Everyone's Irish on...well, during the whole month...

Over the last few years I've grown sort of used to it, mostly because it happens all of the time; that moment when I open my mouth and say perhaps one word and bring upon myself a torrent of surprise. I mean, who thinks of how they sound every moment of every day?  You'd think I was doing something like this:

"Where's the leprechaun?"

It's like I'm magical; famous by verb. Why though? Because my little northern Irish accent is different from everyday sounds people hear? Surely I'm not a better or different person simply because I enunciate more and end the end of my sentence on an upswing instead of steady. Why am I such a novelty? We are saying the same words, mostly. We are looking at the same objects, discussing the same subjects. Why does having a non-American voice make me so unique? Billions of people don't sound like Americans but I still often field comments that make me feel out of place, more than a little uncomfortable, and rather alone. I have wondered before if a person wants to be my friend or my accent's friend.


"Oh my GOSH. Your accent is so cute."
"Keep talking! I love you!"

"It's funny because you say ______ instead of  ______ like we do. That's adorable."
"I could listen to you read the phone book..."
"Irish accents are so pretty. What do you think of American accents?"
"I can do a great Irish accent, wanna hear?!
"It's like you're from Braveheart..."
"I love Irish accents. You're so lucky to be from Ireland!"
"You're from Ireland? What's it like there??"
"You sound like you're from Harry Potter."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh! Say _______" (that one is probably my least favourite...)

While getting compliments on the way I naturally speak is strange, I usually just shrug it off with a slightly awkward "Heh, heh,...thank you?" (Really, how does one take a compliment for just being a certain way?) and go on my way. Sometimes I'm amused (usually when little kids hear me talk and they get all shy and cute about it or when "speech chameleons" accidentally throw out words in my accent by pure accident haha) but sometimes I'm genuinely puzzled or kind of creeped out by the way people phrase their enjoyment of........well.......me.

For instance, the whole "You're so lucky to be from Ireland! What's it like there?" one rather puzzles me. Every place has it's fantastic pros and it's horrific cons. Pro? I live in a beautiful country- it's mysterious and breathtaking and the culture is friendly, intricate, and vibrant, kinda like the folks who live there and the music they play. Con? There's the whole foreign occupation thing and the war that went on when I was a kid. The oppression that is felt even today. Marching season and the riots. There are murals on many corners and museums and jails that have sordid pasts and unpleasant presents. They are constant reminders of both proud moments and of fearful times simultaneously.

"Welcome to Sheils Street. Let's talk about revolutionaries. Pearse, Sands. Oh, some dancers, and  kids playing hurling..."

I have always thought it was funny how everyone becomes Irish on St. Patrick's Day (I'm wearing green, see how my nationality changed?), but it's become more than that within the last two years-ish. If I meet someone even in February or April, they'll tell me how Irish they are and how much they love St. Patrick's Day. They'll tell me of their great-great-grandfather who was from Dublin or Cork, they'll tell me how they've been to Ireland (but never went up North), and they'll tell me how green is their favourite colour. Some of them know about "riverdancing", or Celtic Woman, or will know that the Irish economy is wretched right now.

Admittedly I always feel a bit let down by the lack of knowledge of the important things though; have we really been reduced to Michael Flatley, Dublin, and leprechauns with the occasional flock of sheep or guy that looks like this?

"Ah, lads! Would you ever look at those gorgeous sheep there! Pardon me while I go pick some praties and dig turf..."

That picture is rather blurry....here:         

 "Everyone walks around with a smirk and one eyebrow cocked. Of course, you must be ginger-haired with plaid on your body somewhere. Bow-ties and sheep are actually optional.but muck boots and a stick are an obligation."

I'm not saying that if you don't study the history of Ireland, understand the politics and unrest, or know the names of the Seachtar na Cásca or the 1981 Hunger Strikers you're a wretched person, but if you claim to be Irish, you should know at least a little about the people who've kept stewardship of Ireland before you were alive. You should know how to say more than "kiss my ass" in Irish (Aim high! Go for "My name is _____.") and you should know better than to assume that all Irish people are the same.

I'm not some illiterate and ignorant shepherd's daughter. My father is an avid fisherman, go raibh mile maith agaibh go léir ;)
I'm not from Dublin.
I'm not from Cork (thanks be to God! lol).
The city my family is from is under foreign occupation.
This city has seen war and bloodshed that you won't find in a movie.
Our language was almost extinguished.
Our dance form isn't flailing legs and bobbing heads.
We don't say "Top o' the morning to ya." unless we're mocking someone.
You will not be able to out-drink us but we aren't all drunks.
No one, I repeat, no one, drinks green beer unless they're already under the table.
We don't eat corned beef and cabbage for every meal.


Let's talk about the weird questions too. I've discovered that if you want to be sorely amused by ridiculous misconceptions, be from another country.

"What do you eat in Ireland?" Erm....food? Normal food? Plenty of stew?
"Do you have indoor plumbing?" - It's not the sticks I live in, you know. We don't squat over holes...
"WHOA- is that elvish?!?!" - a boy saw a shirt of mine with Irish written on it...
"Are you speaking Chinese?" - what?!?!
"Do you guys say ____ in Ireland?" In case you haven't noticed, we're actually speaking the same language...

etc., etc., etc., ...

I am constantly amused and exasperated by the questions I'm asked. And often quite confused...

I do love being from Ireland though, and wouldn't trade it for the world. Greece, my other half, is pretty fantastic though as well <3 




















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