First Night in Roma

January 26,

I woke up this morning in Dublin to head down to breakfast around 8 in hopes of running into people before they left for their spring break adventures.  Most people headed out around 11.  Christy, Sarah, and I all decided we would feel much better if we got to the airport in plenty of time so we decided to leave around lunchtime.  We caught the number 41 bus right outside our hostel which took us to the Dublin Airport.  After being stressed out by all of the Ryan Air baggage restrictions we finally made it to Rome and arrived at the Ciampino Airport which is about 40 minutes outside the city.  Luckily there were many bus options to get to the Termini (the main train station).  Our original plan was to meet my friend RC at the station, but for some reason my cell phone was not working so we weren’t able to get a hold of each other.  Luckily our hostel was on a street directly across from the Termini so we were able to find it just fine.  However, when we got into the building we got extremely confused and didn’t even know which floor our hostel was on!  Plus the building and the street it was on was quite a bit sketchy. Luckily the owner, Michael, caught us walking up and down the stairs and helped us out.  There were two guys from the States, Spencer and Bill, who were hanging out in the front with Michael.  All of us got to talking and I have never felt so welcomed so quickly!  Our room was up on the 4^th floor and was a private room with our own bathroom.  I felt like I was in a hotel ,which was unbelievable considering what we paid.  Michael came up to greet us and tell us that as his guests we are now a part of his family, especially since we will be here for 6 days.  He wanted to make sure the room was up to standard and was able to tell us a great place to go for dinner.  When we go to this restaurant, we can just say that Michael sent us and we will get 10 percent off!  So that is exactly what we did!

The restaurant, Capitello, was just one block over and was an adorable little place.  The three of us ordered a bottle of wine, and I had Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Tiramisu for dessert.  It was just fabulous!  We ended up meeting a group of students who are actually studying in Paris for the semester-David from Stockholm, Alex from Miami, Terri from Vancouver, and Greg from Toronto.  The seven us of ended up just chatting in the restaurant till after midnight, but it was really fun to meet some other students from around the world!

Enjoying my Spaghetti alla Carbonara in Roma!

Homemade Tiramisu! Delicious!

Salute! (That means "Cheers!" in Italian)

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Off to Dublin!

On Wednesday we left Tully Cross at 9 in the morning.  We rode the bus until about 2 o’clock when we arrived for our tour at NewGrange.  NewGrange is a megalithic passage tomb built around 3000 BC-it is older than both Stonehenge and the Giza pyramids!

NewGrange

For as large as the structure is, there is a very narrow and little passage that leads to the center of the tomb.  Despite being older than Christianity, the layout of the tomb is  like many cathedrals.  The passage is in the shape of a cross with a dome like structure above.  The passage itself is incredibly small and narrow-not a good place if you are in any way claustrophobic!  The most amazing part about NewGrange was an opening near the entrance called the “light box”. Above the entrance passage is the ‘light-box’, which precisely aligns with the rising sun at the winter solstice (December 21), so that the rays touch the ground at the very center of the tomb for about 20 minutes. When we were inside the tomb, we got to experience a simulation of this event.  When they turned off the lights, we were submerged into total darkness.  There was not a hint of light, but then slowly a small beacon began to shine through the passage creating a small pathway of light.  It was another very beautiful experience.

A Rainbow appeared just before we went inside the tomb!

After our time at NewGrange, we made our way to Dublin.  We were dropped off at the Globetrotters Hostel and then we were free for the evening!  Hannah, Jake, Brittany, Ken, Rob, Mike, and I went walking around the city just to explore.  We ended up walking along the Liffey River and then decided to just hang out at a pub for the evening.  We ended up at a place called “The Flowing Tide”.  It was a very quaint and quiet little place and we had a nice low-key evening.

The River at Night

Having Fun in Dublin with Rob

On Thursday, I woke up around 8 so that I would be able to make it to breakfast before we had to leave for the Book of Kells.  It seems like we are being spoiled at this hostel because we get a Full Irish Breakfast.  It was so delicious and was definitely able to tide me over for most of the day!

