watchings of it in me.)

The opening scene with the hen drinking from the dripping tap puts me right there.