I was raised in
Ireland. I lost family to the English, to the Potato Famine which was made MUCH worse by the English.
My family has stories past down through generations about our family and more importantly
Ireland's suffering. We were raped, robbed and murdered.
My great-grandfather fought in the Ango-Irish War for our freedom. A name is SO much more than a moniker, it is an identity IMO and if you don't see it as important than why are you at this site?
My children will spend a great deal of their childhood in
Ireland like me. They will be proud of their ancestry, culture and heritage, as I am. They will be Irish and respect our fight to be as such.