May 30, 2019

When I ask someone my age what they know about Northern Ireland, I hear a few classic responses: I’m Irish, beer, St. Patrick’s Day, and the Potato Famine. While I could address each of these statements individually, I am most curious with the potato famine. While I, in no way want to disregard or downplay an event that killed around a million Irishmen, my generation is facing a large gap in knowledge between when our ancestors escaped the potato famine and the county that stands today. We need to fill in the gaps of Ireland’s great history of Civil War and The Troubles, UK and IRA, Protestants and Catholics, Brexit or stay, all the dividing features that now inhabit Northern Ireland. It is only through sharing the memories that so many today lived through that younger generations will be able to understand the background that shapes the pressing questions of today. While my ancestors left Northern Ireland because of the desperate situation of the potato famine, I am embarking on this journey in order to learn about my roots and to grow in passion and understanding of Northern Ireland.