Belfast Diary - Walsh Jesuit Irish Studies 2011

Achill Cleveland Roots Festival

2011-07-21T12:26:00.001-07:00

Please check back for updates! The final entries are in the process of being posted.

Facebook & Friendship

2011-07-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Brendan Keaney’s thoughts on the AchillCleveland student exchange:

“Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them.”
~Francesco Guicciardini

I chose this particular quote because nothing on Achill has been more important than the friends that we have made on this trip to Ireland. As he says, friends are the most important thing in life. The students from St. Ignatius and Walsh Jesuit did not let the opportunity pass to make new friends. We made friends with all of the students from Achill, and are going to stay in touch with each other on Facebook. Our new friends in Achill made us feel very welcome on their island. All of the events that we have done on the island, such as surfing and cycling, the trip to Clare Island, etc., would not have been the same without them. They made the trip down to the Republic of Ireland marvelous and full of entertainment. I look forward to the Achill students coming over to Cleveland sometime in the future.

The Pirate Queen, Pefect Storm, & Pictures

2011-07-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Our correspondent today is Brendan Keaney:

We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.
~ John F. Kennedy

Today was yet another day of adventure for the Irish Studies students and our hosts from Achill Island. This morning, we all got on a bus and went down to a dock, where we got on a ferry boat. Our destination today was Clare Island. It was about a half hour journey through the choppy coastal waters of Clew Bay to Clare Island. Clare Island is a remote and scarcely populated with only 100 residents. It is famous for the being the home of Grace O’Malley and its untamed natural beauty.

After we all got off of the ferry, we were met by two guides who showed us the way to a fortified tower that served as a looking post for the legendary Grace O’Malley. Grace O’Malley was an Irish pirate in the 16th century. Her father was a sea captain, and as a child, Grace always wanted to be one as well. However, because of her gender, she was discouraged by almost everybody. Legend has it that when Grace’s father refused to take her on a sailing trip to Spain, she cut off all of her hair to look like a boy and forced her father to take her. Later on in her life, Grace became a bold and courageous leader both on the sea and on the land. She even had a face to face encounter with Queen Elizabeth I and won her respect.

After the tower, the guides took us on a two-mile walk to the Cistercian Abbey on Clare Island. Grace O’Malley is allegedly buried in the abbey wall. She is remembered today by the title of “Pirate Queen of Ireland.” After looking around at the Cistercian Abbey, we trekked back across the island to have lunch. Our lunch consisted of soup and sandwiches along with tea and cheesecake. It was in a hotel and the room was lit by candlelight. After we finished lunch, we had time to kill, so a couple of different people played music on a piano that they had found in an adjoining room in the hotel where we ate lunch.

Although the ferry on the way from Achill Island to Clare Island was not exactly smooth, the ferry on the way back from Clare Island was very rough. The weather today was wet and cool and conditions deteriorated significantly while we were on the island. A couple of the students from the Irish Studies group, including myself, thought it would be a fun idea to stay on the main part of the ferry on watch the huge waves fly over us. It was as if we stepped into a scene in the move the Perfect Storm. After a couple of large waves crashed over the main deck, the crew told us we had to go inside or on to the top deck. It was a lot of fun even though we all got soaking wet. There were several people who succumbed to sea sickness. Everybody was relieved when we arrived back ashore on Achill Island. Many jokes were made about our harrowing boat ride through the “Perfect Storm.” We took a bus back to Achill Lodge and Inis Aoibhinn. We had time to shower and change, as well as, hang out for a little while before going out for dinner.

It was hard to believe but it was our last night on Achill. We had a delicious dinner at Masterson’s Golden Strand. During the dinner we found out why so many pictures had been taken throughout our days on Achill. Damien, a teacher from Achill, had put together a memory video and we viewed it during dinner. Mr. Bizga was also presented with formal group picture, on behalf of the entire group, and given individual copies to pass out when we arrived back in Cleveland. After dinner we made our way back to our B&Bs for our final night on Achill Island.

