Since our departure from Belfast we have had a busy week. I know we have been busy, but it has been even busier than usual. Tuesday morning we departed our temporary home at Queen's Elms in Belfast for Dublin. Two hours later we found ourselves in the heart of Dublin City. Upon arrival we were able to check to our hotel (very early) and made our way into city centre. It was a great two days and a great end to the Irish Studies Program.
There are student blog updates coming soon, but here is a brief overview of what we did in Dublin:
We saw the Book of Kells and Trinity College
We did a "Hop-On, Hop-Off" bus tour
We went to Kilmainham Gaol - a sight of huge importance in modern Irish history
We sang some traditional Irish songs in Temple Bar
We visited St. Patrick's Cathedral
We had two great dinners and full Irish breakfasts
We went to Riverdance
After two very full and glorious days we made our way to London, England. We have just finished our second day in London and it has been amazing. Great weather, wonderful food, and many sites of historic, cultural, religious, and literary significance.
Here is what we have done in London so far:
We have walked through and immersed ourselves in Covent Garden
We have attended Evensong at St. Paul's Cathedral
We attended Henry IV at Shakespeare's Globe
We have walked most of central London!!! (Big Ben, Parliament, you get the idea)
We have visited the British Museum and the Imperial War Museum
We attend the musical Blood Brothers
We have discovered the most amazing low fat, totally healthy, frozen yogurt establishment called Snog
We have one more full day planned then will depart back to North America to see our family and friends who we miss very much.
There will be another update soon. We are in Dublin at this time and things are going very well. We will give a full update shortly. Thank you for following the blog and please make comments when you get a chance.
Technically today started when we were at the bonfire so I will start there.The bonfires start at midnight because of religious reasons the Protestants will not to do any fires on a Sunday.But at the stroke of midnight they waste no time in promptly lighting the bonfires with Molotov cocktails and liters upon liters of petrol. The Lower Castlereagh Community has been trying to reduce the sectarian nature of the bonfires and move to a Despite these attempts the tri-colors were flying along with the Irish National Liberation Army, and a Celtic Football League jersey, all of which represent the Catholic community. The fire was slow to start so several of the teenagers climbed up the stack while some of it was still burning to pour more gasoline on top.One of the kids, on his way down, grabbed the Celtic jersey and tossed it into the flames to make sure it burned, to which the crowd went crazy. The marching band played extremely loud as the people danced to the music, watching the stack burn.Unfortunately, we had to leave before the fire grew large.The cab service would only pick us up if we left at a certain time due to safety precautions.As we walked out to the cabs we could see where all of the other fires were around the area by the huge plumes of smoke that rose to the sky.When we got we went to bed immediately because we were absolutely exhausted.
We woke up late again before heading out to the parade around eleven.We walked a very short distance to the parade and sat along the wall waiting for the parade to begin.The marches are in commemoration of the Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne. The PSNI has been trying to reduce the alcohol consumption during the parades, but there were still plenty of underage kids carrying alcohol in their backpacks.When we got there some of the marchers stood next to us and started drinking a beer, using us as a shield to protect them from the eyes of the cops.
We stayed at the parade for about an hour, watching the several groups march by, each with a different uniform, each representing a different area, and each with its own marching band.The thing that impressed me most about the people is their patriotism. The amount of passion they have for their country, their past is truly inspiring. From the bass drummers pounding the drums to death, to the elderly men still willing to walk the some four miles of the parade, everyone contributed somehow.In some ways that passion is a curse, because that same passion has caused a bitter rival between communities and did cause decades of violence that still haunts the people of the present.
Our afternoon correspondent today is Sam Boenker:
After the parade, we headed back to Queen’s Elms to start the long process of packing. First we had a little organizational meeting outlining the times for personal packing, dinner, communal packing (all of our dishes and hair appliances etc. went into storage), and our songwriting contest Irish Studies Got Talent. It also divided us up into clean up crews for preparing the meal, cleaning up after, and then for packing our kitchen belongings. Our five hours of packing also served as laundry time and time for us to finish up journals, blogs, and our found poems. After rigorous packing, we had a surprisingly good Mexican dinner prepared by Mr. Bizga and students. Then there was a lull followed shortly by organizing the dishes and appliances that needed to go into storage. After sorting out the surprisingly large amount of dishes, Geraldine arrived to help package them and to take them into storage. We wrapped each dish in a sheet of newspaper until two large plastic bins were full and then we sorted the leftovers. We had food, pots, pans, an ironing board, and appliances that had to be put in large garbage bags or carried individually. All of this was aggravated by the fact that Geraldine had a Mercedes sport car (two door, really small in length and width). Still, all of the stuff managed to fit snugly in her car with enough room for her to drive without being suffocated.