Then it was a quick walk to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells.  We first went through a small museum to learn a little bit more about what we were about to see.  What I found most interesting was all of the symbolism through animals in all of the artwork-especially the use of peacocks.  They seemed to be everywhere!  It turns out that the peacocks are supposed to represent “renewal”, which I just found to be kind of interesting.  The Book of Kells itself was absolutely exquisite.  We were able to see a page from the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Luke.  The designs on the vellum were so small, delicate, and intricate… It is absolutely amazing that it was all done with a quill!

After we got to see the Book of Kells we ventured up the stairs to the Old Library at Trinity College.  It is a long, two-story room, and by far the most stunning library I have ever seen.  It was complete with a spiral staircase and ladder to go along with every shelf.  Each shelf was custom made to fit the books that were there.  For example, the shelves would slowly get smaller as you would look up to hold the smaller works.  It was tailored to that collection.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures or go up close to the books.  A bunch of us were talking though, and we realized that people like Swift had held books that were in that very room.  It was unbelievable!  I did not want to leave that library!

We then sat outside of the college for a bit just enjoying the weather; it was so warm and sunny today.

Beth, Hannah, and Sarah at Trinity College

Once everyone had made their way out of the gift shop it was time to split up and enjoy the city!  Our program got each of us a “Hop-on, Hop-off” Bus Pass so we could go see the sites we were most interested in. Dr. Dawson, Rian, Vaughn, Rob, Brittany, Hannah, Ken, Mike, and I decided we were going to walk to the Guinness Storehouse to take the tour and then go to the Kilmainham Gaol (the jail where the 1916 Uprising leaders were executed).

The Guinness Tour was a blast!  We learned the process of how the beer was made, learned the process to go through to drink it properly, learned about Guinness sponsorship, advertising, and so much more!  The storehouse has a really neat design- in the middle they have basically constructed an enormous pint glass that spans about 7 floors!  The tour concludes with the Gravity bar on the very top of the storehouse.  Here you turn in your ticket to receive a pint of Guinness.  The bar is a 360-degree view of Dublin with floor to ceiling glass windows. That pint of Guinness was so fresh and was probably the best I will ever have!  It was the perfect way to conclude the adventure.  Up in the Gravity Bar, we met up with Jake and Sarah who decided to join us and go to the Jail.

St. James' Gate

Me and the best pint of beer I will probably ever have up in the Gravity Bar

Hannah, Rob, Brittany, Ken, Vaughn, and Mike

Sarah, Jake, Rian, and Dr. Dawson

We hopped on the bus and headed over to Kilmainham Gaol for our tour.  Touring the cells that have been around for centuries was a little bit eerie…Especially when we walked by the cells of the figures we have been studying about in history class such as Clarke, Plunkett, De Valera, and more.  We had the opportunity to walk in and out of some of the cells for a while which was actually quite difficult for me.  To walk into those tiny rooms and think that for centuries people have been staring at these very walls with so little hope and most likely facing death.  It was one of those times when I couldn’t help but have chills run up and down my spine.  At the very end of the tour we ventured out to the yard where the 1916 leaders were executed.  There were 2 crosses making the spot where the martyrs were blind-folded to face a firing squad.  The first 13 were shot in one spot, and the last man to be executed, Connelly, was on the opposite end of the yard.  This was because he had been injured and was unable to stand.  The night before his death, he was actually at the hospital.  They brought him through the gates and placed him on a chair where he faced death by firing squad.  It was the nature of these executions that inspired the people of Ireland to rally behind their cause for an Irish Republic.

where the 1916 leaders were executed

By the time we were done with the tour it was time to head back before the buses stopped service for the evening.  Sarah and I met up with Bailey, Maggie, Sarah T., and Heather who had spend their day at the Dublin Zoo, and we went to a restaurant called Flannigan’s.  We had a fun dinner ( I had traditional Irish Pork Sausage on Champ-which is basically mased potatoes with some green onion).

