Teaching your child about Irish culture if you live abroad

Paulgar

I want my son to feel proud of his Irish roots as well as his Thai. I was never really that nationalistic; except maybe in my teens. I do think though, that understanding that part of his history is important. How do other parents living abroad manage it? Is it possible?

Westwood

Just play the Dubliners & Luke Kelly daily.

silja

Ours are young yet, so we are only just starting. We have some board books about Irish mythology and the alphabet in Irish, and a CD of Irish nursery rhymes. We also have a display cabinet and some of the stuff in there is Irish (pound coins, a little harp, we had hurleys made with their names and birth date/time on it etc) and we explain to them what it is. We also have the front page of the Irish Times and the Examiner from the day they were born for when they are older.

In the larger town half an hour away, there is GAA sports so once they are older, we might have them do that, and there are a couple of Irish dancing schools, but from what little i have seen of them, they are very "American Irish", not really people who have been born in Ireland or know much about it in the current day.

galwaydude

wow that is neat silja.

Paulgar

I have been taken lately that maybe when he is a bit older we could both learn Irish together. I can't speak a word of it and previously had no interest at all; if fact all the Irish language stuff used to irritate the bejasus out of me.

Still, maybe it would be good for my son. The fact that he is half Thai means that he doesn't look very Irish, so maybe that would be something that will make him feel more a part of the country.

dlofnep

I've been studying Irish for the past 3 years, it's been very rewarding for him. If he's young, try get an Irish mythology book on Setanta and the lads. Always makes great reading.