After the clean up, Mr. Bizga introduced us to a college aged Spanish man he met while doing laundry at Queen’s Elms.His name was Pere and he had just flown in from Barcelona to start an English language program later that week at Queen’s. He arrived in Belfast today and seemed unaware of the tense sectarian situation here and the fact that today was Orange Day.Mr. Bizga thought he would enjoy meeting people around his age.Ian and Tom talked to him extensively about soccer and Spain’s victory in the World Cup on Sunday.
Later that evening we held Irish Studies Got Talent after a quick survey on the Irish Studies Program. The contest consisted of writing lyrics to the tune of a popular Irish song and was judged by program coordinator Raymond Lennon.All of the performances were great and original but only three could win. First prize went to Vince, second to Katie Brennan, and third to Mr. Brennan (aka Orange Crush).After the contest Raymond gave a very touchy-feely, but genuine and sincere talk about how everyone has a role to play and the program’s uniqueness. We could all tell his genuine passion for the program and we were all grateful for it and his help in organizing and facilitating the program. After his talk almost everyone took a walk up to our local BP-grocery store, called Spar, to get snacks, drinks, and ice cream.After that my evening consisted of playing N64 games on my computer with Ian and Tom and Ryan but other, more sociable people on the program might have more interesting stories. After a little too long gaming session, we all headed off to bed to be rested for the long bus ride to Dublin.
Sunday was supposed to begin rather early. As things stood the night before, we were going to spend the morning hiking to the top of Cave Hill in north Belfast. We even celebrated Mass on Saturday night to free up Sunday morning for the trip. However, it was raining early in the morning and the idea was abandoned due to safety concerns. On the bright side, though, we got to sleep in. It was a refreshing change from the usual.
After everyone had gotten up and had a chance to eat, Mr. Bizga took anyone who wanted to on a “walk to the park” which “wasn’t far away.” Most of us took him up on the offer, and unwittingly became part of what we now call the Belfast Death March. The park was not close by any stretch of the imagination, and the trip there would easily count as a good long walk, but as they say, getting there is half the fun. In fairness, it was interesting to see a different, more affluent side of Belfast. Anyway, when we finally got to the park, we still had half the journey ahead of us. The park itself was beautiful, and a bit similar to the Cleveland Metroparks. The path we took ran next to the River Lagan, and was crowded with people since it was a remarkably warm day. One of the interesting things I’ve noticed is that people don’t walk their dogs on leashes here. Instead, the dog runs free but pretty much stays next to its owner. In fact, I’ve seen more kids on leashes in Belfast (9) than dogs (5). All in all it was a great day to take a walk in the park, even if it was long and a bit hot. At the end of our walk we came to a restaurant with a very interesting place in current events. The DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) was recently rocked by scandal when the wife of DUP First Minister Peter Robinson was discovered having an affair with a man nearly a quarter of her age. As it happens, she gave him ownership of the restaurant and he can usually be seen there (If he was, I didn’t notice.) The food there was very good, and it was a nice break after our long march. Once the food was eaten, Mr. Bizga ordered us taxis back to the Elms and got ready to go to the Lower Castlereagh festival.
The festival was similar to a small summer carnival in America. There were bumper cars, inflatables, and other booths for people to go to. However, we weren’t there to hang out, we were there to “work” with local kids. To “work” some of us went to the football field and started playing football (soccer), while others went to the basketball courts and shot around. Both groups tried to recruit kids to play with them, and the results are interesting. When the basketball players came back to the field, there were a couple locals who had joined in. When we tried to get more people into a basketball game, we were told “basketball is for gays” and as I said, we gave up on basketball and went back to football. One of the two from Castlereagh who had joined in was Robert who we had met last night at the Human Rights Workshop, and who is a really nice and very interesting person, though sometimes a bit rough around the edges. After a while Robert and his friend got tired, the football game ended, and a new game began.