Irish Pork Sausage Dinner

Later in the evening a few of a ventured down to The Brazen Head Pub which is supposedly the oldest pub in the city (it dates back to 1198)! It was a phenomenal day in Dublin!

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Pub Singing and a Walk in the Bog

*more pictures to come!*

Like I mentioned earlier, things here have been very centered around getting everything accomplished before Spring Break, but as of this morning I officially done with my schoolwork! (for the moment at least)

Despite the busy school schedule, I have done a little adventuring.  On Saturday, I joined the hiking class for “The Bog Walk”.  Dr. Dawson’s daughter, Emily, and her niece, Allison, led this hike.  We took the road that leads to Kylemore Abbey and then cut right across the bog to walk until we hit the road to Letterfrack.  It was the perfect day to be outside.  It was kind of neat to walk through the bog-luckily there was an old path that we were able follow so we weren’t walking in water the entire time!

Out on the bog walk

This Sunday, I was lucky enough to play the guitar for mass as well as singing with the choir.  Maria, our director, brought her guitar along for me to play.  We had lots of other musicians at mass as well: 3 fiddles, a concertina, a harmonica, another guitar, and Maria on the piano.  Brittany and I sang the verses to the offertory song which also went really well!

That evening, Vaughn and I decided to test out the restaurant across the street at the hotel which had just recently opened up recently.  Let’s just say we were not disappointed!  Of course we started with a pot of tea, and then I had the fish pie while Vaughn had a steak burger.  My fish pie had little bits of salmon and shrimp with veggies in a white wine cream sauce smothered in mashed potatoes.  It was absolutely fabulous and Vaughn described his burger as “the best he has ever had”! So I would definitely eat there again : )

On Monday night, I was able to sing at Coyne’s pub again.  Aiden was not playing that night, but Jerry (the owner) insisted that I still go up and sing.  It was so much fun- I ended up playing one song on the piano and one song on the guitar.  I look forward to Monday nights every week!

On Wednesday, we will leave for Dublin at 9 in the morning.  After a few days there, I will depart for my spring break!  I will be in Rome Saturday, February 26th until March 4th. From the 4th until the 7th I will be in Nice, France and then I will fly to Munich and be there until March 13th.  I can’t wait to head off on this adventure tomorrow!

 

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Ireland Update!

Things have been pretty busy around here lately with MidTerms, so I have lots to update you all on!

Last weekend basically revolved around our Valentine’s Day Party.  On Saturday evening, my friend Bridget came over and we baked goodies until midnight!  We made chocolate covered pretzels, brownies, and heart-shaped sugar cookies. We used strawberry jam to make a reduction to give our cookies and brownies some color because we didn’t have anything to make frosting!  Everything looked beautiful and I was so thankful that Bridget was able to help!  Sunday morning began with mass followed with brunch at Sammon’s pub.  I love going to Sammon’s to get the full Irish Breakfast!  The rest of the day I spent cooking for the party our cottage was hosting that night.  We decided to make it “a black-tie affair” to give everyone an opportunity to dress up a little for once!  I ended up making homemade flatbread (for dipping), chocolate and strawberry flavored whipped cream, mini-pizzas, guacamole, and crepes!  They don’t sell cool-whip here so I just took some cream from the store and whipped it up with a whisk!  It took a lot of work, but it tasted fabulous!  I ended up just mixing some cocoa, brown sugar, and bailey’s Irish crème for the chocolate one because they don’t sell chocolate syrup here.  The party was so much fun.  We made some Valentine’s Day themed drinks to go along with all of the good food, and people seemed to have a great time!

Some of the food

Dr. Dawson, Emily, and Sarah

Rian, Vaughn, Liam, Allison, and Heather

Sarah, Jacqueline, Megan, Gretchen, and Dr. Duncan

The Hosts!

