My father's family were, for the most part, from Ulster, Fermanagh and Armagh. My mother's family came from Tipperary and Offaly. I am second generation Scots on my mothers side and third generation on my fathers side. I take pride in my Irish ancestry. The shamrock and the thistle for me are inseperable.
Genealogy is a highly addictive pastime.
It is like a very large jigsaw puzzle. You are constantly looking for the missing pieces. You find answers to questions that lead to other questions which in turn require answers. Like the missing parts in the jigsaw puzzle, these answers build up a picture of the lives of the people who ultimately made you. For that reason alone the hobby can become an obsession.