Santiago Rial
Write to me:
hello@deercun.com
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@deercun or @seamus.draoigall
Born in Argentina, I was raised in the little neighborhood of Coghlan in Buenos Aires, aptly named after an engineer from County Kerry.
But it wouldn’t be until my late 20’s that a year-long working holiday in Ireland back in 2013 awakened my grá for her and all she is, her greens as well as her reds.
Between 2016 and 2019, I went on a long journey of not only researching Irish mythology, history and heritage with the fervor of a 10 year old reading about dinosaurs; I also spent months travelling around Ireland on short-stay visas, visiting the sites I was learning about and listening to the people of Ireland. In 2019, after obtaining an EU Citizenship, I was able to move to Ireland full time and involve myself in the wonderful, current revival of appreciation for the genius of the Irish spirit.
Mixing my foreigner’s perspective with my unbridled interest in all Irish matters (except perhaps for the intricacies of GAA-related social dynamics), I am able to observe and reflect back aspects of Irish history that are often easily overlooked or underappreciated when one is born and raised in this island.
I am honored to have been welcome into this island and found a home and family. Some of us are born here, some of us need to learn to belong to this land before we can dwell in it. As such, it is my passion to help myself and others remember the story of the land they live and love in; using my scholarly skills and passion for historical facts to remind them that the Irish tradition is theirs to interpret, define, develop, protect, enliven, enjoy, and help grow, for themselves, the world and all those yet to come behind us.
Thanks for reading!
But it wouldn’t be until my late 20’s that a year-long working holiday in Ireland back in 2013 awakened my grá for her and all she is, her greens as well as her reds.
Between 2016 and 2019, I went on a long journey of not only researching Irish mythology, history and heritage with the fervor of a 10 year old reading about dinosaurs; I also spent months travelling around Ireland on short-stay visas, visiting the sites I was learning about and listening to the people of Ireland. In 2019, after obtaining an EU Citizenship, I was able to move to Ireland full time and involve myself in the wonderful, current revival of appreciation for the genius of the Irish spirit.
Mixing my foreigner’s perspective with my unbridled interest in all Irish matters (except perhaps for the intricacies of GAA-related social dynamics), I am able to observe and reflect back aspects of Irish history that are often easily overlooked or underappreciated when one is born and raised in this island.
I am honored to have been welcome into this island and found a home and family. Some of us are born here, some of us need to learn to belong to this land before we can dwell in it. As such, it is my passion to help myself and others remember the story of the land they live and love in; using my scholarly skills and passion for historical facts to remind them that the Irish tradition is theirs to interpret, define, develop, protect, enliven, enjoy, and help grow, for themselves, the world and all those yet to come behind us.
Thanks for reading!
Since 2022, I’ve been a proud member of the Board of Directors of the Gaelic Woodland Project (Reg. Charity n° 20206178), where I also perform a vast array of operational and communication duties in support of our objective to create more opportunities for the people of Ireland to reconnect with their natural and cultural heritage. Find out more here.