Our morning correspondent is Laurie O’Riordan:
Greetings from Belfast!
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”.
~ Hannah Miller
Our trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland has taken us places that we have never experienced. Whether meeting with members of Parliament, visiting with ex-prisoners, playing football with a youth group, or simply spending time in and around the city, the Irish Studies trip has helped us see the world through a different perspective. In listening to both the Catholic and Protestant perspectives of the troubles in Northern Ireland, we have gained new insight into how conflicts can be resolved peacefully. As Hannah Miller explained, our destination is not just Northern Ireland, it is also a new way of looking at both the conflicts in Northern Ireland and the conflicts in our own communities.
Today we set off to a new destination in Northern Ireland, the Giant’s Causeway. On our way to the Causeway we visited various sites throughout the countryside. After a quick breakfast, we set off on a scenic route along the coast to the Causeway. Every other bus trip we had made up to this point was consumed with sleeping and listening to iPods, but on this trip everyone was wide awake. The views were breathtaking from the small winding road set high above the coast line. The first stop on our way was the Carrickfergus Castle. This castle belonged to William of Orange during the 17th century. Since we did not go on a tour of the castle, we all took the first of many pictures for the day, and then went on our way. The next stop we made was a small village along the beach. When the bus pulled over, we hopped off the bus and many of us stood in awe of the spectacular view. There were a few islands off the coast and one lone sail boat riding in the water, whichever way the wind would take it. Everyone gathered in for group pictures and individual pictures with the beach and coastline as a backdrop. This was yet another quick stop though, so after fifteen minutes we set on our way once again.
After another hour of driving, we reached our destination! We had all been looking forward to the first of the adventures for the day, crossing the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. Carrick-A-Rede is a National Trust Park with a picturesque landscape. The Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge stretches across from the mainland of Northern Ireland to a group of small islands, the Carrick Island, Sheep Island, and Stackaboy. From what Mr. Bizga had told us about the bridge, we all thought that it was a small rickety bridge that hardly anyone knew about. We were thankfully proved wrong about that. The Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge is located in County Antrim and was traditionally used by fisherman to check their salmon nets. It is quite a drop to the bottom, 23 meters, but thankfully the bridge was very stable and short. Brenna, Chris, and Emma were scared going across the bridge partly because of the height and partly because Mr. Bizga, Bill, and Brian Keller were shaking the bridge. It was overall a thrilling experience. Then after we crossed over the bridge, the view was absolutely incredible. Since we had such great weather today, we could see far off into the distance, which we joked was Scotland. “Scotland” seemed quite small and desolate in my opinion, but beautiful nonetheless!
After an hour on the Carrick Island, we made our way to a restaurant for some desperately needed food. Mr. Bizga found a place to eat, Tartine, in the Bushmills town. Since we wouldn’t be seated for another half an hour, the teachers decided to let us roam around the Bushmills Distillery gift shop for a while. A few people got gifts for family members or friends, and then we went back to the restaurant. We ambushed the restaurant and its staff, just as the large group of us does in every restaurant, but we had an excellent and filling meal. That’s all for now, hope all is well back home!
Our afternoon correspondent is Brenna Haag:
After a delicious lunch near the Bushmills Distillery, we all finally boarded the bus and headed towards Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway. First, we arrived at Dunluce Castle in County Antrim. This medieval castle from the 13th Century lies almost in ruins and is made up of walls and structures that are still mostly intact. Also, the castle rests on a cliff on the coast of Northern Ireland and provides a beautiful view of the ocean. While exploring, I found fireplaces, windows, and doorways, everyday household structures that gave me the feel that people actually lived here long ago. We also walked into a tower area only to find Mr. Bizga climbing around inside. Although climbing is not advised, we could not resist the stony walls and perfect views. Many of us joined him on the stone ruins and had many great photo opportunities. Kevin managed to make the climb all the way to the top, leaving everyone baffled as to how he did it. After climbing and exploring the castle, we all hiked down to Mermaid’s Cave underneath. This stony pathway leads into a dark cave that hugs the ocean at the bottom. Once again, our adventurous instincts took over and we ventured into the cave, only to have trouble climbing back up the slippery slope. Before our departure, we stopped at the Wee Cottage, the Dunluce Castle gift shop.
Our last stop on this adventure day was the Giant’s Causeway, a part of the National Trust. According to myth, a giant named Finn McCool created the causeway as a walkway to Scotland to fight his rival, the giant Benandonner. Finn McCool fell asleep before he crossed and Benandonner crossed over to Ireland. Seeing how large Benandonner was, Finn’s wife disguised him as her baby. Benandonner realized how much larger the father would be than the baby and fled back to Scotland while destroying the pathway. All of the rocks at the causeway are hexagonal, the big mystery of the formation. We all climbed up stairs and stones to reach the top and to reach the coast. I even made sure to take another O-H-I-O picture for those at home. The rocks act like stepping stones and are easily accessible. Here, I was blown away by the serenity and calmness of the causeway. The long walk excludes it from the outside world and it lies undisturbed on the coast. I will never forget the beauty and mystery of this magical scenery. Sadly, we had to leave the causeway to make it back to Belfast for our dinner reservations. I hope to make it back there someday and explore more of the causeway.
Today, my romantic images of Ireland finally appeared. I saw green, lush grass, crossed the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, explored a castle, and climbed the Giant’s Causeway. These sights provided another side of Ireland to me that Belfast and Dublin did not show. Ireland’s beautiful scenery and colors jumped out at me everywhere we traveled. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it.” Not everyone has the same reactions or thoughts about nature. I saw the calm, beautiful, and serene Ireland I had always dreamt of visiting. I will never forget the scenery from today and hope to come back again.
Our day of adventure and fun concluded with our last dinner out together. The bus dropped us off at our dorms to change for dinner and we all walked to The Barking Dog together. Raymond Lennon joined us for our last group meal, even though we are still in Belfast for three more days. We shared many a laugh and reminisced about out past weeks in Belfast, but we also talked in anticipation of our future adventures here. We all look forward to the week ahead and can’t wait to share our stories with those at home. See you all soon!
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