I wanted to start off this entry by saying a massive thank you to those who have read my previous two diaries. I appreciate your kind words and comments always.

 

Today I want to write about something else I’ve wanted to write about for a long time and since it was St Patrick’s Day a few days ago I thought now would be the perfect time. Today I want to write about my Irish heritage.

 

I was born and raised in England, but not to English parents. My mum is English, but my dad is Irish. I have fond memories of visiting Ireland when I was young. Whether we’d go over to visit family, for a wedding or just a vacation in general, it was always a good time.

 

Even though England and Ireland are only a 45 minute flight apart, there are small cultural differences that were definitely noticeable. As a kid growing up in England, everything was planned out. You knew what you were doing on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday etc. But in Ireland it was a lot more laid back. I remember always asking my dad “what are we doing today?” and every time he’d respond “I don’t have a clue Gabe, we’ll see what happens.” I didn’t like it at the time because I’d just be waiting in the house bored waiting for someone to show up at my grandma’s house, haha.

 

I always loved going there. I loved seeing my grandma, all my uncles and cousins. It felt like home in a way. I wasn’t until I was around 16/17 that a really started appreciating where my father had come from. I started learning about the history of the country and what had happened between Ireland and Britain. I discovered Irish music and instantly loved it. Luke Kelly, Ronnie Drew, Paul Brady, the list goes on.

 

When I turned 18, they started taking me to the local pubs and introduced me to everyone. People would ask for my surname and when I told them they’d respond “ahh, we know your dad from years ago.” It’s a small town where my dad comes from, so I’m not surprised haha. Early 2018 when I was working on the independent circuit, I was trying to repackage myself. I had been doing the same thing for a couple of years at that point and I needed a change. I came up with the nickname “The Young Bull” Gabriel Kidd. I had this idea after a conversation with my dad about old Irish tales he used to tell me, one of those being the story of “Maeve and The Bull Of Cooley.” I was carrying a bit of extra weight at that time so I thought the use of the word Bull fit perfectly.

 

I’ll be completely honest, I’ve had a bit of writers block trying to put my thoughts on this subject into words. Ireland to me is part of who I am. It has helped mould me as a man. It’s influenced me as a human being and I’m proud to be half Irish. I’m proud to be half English too. My goal for the future is to take part of my Irish heritage and use it in my work. Of course I don’t mean coming down to the ring with a huge Irish flag draped over my shoulders, I think that would confuse people seeing as I am from England and speak in an English accent. Just a subtle hint, something that isn’t over the top, but just enough to know it’s there.

Thank you for reading as always.

 

Today’s track for this diary entry: The Wolfe Tones –Streets of New York.