Essays / My "sense of being Irish" - how to approach this essay? [3]

I was asked to write a essay on "the sense of being Irish" and am unsure as to how this should be approached. Should i write from my own experiences or from a narrative /short story way. I am quite sure the rest of my class will write from their experiences and I would like to stand out as this essay counts for 40% of my year grade.

PLEASE HELP