Tour de Achill & St. Swithin

2011-07-15T05:34:00.000-07:00

It’s like the Tour de France without Lance. ~ Mark McKinnon

This quote describes our “scenic” bike ride perfectly. Today was an intense day. We all work up, had great Irish breakfasts, and got ready for our “scenic” bike ride. We had no idea that we were actually in what we have dubbed the “Tour de Achill.” We all we collected by bus from our B&Bs and taken to a bicycle rental pick-up. We were all given a bike, helmet, and safety vest. Little did we know we were testing out the new Mayo Green Way. The Mayo Green Way is sure to become popular with cross country biking enthusiasts and a shock to people expecting a pleasant bike ride through the countryside. The Mayo Green Way is due to officially open in several weeks.

Over the mountain, past the lake, through the woods, and approximately 20 kilometers later we made it to our lunch destination! It was a difficult journey for many; due in part to bicycle equipment failure. Several people had “popped” chains and I lost my handlebars and guided myself in the last two kilometers by shifting body weight. We are starting to wonder if we are secretly trying out for Survivor Ireland. The scenery was amazingly beautiful and on par it was worth it! At lunch we all shared our “war stories” from the trek. The journey really did help people to bond and much laughter was shared. This afternoon we returned, by coach, back to our B&Bs for needed rest and relaxation.

For dinner, the Achill and Cleveland students went to Féile Bia Na Mara, a seafood festival held every year on Achill Island. The festival was a lot of fun, the food was fantastic, and the students from both countries told stories and conversed with one another. The majority of both groups’ favorite part of the night was the dancing after dinner. The music that was played was from a variety of different genres. For the most part, everybody’s favorite dance was Cillian’s request for “Rock the Boat”. Everybody sat down in unison on the floor and essentially pretended that they were rocking a boat. It was a big hit.

Some of you are probably wondering about the weather. Most of our time in Belfast, the weather was warm and sunny; in no way did it match people’s preconceived notions of Irish weather. For our first day on Achill the trend continued and it was bright and sunny. Yesterday it was more overcast, but there were what the Irish call “bright and sunny spells.” But today is the day it can all change for the worse and according to legend it probably will. Today is St. Swithin’s Day and everyone has been attributing the change in weather to him. You are probably wondering why and I must admit I was curious as well.

So just who is St. Swithin and why does he have such an effect on the weather? From what I have gathered from people on Achill, St. Swithin is a medieval English bishop whose burial wishes were not honored. According to legend, he requested to be buried outside where he could still enjoy the seasons and have people walk over his grave. Some years after his death, his fellow monks disinterred him and moved him into an ornate shrine; probably due to his new status as a saint. When this occurred a terrible storm broke and the curse began: whatever the weather is like on his feast day, the 15^th of July, will continue for forty days and forty nights. It rained today; so if the legend is correct that means our remaining time in Ireland is going to be wet. I guess that is why Ireland is known for having forty shades of green.

Here is an Elizabethan rhyme I came across that succinctly explains the significance of this day:

“St. Swithin's day if thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain
St. Swithin's day if thou be fair
For forty days 'twill rain nae mair.”

~ Taken from projectbritain.com

Souperism, Surfing, and Song

2011-07-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

Our morning correspondent today Clark Andrews:

Today was great! After waking from a great sleep, on a real bed, Catherine prepared a very generous breakfast consisting of waffles, real maple syrup, juice, cereal, toast, and tea. She was just one of the many people we met who welcomed us the warmest hospitality I have ever experienced. The people of Achill Island have a very different way of life from the Irish in Belfast. The police station on Achill Island is no barracks. It is merely a small building with one or two cars and officers who do not carry firearms. This service is even less than many small neighborhood police forces in the United States. This is drastically different from the heavily armed police officers and land rovers of the PSNI. The Irish identity of the people of Achill is very distinct from the Irish identity of the northern Irish. They are not caught up in the struggle between British and Irish identity. Irish identity here is uncontested. There is no tension between the people of Achill like there is in Belfast; they are one community. It was a great shock to see the differences between these two different parts of Ireland. The Irishness of the people of Achill fulfilled the much more romantic view I had of Ireland. This may be in part because of the strong connection between Achill and Cleveland. The generosity of the people of Achill was in part from their gratefulness towards the city of Cleveland. They were proud of our twinned cities and the generations of Achill decedents in Cleveland. Achill was my home away from home and the people on the island treated me as if I lived there.

