7 Ways to Celebrate Irish Heritage Month and St. Patrick’s Day at Home

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It’s Irish Heritage Month! Did you know about 1/10 of US citizens reported to have some Irish ancestry? That is a lot of influence for a country about the same size as our South Carolina!

And Irish Americans are proud. In fact, America notoriously celebrates St. Patrick’s Day even bigger than Dublin. Since at least 1 in 10 of you might be thinking acknowledging that heritage with the kids this year, here are some options for those who missed Camden’s Irish Festival and aren’t itching to hit the crowds of St. Patty’s Day in 5 Points with kids.

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1. Relax and Watch a Movie

Some kid-friendly options are The Secret of Roan Inish or The Secret of Kells. Or, for date night, while P.S. I Love You is a well known tearjerker, Leap Year is my favorite RomCom based in Ireland. On the other hand, you can hit one of many mesmerizing documentaries on Ireland, if that’s your thing, from treasure seeking and myth, to nature and food, to political turmoil, there’s no end to options. 

2. Read a Book about Ireland, preferably one not about Leprechauns 

Some good options include any collections of myths and tales of Irish folklore, there are many! Finn McCool and the Great Fish (FREE on Kindle unlimited) and O’Sullivan Stew are good picture book options.

For young readers, check out The Magic Treehouse #43 Leprechaun in Midwinter. The series is an easy to read exciting tale that interweaves lots of educational bits about Ireland.

Young Adult/Middle School Readers might enjoy Pirate Queen (historical fiction) and The New Policeman (fantasy), while mature young men and women can truly experience Irish struggles with the amazing A Swift Pure Cry or Angela’s Ashes. Warning: these books last two can be heart wrenching, but are also among the best you will read. 

3. Take it to the Next Level with Students

For students, particularly homeschool, ideas include using travel books and the internet to plan a trip to Ireland (for older student this can include a budget), making a poster of St. Patrick and what he’s known for or researching an important Irish American such as South Carolina’s own Thomas Lynch Jr., an Irish signer of the Declaration of Independence. For nonfiction lovers, How the Irish Saved Civilization is an amazing read.

Another fun way to explore Irish identity is by compiling a collections of poems they like by poets like W.B. Yeats (check out Lake Isle of Innisfree) and Seamus Heaney (such as Digging). Depending on their age, students can write a couple sentences about why they chose it or what they think it’s about. Or at any age they can even illustrate the poems or find images to pair with them. Ireland is so serious about their poets, they are the ones often on the money instead of political leaders! 

4. Make Arts and Crafts

Practice sewing, use collage, or even fingerpaint to make your own Irish flag. Shamrocks can be made with hand prints or fingerprints. There are many more options. 

5. Try a Real Irish Recipe as a Family

Irish Stew with Colcannon (mashed potatoes cooked with cabbage) is yummy, but so is Sheppard’s Pie, beer and cheese soup, and easy Irish Soda Bread. Make sure to real Irish butter! 

6. Learn a Few Irish Words

Learning a few Irish words may be tricky, but it doesn’t get much more Irish than that. Plus, it’s keeping alive a rare language that was once outlawed! Check YouTube for a quick video or two, and make a game of using it all day or week!

7. Brush Up on Sports

Finally, Ireland is serious about sports. Look up the Gaelic Games and try your hand at hurling, the fastest field game in the world, or just play the beloved football (soccer). A patriotic way to getup and moving as family. 

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Paula Billingsley
Originally from Columbia, Paula has also lived in NC, Florida, Alaska, and the UK before returning, after her husband’s deployment, to start USC School of Law. After passing the bar, working with education nonprofits, and going back for her Masters in English, she’s set aside being an active attorney for now to focus on her health, writing, and raising her baby girl, Evy. Paula knows life does not usually go as expected, like being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and sometimes it goes better, like eloping or adopting her best book review buddy, Evy! She binges on good tv, good books, good chocolate, good tea, and good conversation. She’s also a fan of winning, whether at board games or yoga. At home, she enjoys making art, music, stories, and tasty food with her family including two wild puppies, Poppy and Petra. Out and about, she enjoys being involved in theatre and music, like at Town Theatre, enjoying the outdoors and wildlife, attending Windsor United Methodist Church, shopping, volunteering, and traveling on the cheap! She does not enjoy laundry, social injustice, environmental destruction, the patriarchy, coffee, soda, kale, or pants. She’s excited and thankful to pursue her calling and bring her child up in this kid friendly town.

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