We had a beautiful day on Monday.  Unfortunately, I had to spend a good chunk of it studying for midterms, but I still found time to head down to the beach for a bit.  My friend Mike and I took a little snack down to sit on the rocks, and we just enjoyed the day!  There was so much snow on the mountains, but the rest of the landscape looked like spring-it was just stunning!

Snow on the Mountains on a beautiful Monday

Tuesday was a lot of fun- Sarah Tompkins and I left for school around 930.  It was raining out and we were lucky enough to get a lift just as we walked by the church!  When I got to Letterfrack, the kids were beginning their Irish lessons, so I just observed for the first 30 minutes or so.  Then the students moved on to math and I was given the task to work with the 6^th class.  I was almost embarrassed at first on how little I remembered, but I quickly got back into the swing of things and helped as much as I could.  After math, we had our tea break.  Olivia then approached me and asked if I would be willing to teach the kids a song after lunch.  She apparently had heard me singing at mass and thought it would be fun for the kids to learn some new songs!  Of course I jumped at the opportunity!  After tea, I took the kids in 2 groups and we had drama class for about an hour before lunch.   After everyone was done eating, I pulled up the words to “I believe in Music” and we began learning the tune.  I did a few warm-ups with them first and then we just worked out the song line by line.  We covered the chorus and the first verse, and when I return we will work on the next verse.  The kids all then wanted to sing me a song that they already knew, so they sang two songs from “Oliver!” because it was the play they had performed at Christmas time!  They were so cute and did a great job!  I spent the rest of the afternoon supervising their independent work and helping Olivia with some bulletin boards.

After school, Sarah and I stopped at the Country Store for some crackers and cheese before walking back to Tully Cross.  When I got home, it was already 430! So I went to the study cottage to try and get some work done, but of course the internet wasn’t working so I spent much more time than I would have hoped just trying to get on to the internet.  I got back to the cottage just in time to eat a quick sandwich and change before heading to Tully to learn Traditional Irish Set dancing with the rest of the group!  The dancing was taught by an elderly man and woman named, Michael O’Neill and Helen King.  They taught us the “Connemara Set” over the course of 2 hours, and it was so much fun!  It reminded me of a cross between the Virginia reel and square dancing.  Hopefully I will be able to get a video from someone of the whole group doing the dance together!

Wednesday and Thursday were focused solely on school.  I had a History Quiz on Wednesday and my Literature Midterm on Thursday.  I still found time to make delicious meals though!  On Wednesday night, I made the girls a variation of Aunt Chris’s Italian Sausage Soup with Baked Goat Cheese on my homemade flatbread.

The girls at our fancy dinner

Sausage Soup, Flat Bread, and Baked Goat Cheese

 

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A Quiet Week

This past week has been a pretty quiet one for me because of being sick with a dreadful cough and head cold.  So I don’t have too many stories to share with all of you.  Monday night before I got sick, I did end up going to Coyne’s pub and got the opportunity to sing with Aiden again!  He has been gone playing in Germany the last few weeks so it was good to have him back.  We ended up performing “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”, “Both Sides Now”, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, and “I feel the Earth Move”.  We had people dancing and waving their cell phones in the air-so I think everyone enjoyed it!

Friday, I was feeling much better so I decided to a join the hiking class for the day.  The climb yesterday was exciting because we were going to attempt to climb Diamond Mountain.  The morning started off a little cloudy/misty so we were trying to stay optimistic that it would clear up by the time we made it to the top.

halfway to the top!

The rest of the group making their way up!

The hike began on a path that slowly wound its way up the mountain, but as we got further up the path turned into some sketchy stone steps (I stepped off the steps at one point and sunk into 8 inches of mud-luckily I didn’t lose my boots!).  Closer to the top the steps disappeared and we were just climbing up rocks.  As I made my way to the top of the mountain, the sun burst through the clouds as if on command and the view was unbelievable.  We basically got a 360 view of the entire peninsula-it was great!

