BOUNTIFUL -- Katie Register spent the last two years in Ireland, but today will be the first time she'll celebrate St. Patrick's Day since she left to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in February 2008.
"In Northern Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is just like any other day. The holiday is celebrated in the South, but I was in the North both years," she said.
At 25, Register is the youngest of three girls born to longtime Bountiful residents Glenn and Sharyl. Her Scottish-Irish roots prompted her to take classes in Highland, or Scottish, dancing. After seeing "Riverdance," Register, then only 12, called every dance studio in the area trying to find Irish-dance classes. Her efforts eventually led to her participation in one of the first certified Irish-dance programs in Utah.
A true pioneer of Irish dance, Register has seen the progression from heavy velvet costumes and real curls to lighter, more ornate costumes and precurled wigs. Register began dancing with Jill Crawford as a young teen and now teaches three classes a week at Crawford Irish Dance in Clearfield, one of the few certified schools along the Wasatch Front.
While she's happy to be home, Register is still adjusting. Her last few months were served in Southern Ireland. While she loved the cloudy and rainy weather, the damp environment made her so sick that after she returned home, her doctor thought she might have tuberculosis. Her slow recovery made her "somewhat of a recluse" and she admits she was physically, spiritually and emotionally spent.
"I used to fit in really well (in Bountiful), but now I'm a bit sideways. My experience as a missionary made me realize I'm a different person than before. I'm more grounded now. I have a better perspective on life and what's important to me," she said.
A junior at the University of Utah, Register changed her major from art history to social work after her experiences in Ireland.
"Since meeting people who lived in such harsh conditions, I wanted to help them and people like them (here in the U.S.)."
Register said Ireland's long history of political and religious strife contributes to a great deal of the country's problems.
"The Catholics and Protestants still hate each other. Schools with children from both groups are called 'integrated schools.' If someone won't identify themselves as coming from one group or the other, they are asked to recite the alphabet. The way a person pronounces the letter H identifies their affiliation," Register said.
The animosity is so strong that in the North, a Protestant band in a parade will stop playing as they pass Catholic homes. Register was on a bus that had to be diverted from the station because of a bomb threat. When she expressed her surprise over the incident, an older woman on the bus told her, "That's just how it is here. Still, it's still better than it used to be."
Register said the friction between Northern and Southern Ireland was readily apparent.
"The tension is so real, you can feel it. They have such a long history of political and religious strife."
"The Troubles," as the locals call it, refers to the hostility between the Protestants and the Catholics that first began with the Battle of the Boyne in 1690. The Web site www.britannica.com states the battle was "a victory for the forces of King William III of England over the former King James II, fought on the banks of the River Boyne in Ireland. James, a Roman Catholic, had been forced to abdicate in 1688 and ... was attempting to win back his throne." Eventually, he and his forces fled the country. The Battle of the Boyne is celebrated in Northern Ireland as a victory for the Protestant cause.
When she first got home from Ireland, Register said she never wanted to go back. The tense religious environment contributed to troubling feelings of anxiety.
To the Irish, Utah is known for the Osmonds and the Mormons. Register said many Irish people mistakenly believe polygamy is still practiced within the LDS Church. They also believe Utah's residents are solely LDS and think California's beaches are a lot closer than they really are.
Register said she truly enjoyed what Ireland had to offer: many ways to prepare potatoes; the prolific assortment of pancakes displayed, like donuts, in bakeries; the many African natives who welcomed conversations based on Jesus Christ. It's a wonderful country, she said, with amazing people and scenery.
"Ireland's countryside is just like you've seen on postcards; a patchwork of lush, green fields," she said.
She's planning a return trip to Ireland with relatives this August.
"I'm looking forward to going back. The people there are amazing. Working with people in such humble circumstances makes you realize we're all the same; with hopes and dreams and aspirations for a bright future."
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