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Feeling Conflicted About Irish Ancestry?
If you’ve ever wondered, “Do I have the right to follow Irish Paganism if my ancestors left Ireland long ago—or I don’t even know them?” you’re not alone. Many students at the Irish Pagan School face this question. This post offers grounded answers, clarity on cultural connection, and first steps to honour Irish ancestry without overstepping.
Irish Ancestry and the Diaspora Dilemma
Ireland has sent her people across the world. Colonial pressures, famine, war, and poverty pushed generations into emigration. For many, the connection to Ireland is felt deep in the bones—even when surnames, stories, and language are lost. In places where these migrants settled they faced many challenges and for some, cultural identity became a corner stone upon which they built their new lives.
But is that enough? Can anyone simply claim Irish Paganism based on a family name or a DNA test?
At the Irish Pagan School, we DON’T gatekeep—but we do our best to offer openness and acceptance whilst at the same time honouring our cultural integrity. Respectful connection doesn’t begin with entitlement or perceived ownership based on lineage or bloodline. It begins with learning, listening, and letting the culture guide you.
How to Connect With Irish Heritage Mindfully
1. Step Back from Romantic Myths
Irish ancestry has been romanticised for generations. From the late 1800’s into the 1900’s there was a struggle to reclaim Irish identity from centuries of colonial oppression. Whenever our revolutionary leaders looked to the past for their heroes some aspects of the true tales were left out so that they could be used to inspire the fight for independence. Even today we see “Celtic” tattoos, Saint Patrick’s Day parades, and vague “green blood” claims. But the lived reality of Irish culture, language, land, and spirituality is complex, regional, and rooted in more than simple histories can portray.
To truly honour Irish ancestry, begin by unlearning what you thought you knew. Set aside Hollywood tropes and fairy-tale Ireland. Instead, step into real history, real voices, and real spiritual frameworks. Start with folklore from Dúchas.ie, or explore classes that teach context, not clichés.
2. Learn, Don’t Leap
The problem with jumping to conclusions (or assumptions) is missing the value of the journey along the way. You don’t need to have your family tree traced to connect to Ireland and engage in its spirutual practises. But you do need to respectfully learn the context of what you’re engaging with. That means understanding colonisation, cultural trauma, and how Irish traditions were criminalised, suppressed and misrepresented—even by Irish people, under pressure not just to confirm, but to survive.
Ask yourself:
- What parts of Ireland were my people from (if known)?
- What was happening in Ireland during their time?
- What traditions did they pass down, knowingly or unknowingly?
And if you don’t know? That’s fine too. Learn anyway. Learn with the culture, not from it. You’ll find your connection through consistent, committed practice.
Approaching this kind of study can be heavy with emotion as cultural identity can be stronger for some than national identity. When grand parent, great grand parent, or great great grandparents had to fight so passionately to preserve their identity in new and strange places its perfectly understandable that their descendants will share somewhat in their passion and identify with that struggle.
Being part of a diaspora doesn’t mean a person is in someway lesser than those still in the island, it just means that there is a part of your story that no native Irish person can fully appreciate. Honouring ancestry must also include finding space for honouring those amazing and resilient folk who not only survived the journey out of Ireland, but managed to thrive in these other places of our world.
Respectful Practice for Those With Irish Ancestry
Honour Through Action, Not Identity
Even if you have Irish ancestry, it doesn’t automatically grant cultural fluency. A respectful practice shows up in behaviour—how you learn, speak, and interact. It’s not about “claiming” Irishness. It’s about listening and living in right-relationship with not just the island of the past, but also the living Ireland of today.
If you feel called to honour your Irish ancestry:
- Begin with folklore, language, and landscape.
- Learn pronunciation (focail like MĂłrrĂgan, Bealtaine, slán) from trusted Irish sources.
- Understand the role of land, kinship, and sovereignty in Irish spirituality.
Integrate Micro-Practices Daily
You don’t need to uproot your whole life to practise. Begin small and consistent.
- Light a candle and say Go raibh maith agat (“thank you”) at the start of your day.
- Listen to a native Irish voice once a week—through podcasts, prayers, or readings.
- Learn the names of Irish trees, birds, or rivers—even if you live far away.
- Follow Irish media to better understand the island and its people today.
3 Starting Points for Honouring Irish Ancestry
- Study real Irish stories. Use the National Folklore Collection or Irish Pagan School courses grounded in the original sources.
- Build a small altar or devotional space. Include a map of Ireland, family photos, or symbolic items (like sloe berries for Samhain or rushes for Brigid).
- Use authentic pronunciation. Try Abair.ie or teanglann.ie for common Irish terms.
Pronunciation Call-Out
MĂłrrĂgan – [MOHR-ree-gan]
Bealtaine – [BYAL-tin-eh]
Go raibh maith agat – [Guh rev mah ah-gut]Language is a form of respect. Even small effort matters.
This Journey Is Ongoing
You don’t need a perfect genealogy to walk this path. You don’t need permission. But you do need patience, humility, and a willingness to learn from within the culture, not just about it. Honouring and elevating native Irish voices is not denying you your own voice. Its simply ensuring that those best suited to share about the native Irish experience are heard. This applies in reverse as well so when its time for Irish diaspora voices to speak of their unique stories, they too should find spaces where they can be centered and heard.
At the Irish Pagan School, we teach Irish traditions for anyone willing to show up with respect and curiosity. If Irish ancestry is part of your story, let this be your invitation to reconnect—slowly, honestly, and in good company.
👉 Quick and Easy Irish Pagan Practices
👉 Right Relationship and Cultural Appropriation
👉 3 Pillars of Irish Paganism
Dia duit Lora, thank you very much for all the great e mails you have been sending. I am enjoying all the information and guidance you offer and working hard at reading and watching all the material on u tube and all from the I PS. Thank you again. Lee Wright