Sarah and I at the very top

So beautiful...

Looking towards home-that is Tully Mountain in the distance

Once we made it back down the Diamond, we all decided to stop in Molly’s pub for a pint after our climb.  It was a great end to a wonderful afternoon!

Having a pint in Molly's after the big climb

In Molly's..

Last night, we all went to a disco across the street in honor of Gretchen’s birthday which turned out to be craic (Irish for “a good time”)as well!

Even though I wasn’t feeling very well, I had a lot of fun cooking for my housemates this week.  We had all sorts of soups such as Turnip, Apple, and Nutmeg with Cheddar Nutmeg biscuits and Baked Apples, Leek and Potato Soup with Potato Pancakes, and Carrot/Parsnip Soup with Sweet Potato Fries!  I have loved experimenting in the kitchen here, it always seems to be my favorite part of the day!

Apple, Turnip, Nutmeg Soup with cheddar nutmeg biscuits and baked apples!

The girls enjoying a nice candle-lit dinner in Cottage 6 : )

 

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Trip to the North Part 3

I was extremely excited about Saturday because we were going to the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim.  The Causeway is one of those natural wonders that you just have to see to really understand its greatness…  The Irish have a legend that explains why the Causeway was formed and I will try to share a condensed version with all of you:

(taken from http://www.northantrim.com/finnmaccool.htm)

Finn a renown warrior was going about his daily duties on the north coast when one of his adversary, a Scottish giant called Benandonner started shouting and ridiculing Finn’s fighting prowess. This angered Finn who lifted a lump of earth and pelted it to Scotland  as a challenge to this giant.  The Scottish giant retaliated with a rock back  to Finn shouting that if he could get his hand on him, he would make sure that Finn would never fight again adding that unfortunately he could not swim the short distance across the Channel, so Finn would be spared that fate. Finn got enraged by this and tore large pieces from the cliffs,  he worked for over a week pushing these into the ocean bed and made a sturdy causeway to Scotland, when he had finished he shouted ‘Now you’ll had no excuse’ to come over and do your best.  Fearing to lose his own reputation and pride the Scottish giant had no alternative but come over the causeway.  Finn was tired, having not slept for the week he worked on the causeway and did not feel ready for fighting. He thought about how he could buy some time and recuperate to face the Scottish giant and came up with an ingenious plan. Quickly he made a large cot and disguised himself as a baby …… and waited.  The Scottish giant arrived at Finn’s house shouting, ‘Where is that coward MacCool’, Finn’s wife said the he was away but sure sit down and have a cup of tea, he’ll not be long. the tea arrived with a cake in which Finn’s wife had placed some stones. Benandonner took a bite and broke one of his teeth, and thought to himself,  this Finn must be a tough boyo to eat cakes like this, not to be outdone,  he finished off the cake and tea, breaking two more teeth in the process.  He noticed the baby cot and the baby inside it and his eyes widened in fear, he thought to himself, my goodness if this is the size of the baby? What size is the Father?  He reached his hand in to touch the sleeping baby, half out of curiosity and half  as a sign of affection, Finn bit the tip of his finger off.  Benandonner was shocked by this and thought to himself, if this is what the baby is capable of, what must the father be capable of and what could he not do! This thought terrified him, the fear got the better of him and took to his  heels and ran like he had never ran before, back across the causeway to Scotland destroying it as he went.

When we arrived at the causeway we walked down towards the beach and had the opportunity to climb around on the rocks, but there also a path that led up the cliffs and went past “the organ” and “the chimney stacks” (those are both the names of some of the formations in the causeway) and then made it’s way to the top of the cliff.

A View of the Causeway from down on the beach

Looking up at the Organ from the Beach...

So Vaughn, Bridget, and I decided that we only live once and decided to follow the path up the cliff.

"The Organ" up close! It is absolutely huge!