The first part of the day was a bus tour throughout the island of Achill. This tour consisted of the historical sites on the Island. Much of the history on Achill has to do with a Protestant missionary named Edward Nangael. He learned Gaelic so that he would be able to communicate with the people in their own language. He then began to establish schools and bring in large land-owning farmers to create jobs for the local people. Nangeal himself eventually bought two-thirds of the island. During the Potato Famine, Edward Nangeal imported food from Canada to feed the people of Achill with one catch: conversion. The people had to convert to Protestantism to be able to eat at his soup kitchens. This form of bribing people to join the Protestant faith became known as “souperism.” It makes me think of a quote from Dorothy Day, “Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.” One cannot buy religious allegiance. He also began Trinity College to which Protestant boys could gain entrance if they were training to become missionaries. Nangeal also brought the first printing press to Achill and printed the Achill Herald, which was aimed at people outside of Achill Island. This was to send news to people who may potentially settle on the island. He also began the first hotel and is credited with bringing tourism to Achill. The Archbishop at the time bought land to counteract Nangeal’s mission. He created a Franciscan Monastery and started schools for the local people. The people began to flock to these schools. Many of the sites we saw had to do with Edward Nangeal’s effect on Achill’s history.

Another stop was a Napoleonic Tower. These were used by the British to warn of a French invasion of Ireland. The towers were set up in 1806 after the French helped the United Irishmen in the failed attempt to become an independent Republic. The towers were abandoned in 1811 after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo. The tower on Achill is one of the best kept in all of Ireland.

Another major point that was presented to us on the bus tour was that Achill never had a stable economy. It was never great for planting potatoes so farmers use to travel to Scotland for work. They would be gone from June to November, taking cargo boats known as Hookers to Newport where steam ships would take them to Scotland. One-third of the population left during these months, approximately 2100 people. There was a prophecy that a fire coach would bring the dead to Achill on its first and last voyages. The first part was realized when a Hooker capsized and thirty-two men died and were brought back to Achill on the first train to reach the island. Eventually the economy improved when people bought the 300 acres from the Monastery. More land was won in the Land Wars, in which the major landowners were forced to give up their land after the Land Commission.

Our final stop was the Life Boat station. This is the equivalent of the Coast Guard in the United States. It was enjoyable to talk to the volunteers at the Life Boat station who rush at any call of emergency. They were very humble but proud of their different boats. The bus tour was very important to become immersed in Achill life. I learned so much about the people and culture of Achill. It was a very rewarding experience and I am excited for the rest of our cultural exchange.

Our afternoon correspondent is Brian Clark:

This afternoon we went to The Bay Side Bistro where we had the choice of assorted sandwiches, which were very tasty, drinks, and ice cream. The actual building itself looked fantastic; the interior reminded me of a Victorian style house. Not only was the food great, and everyone happy about his or her choices, the people at The Bay Side Bistro were very hospitable and friendly which made the overall experience that much better.

From The Bay Side Bistro we traveled a ways across Achill to Keel beach where we went surfing! Surfing was fantastic. Everyone who went out into the water enjoyed himself or herself a great deal. We got to put on wetsuits that warmed us up a pretty good amount. We got brief lessons from a surfing teacher on the beach. It was really cool, and I feel like his tips really helped. He made us run into the water like a Braveheart scene because he made us put up fake swords, yell, and charge into the water. Then we got our surfboards and went back into the water. The water was pretty cold, it was about 15°C, or about 60°F. But once we engulfed ourselves in the water, we were quick to forget about how cold the water was; we were all just having fun. Surfing was great because we all got to try and stand up on some waves, and a bunch people did! After about two hours of indulging in “water sports” we got some time to rest before we went to dinner.