After the game broke up, a few younger kids showed up and started talking to us. About the same time, many of us began to get hit with what felt like small rocks; it turns out one the kids had an airsoft gun. While I’m sure he was having a blast, it was no fun being shot. But more importantly, it looked like fun. So a couple of us asked where he got the gun and found out they were selling them in a stall at the festival. Everything fell apart after we heard this. Ryan Brown and I went to the stall and got guns for ourselves, as well as a massive stash of ammo. The guns were made of real metal, so they looked real, except for the fact that someone had painted them red; it wouldn’t be good for them to look too real. After leaving the armory, Ryan and I loaded some ammo and opened fire. It was all fun and games for those of us who had our own guns, but for those who didn’t, it became a pain. The kids got a kick out of sneaking up and shooting people from up close, especially the girls, and no one got out without a couple hits. The irony, of course, is that our presence was meant to reinforce the peace process and help the people of Lower Castlereagh. Instead, I’m afraid we might have only reinforced a violent worldview. Regardless of the violent character of the game though, the kids had fun and we managed to become friends with some of them, which was part of the goal.
After playing football and airsoft, we were told to “decommission” our weapons, and we went back to the Elms for the evening.
Our afternoon correspondent is Alex Barnes:
Cheers! Alex Barnes here reporting the rest of Sunday, 11 July 2010. Our interactions with the Castlereigh Community continued with a rousing match of futbol! From the community two guys joined us, Brian and Robert. Both were exceptionally good and the match was quite enjoyable to be a part of. While the match was going on I was fortunate enough to be interviewed along with Nina for a local program describing the state of the community and Northern Ireland as a whole. With the video camera running we described our impressions of the country and reflected on our favorite parts of our trip. I felt very honored to be able to do this and I hope that our interview will be put to good use in the community.
Once the match ended due to lack of participation (and two hours of constant playing), some younger players showed up fully garbed in their uniforms and we began to play World Cup. I was partnered up with Tom, but there were many other teams composed of Americans and locals working together to try and win the game. After an intense half hour of this Mr. Brennan captured some photos of us and we had to say good bye to our new friends around 4:30. I was really sad to go; not only because I loved the chance at outdoor activities and sports, but also because I wanted more time to get to know these kids better and hear more about their own lives and thoughts about their community. However, our taxis were arriving promptly today and before we knew it we were back at Queen's.
We spent the new few hours at home catching up on homework or trying to take a shower that actually had hot water. Today Ian and I were both sporting Spain jerseys because at 7:30 the World Cup Finals were on. For dinner we at the dorms and feasted on pasta, pizza, lasagna, and salad prepared by the head chefs Mr. Bizga, Mr. Brennan, and Ms. Duarte. We began to eat just as the game began, and I was locked in my seat for the next two hours. In the 116’ minute Iniesta finally broke the scoreless game with a shot that landed in the back right corner of the goal. Spain took a 1-0 lead and held that for the last four minutes of the game. Spain had finally won the World Cup and everyone here at Queens could not have been happier!
The match was over around 10:00 PM so we soon after departed once more to the Avinole Leisure Center. With the sun quickly setting behind us, we saw a very different scene compared to early in the day. The bonfire loomed before us and already high volumes of music and partying was beginning. We were fortunate again in seeing our friends from early in the day, and after some playful roughhousing (during which many kids focused in on Ryan or John’s hat), we moved a safe distance away from the bonfire in order to see the beginning of “the show.” Around ten till midnight the band came in. This band was not in any set uniform but they began marching around the bonfire and playing their customary songs for this celebration. Watching from a safe distance, we saw teenagers preparing their petrol bombs which would be used shortly for the lighting of the fire. With the launching of these and the burning of a Celtics jersey near the top of the bonfire, the fire eventually caught and the massive edifice began to glow. This day proved very interesting to me because today I could see most clearly the effects of sectarianism. The flag burning and songs that were clearly anti-IRA show the lasting effects of sectarianism and the mind-sets of these very young people.
Well that’s all for today events! Tom will now take over from 12:01 AM on this quite extraordinary day. Cheers!
Book club met this morning to conclude our discussion of Seamus Deane’s Reading in the Dark. We shared our thoughts about the ending and related Deane’s work to what we have learned and seen here in Northern Ireland. All of us agreed that after seeing the city that inspired the book, Derry/Londonderry, the novel took on a new meaning. To be walking the same streets as the narrator and breathing the same air that the author breathed in and out each day was so moving it gave me chills.