The view from that height looking down on the causeway was astonishing.  I have never felt so small and insignificant…The formations around me dated back to 60 million years…  When we were up on the cliffs, the huge waves crashing onto the rocks below were as loud as thunder claps-I could feel the earth shaking beneath my feet while looking over the edge.  Being on top of that cliff overlooking the ocean, I felt so connected to nature.  The Causeway was by far my favorite part of the trip so far.

A view of the Causeway over near "The Chimney Stacks"

The Red Laterite Rock (I did my presentation about the geology of the causeway, so if you want to know more, just ask!)

Vaughn and I on the very edge of the cliff!

Beautiful

Looking down at the rest of our group from the top of the cliff!

We also made some stops at the Wolftone’s landing site, a 3,500-year-old ring fort and a huge castle overlooking the North Atlantic.  Northern Ireland has so many beautiful aspects despite all of the troubles it has endured.

yep, that's a castle overlooking the North Atlantic : )

Rob and I in the Ring Fort

The whole group inside the Ring Fort

On Saturday night, Tony prepared us an exquisite Irish dinner complete with white linen table clothes, candles, wine, and a traditional Irish harpist.  We had smoked salmon on brown bread, Venison and Guinness Stew, mashed potatoes, potato wedges, green beans, an extensive cheese platter, and more desserts than I could have ever imagined!  It was the perfect ending to an amazing week!

Our beautiful farewell dinner from Tony

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Trip to the North Part 2

The next few days were largely focused on the political situation facing Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  We had a number of speakers come and talk about the structure of the Irish Politics (I won’t go into detail here, but if you would like to know more, just ask!) and we even had a candidate for the upcoming election come and speak with us.  Later that day we met with the mayor of Derry, who is only 27 years old, and learned a little bit about how he is trying to create a new image for the city.  Derry is one of the most impoverished cities in Western Europe.  Businesses cannot thrive because people are still afraid.  The city is trying to change the perception most of the world still has of this place that experienced so much violence.  The main thing that I learned from spending time in Northern Ireland is that throughout “The Troubles” there were no good guys-just gray area.  Both sides committed horrendous acts of violence.

We also took a trip to Belfast on Friday.  We left the Inch House around 930 in the morning and drove 2 hours to our destination.  One thing that was really interesting on the drive was going past the docks where the Titanic was built.  The cranes that are still there are absolutely huge!  Our first stop was at the Northern Ireland Parliament building, Stormont.

Stormont

It is a very beautiful structure.  It sits on the top of a hill looking down towards a long drive towards the city.  We had to go through metal detectors and other screenings before we were even allowed up the drive. As soon as we made our way into the building, we were stopped by various guards and were presented with security passes.  Even with all the security, we were only allowed in the front lobby.  They closed of the two sides doors that led to the actual proceedings and we were also not allowed to go up the main staircase.  Apparently, this Northern Ireland Parliament building was constructed to be a replica of the one in London on the inside.  Even though it was very beautiful and ornate, I found it strange that we had to go through various stages of security just to stand in the lobby.  Apparently with all of the election business going on in the Republic of Ireland, they were not incredibly enthused to be hosting us.

Bridget and I hanging out in lobby

Beth, Brittany, and Hannah in the Lobby of Stormont

A view from the Front Steps of Stormont

After Parliament, we took the bus to see the murals on both the Falls Road and Shankill Road.  The murals on Falls Road seemed to have more of a concentration on remembering those who gave their life for the cause.  The most stunning one in my opinion was of Bobby Sands.  Bobby Sands was the most famous Hunger Striker of 1981.