Both of the groups went back to their Bed and Breakfasts, but my group in particular mainly got ready for the dinner. We had tea and cookies, talked to Kathryn who is the owner of the B&B that we are staying at, and took showers to get off all of the ocean on us.

Then we headed to Gielty’s to have dinner with everyone. Dinner was amazing. We had choice between fish and chips, or hamburger and chips. I personally chose the hamburger and chips, and it was great, one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. For desert we had a slice of apple pie, which was also really good. But before desert, we played this icebreaker type game where we went around with a piece of paper with a bunch of questions on them where we had to ask people from the other side of the trip (i.e. Only Cleveland students could ask Achill students, and vise versa). There were also stakes for winning the contest (filling out the paper first); the one who won would get 30 Euros. Alice ended up winning the grand prize. Drew won a consolation prize for being the first American to turn it in. Then after dinner, we went to the other side of the pub to listen to some traditional, “trad” in Mr. Bizga terms, Irish music. It was pretty cool because we got to hear some songs sung in Irish, and listening to the small group of people play was really interesting as well. From there we ended up outside where we sang different songs for about an hour.

From all the fun today being with the Achill students, and engaging in their culture, it reminded me a quote by Mahatma Gandhi that states, “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” This quote was one I feel fits the twinning of Cleveland and Achill perfectly. So many people from Achill Island moved to Cleveland, and now many of the people from Cleveland have roots from Achill. So now being able to indulge in the warm hospitality and culture, we get to experience something new, and so do the people of Achill Island as well, and we will learn a bunch about each other in the few days we have here. Even though it may seem like a short time being together, it will create long-term friendships, and life long memories.

Arrival on Achill

2011-07-13T10:46:00.000-07:00

Our correspondent today is Bill Malley:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.” ~ Mark Twain

Greetings from Achill Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland!

It is hard to believe but our time in Belfast had come to an end. After Geraldine, our helper in Belfast, along with everyone else finished packing up our dorm kitchen at Queens Elms, we said our goodbyes to Raymond and boarded a private coach to depart for Achill. After the five hour bus ride, we finally arrived. We were greeted by Achill locals’ right before we crossed over the bridge onto the island. I immediately felt like a celebrity by the VIP their reception; it was hard to believe that that they were waiting for us to arrive on the island. During our time on Achill we were constantly photographed and videotaped like reality TV show stars.

Our group was too large to accommodate together on Achill; hence were split into two groups and placed at two different Bed & Breakfast Inns (B&Bs). Our group was split between the stylish Achill Lodge and the beautiful Innis Aoibhinn. I stayed at the Achill Lodge which is run by Kenny Deery. My room at the Achill Lodge is awesome and Kenny is making sure that made we were all well taken care of. After settling in for a few hours, we went to be officially welcomed to Achill at the Aras Forbairt Acla.

Our official greeting on the island was quite a large ordeal. It was attended by local government officials, VIPs and church dignitaries. Our greeting was nothing less than spectacular and extended my feeling of being a reality TV show star. We were given the full honor of a Civic Reception at the Aras Forbairt Acla. At the Aras we met all of those who set up this trip, and they spoke to us about the opportunity that we now have. Terence Dever, who was one of the driving forces behind this program, spoke first and introduced everyone else. Along with Mr. Dever, the First Citizen of Achill, Kenny Deery, Mr. Bizga, and a few other officials spoke to us. They all welcomed us with open arms and told us how happy they are that we were here, they were all clearly very excited that we came. The more I listened to them speak, the more I felt like a student ambassador for my country. We often felt like this in Belfast and the feeling has continued here on Achill. After the formalities had passed we were ushered outside for a performance by an Dookinella Pipe Band. Cian, one of the Achill students that we would be getting to know over the next few days, plays the snare drum in the pipe band that played for us.

