thistle

So I've been reading this book that Corsair gave me about the Irish Troubles. It's really interesting. It's sort of a look at the different personalities that make up the IRA, what makes people join, how their membership has affected the lives of their loved ones. The author, Kevin Toolis, tries hard to be objective and not make the Loyalists out to be monsters or the IRA out to be heroes, but you can tell he sympathizes with the Nationalists.

Trying to read the Irish words in the book is a real challenge. For example Gardai- the Irish police- how do you pronounce that? Probably not the way an English speaker would presume. Or Oglaigh na hEireann (Irish Republican Army in Irish). I want to take classes or get books to at least teach myself pronunciation and basic grammar.

This ties into some thoughts I've been having about my Irish heritage. The Irish language and Catholicism were both illegal under English rule, but the Irish people kept their religion and language alive for hundreds of years in secret. A few regions of Ireland were able to stay Irish-speaking because they were so remote (such as the Aran Island) but for the most part it was all underground. For me it feels important to learn the language to honor that struggle and uphold my heritage.

I wish I or someone could think of a fair solution to the problems in Northern Ireland. It's so complicated and sad.