As many of you are already aware, Irish Gaelic tattoos are becoming increasingly popular. While you will find them occasionally on actual citizens of Ireland, they are predominately hosted on the bodies of the Irish diaspora scattered throughout the globe. If you ask any of these tattoo recipients why they choose an Irish Gaelic tattoo, they'll usually tell you that they did it as a way to reconnect more deeply to their Celtic ancestral roots. In other words, it's sort of like planting a flag on a person's identity, as if to say I'm Irish, and you'll have to peel off my tattooed skin to make it not so. Apart from Irish descendents using the tattoos as a means of reconnecting, Irish Gaelic tattoos are becoming increasingly popular with people of non Irish or Celtic ancestry. The beautiful and exotic Gaelic script, along with the modern day romantic overtones associated with it, make them universally appealing throughout the world.
Obviously getting an Irish Gaelic tattoo can come with some serious hazards, the first and foremost is being the recipient of a grammatically incorrect or nonsensical mistranslated Irish Gaelic phrase. Try sporting one of these tattoos as a tourist in Ireland, and I guarantee you'll get laughed back to whatever far away location you happen to come from. The other major hazard in getting a Gaelic tattoo, is picking a tattoo artist unfamiliar with the Irish uncial alphabet or Gaelic script. The last thing you want is a funky and distorted incorrect Gaelic script tattoo that looks like it was pulled off of a Lucky Charms cereal box. If you plan to get a Gaelic tattoo, don't do it on a whim, and never do under the influence of anything stronger than coffee. Do the research necessary to get a correct Gaelic tattoo, even if that means quadruple checking it. In fact, I would go so far as to contacting a certified Gaelic language specialist to be safe.
Once you have selected your Gaelic tattoo, and you're absolutely certain that the script and translation are correct, then you should take a little time to examine the reasoning behind having it permanently branded on your body. If it's to reconnect to your Irish or Celtic roots, then you might want to visit your ancestral home land first, and make sure that the country and culture are something that you thoroughly understand. I will also say that you will not impress any Irish man or woman with a Gaelic tattoo, and most would probably think it was somewhat disingenuous, especially if you know very little about the culture that you wish so heartily to be associated with. If you really want to reconnect to Ireland or the Celts, buy a stack of books and a plane ticket, not a tattoo. If you're getting the Gaelic tattoo strictly for it's aesthetic appeal, then you'll probably be one of the many recipients that don't regret owning it.
In conclusion, make sure that you invest the time necessary to getting the correctly translated Gaelic tattoo. If you want authentic Gaelic script, then make sure that you go the extra mile, even if that means paying a Gaelic specialist to look over your tattoo art just to make sure it's correct. On the ancestral reconnecting side of it all, my advice to anyone thinking about getting a Gaelic tattoo based solely on this factor alone, is to invest first in the knowledge of Irish culture, and then make a decision on getting the Gaelic tattoo afterwards. Far and Away, or any other movie that romanticizes Irish or Celtic culture, is not what Ireland or the Celts represent in the past or present. To get acquainted with Ireland, you should visit the country, learn the national customs, and develop an understanding beyond the thin surface of what is sold by Hollywood. Reconnecting will come with understanding, not with a Gaelic or Celtic tattoo.