At the Cliff House we began talking to all of the students from Achill. I sat next to Maureen and Alice, we began to talk and I realized how alike we all were. Before meeting everyone I, along with all the others, were a little nervous because we didn’t know what to expect of the kids. I wasn’t sure if we would get along well, but we did end up getting along quite well. We had a delicious dinner; I got the lamb and some spuds, or potatoes. We even had the additional treat of vocal performance by Kevin Gibbons! On our way back to the B&B, crossing over winding roads across peat bogs hedged by mountains, I could not help but to reflect on how different Belfast and Achill feel. Achill was more in line with my romantic, stereotypical idea of Ireland. There is lots of green space, it is very rural, and it is ruggedly beautiful. While talking to Maebh, I was a little shocked because she told me that people still collect the turf from the bog and use it for heating their homes. This just made it seem even more rural than before; it is the bogs of Heaney’s imagination. After seeing how and where they lived and even just meeting the kids shattered everything I thought about the people from Ireland, in all reality they are just like us. Finally we made it back to our B&B, we were all exhausted from the bus ride so we fell asleep immediately. With only a few more days left in Ireland I am very excited for the fun we will have in Achill and the friendships that have already began to form. It was an amazing night in which the rich ties of friendship between the people of Cleveland and Achill were strengthened.

Parades and Prayers

2011-07-12T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our correspondent today is Chris Tweed:

“Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict - alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence.”
~ Dorothy Thompson

This morning had a less joyful and lighthearted feeling than the last two weeks in Belfast. Before making our way to the Orange parade, Mr. Bizga informed us that last night was pretty chaotic. Loyalist communities all around the city begin their July 12th celebration by lighting numerous, often large, and highly controversial bonfires. Although many were peaceful, several carried messages of hate toward the nationalist/republican/Catholic community. Rioting broke out throughout the city within both loyalist and nationalist communities injuring 22 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers, thankfully most were not too seriously injured. For example, a crowd of rioters hijacked a bus and attempted to drive it into a police check point. Although it did not cause any damage to the police, it shows the antipathy towards the PSNI and the violence of yesterday evening’s rioting. It was extremely disheartening to hear this bad news because over the past two weeks, we have been talking to numerous people who said that the situation on Belfast is much better than it was in the past. Although this time of the year is typically full of conflict between the two communities, last night’s acts of violence were certainly more escalated than preceding years.

Queen’s Elms and the main Queen’s University campus have never been affected by any violence; even during the Troubles. Leaving the safety of the Queen’s campus, we did not know what to expect in the neighborhood beyond Queen’s (even though we were assured it was safe). Thankfully, the area around us was untouched by any of the riots and we made our way to the Orange parade with no problem. What struck me was the calm feeling I encountered. It was nice seeing the people of Belfast acting as if everything was normal and continuing on with their celebrations. When we started heading down to the Orange parade, we could all could hear the thunderous sounds of the drums. The sound of the drums could be heard from at least a mile away. I can easily see how this is seen as intimidating by the nationalist community. When we arrived on the Lisburn Road I came face to face with the parade I had learned so much about. The bands wore very intricate and military-like uniforms and each was followed by its own group of Orangemen. Each band had a banner, often with religious imagery, representing the areas they were from. They played several up-beat tunes and all seemed to have had great pride in what they were doing. Although we stayed less than an hour, the line of bands did not seem to have an end in sight. This surprised me was the sheer numbers of bands and Orangemen. It was a very interesting experience and a good way to end our trip in Belfast.

