Why We Must All Be Irish Irelanders

There comes a time in every nation’s life when it must ask: Who are we, really? How do we decolonize?

In Ireland, that question strikes deep. As for too long, we have confused citizenship with identity, paperwork with belonging. The truth is, being Irish is not a matter of location or legality — it is a matter of dúchas, of native soul, of no longer mimicking that which sought to destroy us.

To be an Irish Irelander is to live not just in Ireland, but with her — to carry her history, her language, her beauty, and her enchantment in our daily lives. It is a way of being that resists cultural amnesia and proudly affirms the things that make us Gaelic. We are not just another generic country on a map.

Here are just a few ways we can all begin to live more as Irish Irelanders — in spirit, in habit, and in honour, in keeping with the aspirations of Pearse, Ireland not merely free, but Gaelic as well, Ireland not merely Gaelic, but free as well:

1. Speak the Irish language — even a little.
Whether it's Dia duit, go raibh maith agat, or a full conversation at the kitchen table, every word of Gaeilge we revive is a root reattached to the soil. Our language is not dead — it's just waiting for breath.

2. Learn and sing traditional Irish songs.
From The Foggy Dew to Skibbereen, our songs are oral history and living the living soul of our ancestors. Sing them around the fire, at the Fleadh, in the car — share them like treasures unearthed.

3. Support your local GAA club.
Not just for football or hurling — but for community, for culture, for Gaeilge. The GAA is one of the last great guardians of true Irishness.

4. Reclaim your Irish surname.
The Ó, the Mac, the forgotten spellings — these are not decorative. They are our ancient identity, they are our blood. They were worn by your ancestors and stolen by colonisers. Take them back.

5. Read Irish history and mythology.
Know the names of the Fianna, the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Irish Volunteers, the Hunger Strikers . Read not just the pain, but the glory — and see yourself in it.

6. Support Irish crafts, foods, and the skilled artisans.
Buy tweed, turf, seaweed, soda bread, not as nostalgia, but as native resilience. The land speaks through our hands and as the food on our plate.

7. Raise your children in Irish customs.
Let them grow up with stories of banshees and brave Fenians, not just superheroes and TikTok trends. Ground them in Irishness.

8. Support Gaeltacht and Gaeilge-based businesses.
Every euro you spend is a vote. Vote for Béal Binn over brands that don’t care if we vanish as a people.

9. Remember the sacred dates.
April 24th. Bloody Sunday. 1798. The Flight of the Earls. Mark them not just in your calendar, but in your soul — our heroes will never die. They are the spirit of our ancient nations.

10. Walk the land with reverence.
Visit Uisneach, Tara, Ráth Cruachan. Walk the paths of An Gorta Mór. Listen. The land still speaks.

11. Keep Ireland clean — pick up rubbish you see scattered on the roadside or on beaches.
This land is holy. This is the land of our ancestors. Leaving litter is not just laziness — it's desecration. Pick it up. Teach others to do the same.

To be an Irish Irelander is not a passive connection to our soil. It is the quiet daily acts of remembrance, of caring for our people, and our future. You don’t need to speak Irish fluently or sing like Luke Kelly — but you do need to care, to act, to lead, to give example

Because if we don't live as Irish Irelanders now, the day will come when we won't be Irish at all — just people living on an island. But deep down we know, Ireland will always flourish.

Éirinn abú.

Tomás MacCormaic