The Bobby Sands Mural

He was actually elected to be a Member of Parliament while he was imprisoned.  To this day, he is the only Member elected to the British Parliament to simultaneously die in a British Prison.  There is what is called the “Peace Wall” that separates Falls Road from Shankill Road, and there is still barbed wire that lines the top of the wall.  We then ventured down Shankill Road in the bus.  The striking difference between the murals on Shankill Road compared to those on Falls Road was the para-military influence.  The Shankill Road murals had a much darker feel and often depicted men in masks holding guns.  It was actually quite disturbing.  Another striking thing about these two neighborhoods was the extreme poverty.  The streets were lined with restaurants and shops that were all shut down and out of business.  We were there around 2 o’clock in the afternoon, and I was absolutely amazed by the number of people lining the streets.  I was curious why it was so crowded in these dilapidated neighborhoods, and then it hit me-most of those people were probably out of work.  It was a very depressing place to be.  As soon as we drove down into the city centre though, everything changed.  All of a sudden, the streets were filled with high-end shopping centers and restaurants.  It was astounding how quickly the landscape changed…

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Trip to the North Part 1

*Pictures Coming Soon!*

This past week I spent time living in learning at Inch House on Inch Island in County Donnegal.  We were truly immersed into learning about what the Irish call “The Troubles”.  Our first day was spent listening to a variety of lecturers.  To even begin to understand the issues facing Northern Ireland we had to travel back in time to when King Henry VIII broke with the Church and declared himself King of Ireland.  I would attempt to summarize all I learned about the history leading up to the present day, but then this blog post would be absurdly long!  (If you are truly curious about details though, ask me anytime! )  After many hours of background information we got to hear two different perspectives about the past 30 + years:  John Guthrie- a Protestant Community Worker and John McCourt-a former member of the IRA who now works as a Catholic Peace Worker.  John Guthrie grew up in a working-class Protestant family in Derry.  He explained how the Catholic and Protestant kids are segregated from about the age of 3 until the age of 17-18 when they are through the school system.  Protestant kids went to the Protestant School and Catholic kids went to the Catholic School.  John told us how they were constantly taught to fear, hate, and harm Catholics.  The Protestant children are told that Catholics have tails, that their eyes are too close together, ect.  An example of just how extreme the segregation was that if a person killed a Catholic, they were charged with  “killing a Catholic”.  On the other hand, if a person killed a Protestant killed a Catholic, a Catholic killed a Catholic, or a Catholic killed a Protestant that person was charged with “Murder”.   There was extreme dehumanization that just part of communities in the North.  Protestant children definitely had the upper-hand when it came to finding jobs after school as well.  They were almost garaunteed work because cities like Derry were very much “Class-Based” Societies.  However, when the textile-industry died in Northern Ireland everything changed.  The community was full of all of these young people who had not put forth any effort in school because they were under the impression that it didn’t matter.  So with no other opportunities these kids joined para-military groups.  John Guthrie never did join these para-military groups, but because of his religion and the people he associated himself with he put himself in the same amount of danger.  In 1993, John was charged with 9 murders that were actually committed by member of the UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters).  He was arrested and interrogated for 3 days while being denied basic human rights.  He was not allowed to sleep, eat, or use the bathroom.  He was almost persecuted into submission, but was released with the help of a Nationalist lawyer.   He said, “When those who are supposed to uphold the law break the law, then there is no law”.  A lawless society is what Northern Ireland had become.  Today, John works in the community trying to rebuild his city from the ground up.  His motto is that if you need to take the religion out of politics, the politics out of religion, and take both out of education.

After hearing the perspective of someone who grew up with a Protestant background we were able to hear the story of Catholic who grew up in Derry at this same time.  His name was John McCourt.  John McCourt is a peaceworker but is in no way a pacifist.  He is the definition of a survivor.  John was forced to live in a boys’ home until the age of 13 because his family was denied a house because they were Catholics in a Protestant neighborhood.  After witnessing a Civil Rights March at the age of 17 where the police beat Catholic leaders in Derry who were protesting peacefully, John McCourt joined the IRA.  It is important to note as well that the population in Derry was 70% Catholic, but were never able to be in control because of gerrymandering.  John was on the front lines of the fighting during “The Troubles”.  He watched as his friends and classmates die on the front lines with him.  Now most people think that it was the Catholics fighting the Protestants, but it was actually the Republicans against the Police and the British Army who were brought in to fight along the side the police.  (There were also some para-military groups like the UFF)  This struggle was about much more than just religion though.  It started off as a struggle for Civil Rights by the Catholics, but evolved into a struggle for power.  Today John McCourt is a peace worker in Derry.  He firmly believes that the city needs to change the condition that makes war the only option.  Hearing personal accounts like these made all of the history that was thrust upon us earlier just come alive.