The rest of the day we were instructed to pack and prepare for our next adventure on Achill Island. This evening was our final night of prayer and reflection in Belfast. Ms. Madden challenged to pick a word that described Belfast. It was an exercise based on the book, Eat, Pray, Love. We all chose a word and explained why we chose it based on our experience. Almost everyone chose a different word, but they all seemed to fit.

Here is the prayer she wrote for our final reflection:

Good and Gracious God -- Guide for all of our journeys,

Jesus -- our companion along the Way,

Holy Spirit – the tongues of fire that first empowered women and men to go out into the world to spread Good News:

We come to you in gratitude today for this community of pilgrims.

We ask that you bless us with safety throughout our travels tomorrow and as we return home next week.

Through the example and the intercession of Your servant Ignatius of Loyola, our patron and a fellow pilgrim, may we continue to seek You in all of our journeys.

May each step along the way inspire within each of us a Spirit of generosity and compassion so that we might always strive to do all things for Your greater glory.

We ask that You bless the countless number of people who have been a part of our journey thus far – our parents, our families, Walsh Jesuit and St. Ignatius teachers, Queen’s University professors, politicians, activists, ministers, and many new friends here in Northern Ireland.

Bless the people of Northern Ireland – especially those suffering tonight.

May we always share Your love and Your grace with everyone we encounter throughout our life pilgrimages.

And we ask all of this through the intercession of Mary, Our Lady of the Way.

Amen.

Goodnight everyone. Can’t wait for Achill!

Written in stone?

2011-07-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Our first correspondent today is Andrew Damm:

“Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies - or else? The chain reaction of evil - hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars - must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today around noon our group left Queen’s Elms and took cabs to the Avoniel Leisure Centre in the Lower Castlereagh community. The Loyalist community in the Lower Castlereagh area of Belfast wants is making an effort to transform the celebration of the 12th of July into a more community-centered, positive event. When we arrived at the festival it had many of the features of a typical American 4^th of July celebration. They had a food trailer serving free burgers and chips (steak fries); which most of us had for lunch. We noticed when we arrived that they had a lot of different inflatable rides, or “Bouncy Castles,” for the kids to play on. They had one that rolled you down a hill in a big hamster ball. They also had one where you attached a bungee cord to yourself and raced a partner for a flag on the opposite end. Another popular one was where you stood on a small unbalanced platform and threw a punching bag hanging on a string at each other to make your opponents fall off. Bethie was happy to discover that they even had a Harry Potter inflatable to celebrate the upcoming movie release. There were even celebrities from video games walking around Mario from Nintendo and SpongeBob SquarePants costumes. Later Stephen Sigmier got to dress up as Mario and Kevin Gibbons got to dress up in the SpongeBob outfit and they passed out candy to all the little kids. They even got a couple hugs from the thankful little ones.

We were asked to put together an American food booth. Ms. Madden and Mr. Bizga had gone on a shopping adventure to get us the supplies and bought out the scarce amount of marshmallows available in Northern Ireland. We students were given the task of preparing chocolate chip cookies and Rice Krispies treats and we did slave the previous night making them. I walked around with Laurie offering home-made American chocolate chip cookies to the people at the festival. Some people took them trying to be polite and gladly discovered how tasty the cookies truly were. Yet, I received some uncertain “No thank-yous” from people, who eyed the cookies oddly. We also had chocolate chip Rice Krispies treats, which went over well with the people.

After passing out treats and passing out candy masquerading as video game characters, we all went on the many different inflatable rides with the neighborhood kids. We got some great camera shots of people diving through the air and being pulled back by the bungee cord while trying to get the flag on the racing inflatable. Some of the group then took turns battling it out with the punching bag. Overall it was a fun experience for all. The festival could have been anywhere else in the world and you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong, except for the bonfire that towered over the whole scene.