After book club we welcomed Raymond into our tiny kitchen and received our debrief for the day. We were preparing to head into the Lower Castlereagh community to spend time getting to know the people who live there. The community is mostly loyalist (real unionist, real Protestant), and it is one of the poorest communities in Northern Ireland. The people are deprived of quality education, job opportunities, and social connection. We were shocked to hear that some of those people had never seen city centre even though it is only about a ten-minute drive away. Many in that population have low-self esteem due to the conditions in which they live. Mr. Bizga informed us that they do not know much about the intensity of our program, so we will just be “the cool kids from America.”
Feeling prepared for the day’s festivities, we headed into city centre in cabs for one detour before our immersion into Castlereagh. We enjoyed live music and saw many E-M-Os before heading to the lawn in front of City Hall. There, a rope lay among a marked area defining two sides. Tug-of-war. We confidently walked over to the challenge, ready to take on any competitors. Our first team gripped the rope and glared down the line at the opponents. The countdown began 3-2-1 – Pull! We were doing so well at first glance that we all assumed the Americans would win this round. Then another second passed. We lost our feet in the wet greenery and down we fell like dominoes. The Northern Irish pulled us Americans across the lawn and over the line with ease. America – 0, Northern Ireland – 1.
After America’s finest failed to represent us with pride, an all girls team stepped in to show them how a real game is played. We gripped the rope, heard the countdown, then pulled. The fight was evenly matched, but eventually the U.S. ladies prevailed. After a few more match-ups of America vs. Northern Ireland, boys vs. girls, and teachers vs. teachers, we bowed out of the competition and taxied over to Avoniel Leisure Center in Lower Castlereagh. Here we were met by Tricia who led the group in a human rights workshop. We viewed a video about the problems children in their communities face and their rights and responsibilities to change the wrongs. Broken glass, faulty electrical fixtures, and speeding traffic are all dangers preventing the children of many neighborhoods from playing as they should be able to do.
Circling up among the other attendees, we discussed human rights. We were given a name tag and were told to put a number on it for all to see. Each letter of the alphabet was then laid out on the floor for the first exercise. A series of questions was asked, and we migrated towards the letter that our response began with. Favorite food, favorite place in the world, most inspiring person you know, and “what is the best thing to do where you are from?” were all questions. (The best thing to do in Ohio is to travel, and the most popular thing in Northern Ireland is to party.) After learning each other’s favorites and not so favorites, we took a seat. Tricia asked us what was missing from that exercise. Katie Brennan responded, “Our names.” The use of a number instead of a name made us all feel as if a part of our identity had been taken away. This was to show us how people can often feel if they have been deprived of their rights.
After a proper introduction using the alphabet instead of numeric quantities, we made a list of the rights we have. The right to life, safe housing, education, nutritious food, family, and freedom all came up as basic human rights that we all are entitled to. Something that shocked all of us occurred when a young man who had a daughter spoke out saying how he has no rights. It was sad to hear someone who feels so defeated by his way of life that he feels as if he deserves nothing to fight for.
Our list was made, so we were challenged to pick the three rights that are the most important. The challenge was near impossible because all of the rights work off of one another to be completely fulfilled. Everyone placed their post-it notes on the poster sized paper. (Ironically, there were both green and orange post-its. All of the green ones wound up on one side, and the orange ones on the other. Even office supplies are subjected to chance sectarianism.) The activity showed us how everyone values different rights and no one right is greater than another.
Counting off into six groups, we made another list of the three rights which we feel need the most improving in the community. The people who lived in Lower Castlereagh made the decisions in our group because they know the area best. I was surprised at the teenagers in our group, especially Vance. He was joking around with his friends and talking during the presentations like he didn’t care much about it, but when he participated in the group he was one of the most intelligent and well-spoken people in the group. Because of the society which he lives in, he feels as if there is nothing for him in life; he could do great things if he chooses to set his mind to it, though.
Many people agreed on similar issues, such as education and freedom of religion. However, just like in the other activity, everyone had different points of view. Another interesting point about the exercise was that the things which the community feels need improving are all simple local level changes like housing or education. The politicians that we met with preached different views on what needed to be changed in Northern Ireland. The citizens are not being properly represented in government, so they feel as if their rights are being ignored. This is where Tricia brought up the point of marching and protesting and fighting for rights, because the people speaking for a community need to be informed of what it is the population wants and deserves.
After the group discussion, we went into the gymnasium for international foods and dance demonstrations.