The following day we spent exploring the city of Derry.  Derry is actually the only walled city that still exists in Ireland.  John McCourt met up with again to give us a tour of the city. 

John McCourt

We walked along the walls and he pointed out the different neighborhoods and how they are divided.  The most chilling part of the tour was when we went down to the BogSide, which is the poor, Catholic, working-class neighborhood in Derry.  It was this neighborhood that saw the most violence during “The Troubles”.  John McCourt recreated the path he took during Bloody Sunday.  He told us how his friend was shot and died on the same spot where we were standing.  After he had already fallen to the ground, the police came up behind him and shot his friend in the back three more times even though he was already dead…  Taking that walk through Derry was a very emotional experience.  We can read about these events in the classroom for weeks, but being there in Derry with a man who was in the middle of the fighting was unbelievable.  John McCourt’s story almost brought me to tears multiple times.  Those who were killed were no longer just numbers, but they became people with a real story.

Mike, Jake, Maggie, Kenny, and Bridget next to one of the many cannons on the Derry City Walls

One of the many murals in the Bogside Neighborhood

There are still signs of The Troubles all over the City...

We were also able to meet with 2 member of the Northern Ireland Police Force on Tuesday.  Most of us really wanted to hear the perspective of the police because of all we had learned about their involvement in all the conflict.  However, the police treated us as if we were a group of 2^nd graders who were on a field trip.  Whenever we would ask the “tough questions” about their involvement they would almost change the subject!  It was very obvious that our being there made them very uncomfortable.  They almost said more by not speaking though.  It became very clear to us that tensions are still very prevalent and that the hard feelings from “The Troubles” still exist.

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Bus Ride up to the North

Today we began our Journey to the North.  We woke up to cold and drizzly day at home, so we were all glad to hop on the bus and begin the next adventure.  We departed around 10:30 am, and I fell asleep almost instantly.  Around lunchtime, we stopped at the Foxford Woolen Mill.  We took a short tour and learned how a group of nuns came into the dying town of Foxford and turned it around by starting up the mill.  Now Foxford is one of the premier makers of woolen products in the world!  Touring their showroom was so much fun.  I would have loved to buy something, but it is hard to justify a 90-euro blanket!

We hoped on the bus after eating some lunch and then it was onto Drumcliffe to see the grave of W.B. Yeats.  We have been reading so much of Yeats’ poetry since arriving in Ireland that Dr. Dawson felt it was essential that we stop!  It was very eerie when we arrived because the graveyard was in a veil of mist that made it feel like we actually in a Yeats poem…It is a difficult sensation to describe.

A short way from Drumcliffe was the CreevyKeel Court Tomb.  This is one of the best preserved Neo-lithic tombs that we have seen thus far.  It is from about 5,000 years ago, and the layout is perfectly preserved.  We were actually able to walk through the different chambers.  Some of the walls still remain-it is just that the capstones that covered the top are destroyed.  I am still in shock that I walked through a tomb that was over 5,000 years old today…

After the CreevyKeel, it was time to head to the Inchhouse.  We arrived around 630 in the evening and were greeted by our host, Tony, who owns the house.  The Inchhouse is this beautiful old manor that has been converted to house tour groups.  My favorite part of the house is in the sitting room though.  Tony has a piano, guitar, ukuleles, and an accordion for us to play.  It was the first time I had played the piano in about a month, and it felt wonderful!  We were served a wonderful  dinner prepared by Tony and his wife and then had the rest of the evening to relax and socialize.  Tomorrow we have a full day, so it was nice to have some free time!

 

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