That's right! Is Éireannach mé! My Irish passport has come in the mail and it's all confetti and balloons style official. They've accepted me as one of them for Heaven only knows what reason. Obviously, they thought only of my father's birth place and not of my strong Canadian patriotism. To be perfectly fair, I feel a good deal of Irish patriotism as well. I think I just like being patriotic. It's kind of my thing :-)
I do feel a little guilty about getting the passport. It's almost as though I don't really deserve to be accepted into a culture I haven't really been a part of. I've always been drawn to my Irish half, but really...what do I know about it? I don't speak Irish Gaelic beyond "Slainte!", I've never lived in Ireland, and I have no idea of the political system or pop culture. It doesn't seem fair to award someone with citizenship who doesn't have a real understanding of your culture. Then again, I suppose it happens very frequently in Canada and other countries around the world. It's just a hypocritical aspect of my personality, to hold myself to a higher standard than I do others. I'm disappointed in myself about applying for citizenship to a country I feel inadequately a part of, but I would welcome others to Canada if they were in my shoes.
I guess I'll just have to take solace in the fact that one of my favourite authors is Irish.
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ReplyDeleteWell, congratulations !
ReplyDeleteAlso, I would suppose a genuine liking for the land would make you more eligible for citizenship than many people who are born and brought up there but have no appreciation of the country and its culture. I mean, you decry the fact that you speak no Irish. How many Irish people do !?! And your ignorance of the local pop culture and politics is hardly something that cannot be corrected if you need to. Furthermore, you do have Irish blood in you. In the olden days, various nobles who had never been to a certain country thought that was good enough to lay claim to its fucking throne. Merely asking for citizenship is, in comparison, pretty meek and unassuming. And anyone who says otherwise can pogue mahone.
Thanks :-)
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. I should lay claim to the Irish thrown!