About the name of this blog and other things...

Dia daoibh a chairde!   Hello friends!   (God be with you friends, is what it really says)

Now, about that "God" part...

Here's my take on that, you can either agree, disagree or form a different position, you might already have a different position, but, as this is my blog, I'll make an attempt to describe my opinion on why I think this is okay to use, even if one is an Atheist.

I think, that there is really no other way to really say "hello" in Irish, so we're just kind of stuck with that way of saying "hello".

Also, I think that "God" can be interpreted internally, by anyone ... in an acceptable way for themselves.
An example would be ... "God just means the highest possible, the best case scenario, the greatest hopes etc etc, Now ... as an American, I tend to drive some native British Isles folks crazy... We're just too positive, but hey, I have my negative days, don't mind that one extra positive day now and then :)

I think that ... as for me ... I don't care, I just want to communicate, and although I don't have great faith in many different religious paths, technically, I'm a Buddhist (not practicing it so well lately, but that's another story for another blog). Having said THAT though, I'd be comfortable at/in any Church, Synagogue, Mosque, Gurudwara, whatever, etc. Until recently I had been a practicing Catholic
(I stopped going over 4 years ago,  I have my reasons)... nevertheless, I can say the rosary and maybe even do the whole stations of the cross thing, etc etc ... and I don't mind it, it just doesn't bug me at all.

I don't care about Catholic or Protestant or Buddhist or Atheist or Islamic or Jewish.... those things are one's family's culture and/or personal preference or taste/comfort zone. I do not feel the need to put these faiths down, nor do I feel the need to be overly accomodating, it's quite liberating actually.

Okay, enough of that.... so Dia dhuit ...
(the singular way of saying it to one person) works just fine for me, just saying.

Now, the next thing is ... why the word "American-Irish", well, it's because, in my case, my Irish ancestors came to America over 200 years ago. I am not trying to BE Irish as in claiming I'm the same as an Irish national... nope, that is not my aim nor my claim.

I do feel a kinship of sorts, because, even my grandpa told me we are Americans, but we're Irish too.
I think he was trying to say, "don't forget your Irish background" and it must've worked, because I never have forgotten that. All I want to do is learn the language as best as I can, I already have an appreciation for the music going on 30+ years.
This is why I use the term American-Irish rather than Irish-American. In my opinion Irish-American is someone who was born in Ireland and emigrated to the USA, or maybe even down to their children and grandchildren... like ... Desmond Bishop, I'd call him an Irish-American. I think even old Eamon de Valera was born in the USA of Spanish and Irish born parents, so he would qualify as an Irish-American (but since he was president or something ... well, we can just call him an Irishman and that's that?  But that's up to you folks born and raised in Ireland).

As for me, I think it is not right or correct or accurate to refer myself as an Irish-American, obviously with over 200 years in North America (some parts of the family have been in North America since about the 1680s). This is too long of a time over here for me to feel like saying "Irish-American",
so, instead, I prefer the term American or American-Irish. I've even toyed with the term (like Celtiberian) Celtamerican or Americeltican LOL. But even the word "Celt" these days seems pre-loaded with some sort of Baggage.

So, all in all, for now, I prefer to just be called American or American-Irish, I *AM* an American and that's that.  BUT .... there is NO DOUBT about my Irish ancestry (we have the family stories, DNA and the public record to prove that).

Since this blog is going to be (chiefly or mainly) about Americans of Irish ancestry, language & culture
I thought it appropriate to name it "American-Irish". Hopefully this satisfies anyone's curiosity as to the name of this blog.

Now ... what about the name Madra Airgid (this is how I describe, in Irish, our supposed coat of arms, with a silver or grey Greyhound or Wolfhound on the shield) (O'Fallon).

Well now, this has already been too long winded today.  Slán!
                                                                                                       M.A. (Madra Airgid)