While growing up, my parents modeled a great love for our Irish background. Being Irish is something that I was instilled to be proud of beyond St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. But even though both of my parents came from heavy Irish roots, my maiden name paired with another region of my father’s and my heritage.
So, you can only imagine the joy I had when I met (and fell in love with) a GALLAGHER. It was the first time that I dated somebody where I felt like the name I would possibly take as my own actually fit my identity. Spoiler alert . . . I married this lad, and we started our own little Irish clan.
As my husband and I furnished our home, it was natural for us to visually represent parts of our common roots.
Symbol Art
Let’s start with the well-known three- and four-leaf clovers that we have sprinkled throughout our own home museum. To us, these are not just symbols of decor during the month of March; they are a constant reminder of the beliefs that Saint Patrick brought to the land of Ireland. We have several clovers that have been passed down to us through generations. To imagine the wishes and prayers that were held in the presence of these clovers is irreplaceable.
Another wonderful Irish emblem is the Celtic knot. This symbol of eternity is a beautiful representation for any Irish family. On our wedding day, my husband and I each held a string and tied them together to form a Celtic knot. This exact knot still hangs in our bedroom to remind us of the eternal commitment and connection to our heritage that has helped form our family.
Name Art
Name decorations can have a place within a home, but I encourage you to be more subtle with this design style. Think outside the box as to how you incorporate this message within your home.
While researching Ireland’s history, I learned about an old writing system called Ogham. This Early Medieval alphabet uses intersecting lines that beautifully illustrate a word, name, or phrase. I commissioned to have a piece of my oldest child’s name written in this script to be displayed on a main wall within our home. It is a constant reminder of his beautiful Irish name that stems from our strong Irish roots.
Origin Art
Giving our children Irish names was inevitable. As we learned more about the origin of their names, we were enlightened to find the roots of our family surname. And once again, a desire to visually represent the origin of the Gallagher name within our home became a must! The Gallagher name is forever nestled on the beaches of County Donegal. We are a water-loving family. Representing this location in our home museum is a reminder that our preferences connect to our family origin.
Saying Art
Using familial touches can be a simple, yet impactful way to incorporate unique art within your home. Of course, anyone can search and pay for something that already exists. But, you can also create your own art. My mom once wrote the following in a St. Patrick’s Day card to us: “may the most you wish for be the least you get.” This Irish proverb needed a forever place in our home. My mom rewrote it; I framed it. Simple. Cheap. Beyond meaningful!
My task for you is to pinpoint what stands out to your family as it relates to your heritage. Then, represent these important components within your own home museum.
Heritage art can include so many things: a symbol, like a clover or Celtic knot; an image of your family’s location of origin; names or phrases displayed in old scripts or other languages; or quotes or sayings handwritten by loved ones
Happy decorating! Can’t wait to see what you create.