After a few hours at the festival Sam, a Loyalist and ex-U.D.A. prisoner, offered to take us around in a van and show us a few other local bonfires in East Belfast. Most of us accepted the offer and piled into the van with Mr. Bradesca. Sam first took us to the biggest bonfire in Northern Ireland. It looked like a sky-scraper it was so enormous. This one only had Ulster flags and the Union Jack. There appeared to be no signs of hate except for the pile of wood itself and its enormous size. I felt out of place at this bonfire, but not hated. We drove to another one in a nearby neighborhood. It was nowhere near as big, but it was still pretty intimidating, for another reason. It was made of pallets and rubber tires. On it were cardboard signs that read: KAT (Kill all Taigs) and FTIRA (F the IRA). Taigs is a derogatory name for Catholics. They had defaced posters of Sinn Féin politicians on the bonfire along with the tri-color flag of the Republic of Ireland. They had effigies of nationalist politicians they disliked as well. One of the locals who saw us taking pictures came to us smiling to talk about the bonfire. It was obvious he was very proud of it. They even had a kid’s bonfire which had an effigy of Pope Benedict XVI on top. This made me feel horrible, because they are teaching the kids to hate something without even exposing them to the good in it. All of us left feeling a little scared and a little sick inside. Sam dropped us off at Queen’s Elms and we went about doing our own tasks.

In the evening you could see plumes of smoke rising in the evening sky and smell the wood being burned. The whole experience felt very eerie and disturbing. It seems that every day I observe and experience more of the conflict and issues here, I become more lost as I look for the truth. We have truly discovered a world that many of us never knew existed. We have all been blessed to have this opportunity and to have God keeping us safe during our stay here in Belfast. God Bless.

Our other correspondent today is Justin Hamlin:

Maya Angelou said, “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” I chose this quote by Maya Angelou because I think it relates well to what we did today. We took part in a cultural festival for Catholics and Protestants that tries to promote friendship between the two sides.

Today we took part in a cultural festival hosted by Loyalists in East Belfast. As many other days have been this week, today was a very relaxed morning. Wake up time was not until eleven o’clock because we had quite a late night. Last night we baked American sweets for the festival today. In one kitchen people made Rice Krispies treats, while in the kitchen I was in we made chocolate chip cookies. Stephen, Laurie, Brenna, Clark, Brian, and I baked from around eleven o’clock until one in the morning. We feared we would have to redo the cookies this morning, but they turned out just fine. I enjoyed getting to spend some time with people I have not talked to very much during this trip. We used great teamwork to make some great cookies that we passed out to people today.

After breakfast we headed to Avoniel Leisure Center for the festival. The Loyalist organizer of the event, Sam White, invited us to help try to promote peace and friendship among the people of the two sides. Our Irish Studies group had its own table to set out the sweets on. After we set down the food, everyone ran over to get free cheeseburgers and chips out of a portable cooking trailer. The cheeseburger and chips were some of the tastiest things I have ever eaten. The festival consisted of a huge bonfire made of pallets, and several blow-up play activities for children. We thought there were going to be more activities and food stands, but besides the burger stand and our American-made deserts, there was nothing else! Some of the local youths were dressed up in costumes and were handing out candy to the little children. When they saw this, Stephen and Kevin volunteered to dress up as Mario and Sponge Bob SquarePants for the children and pass out candy. After walking around for a bit our entire group came to a blow up arena that had a giant pendulum in the middle and four stools that people stood on. The point of the game was to knock the other people off their stools with the pendulum and win. Later we also played a game where you were strapped to a wall by a Velcro belt and a cable. The objective of the game was to outrace your opponent and grab the disk ten yards ahead. I really enjoyed the festival today, but I could not get over my uncomfortable feeling of being in a heavily Loyalist neighborhood.

As we drove home I saw bonfires with signs that read “Kill all Catholics” and pictures of Catholic political leaders were hanging on the wood piles waiting to be burned. This made me feel uneasy. Most of the group went with Sam and saw some fires being built, but Stephen, Kevin, and I went back to Queens with most of the teachers.

Mr. Bizga took the three of us on a secret adventure to Milltown Cemetery, a Catholic cemetery, which is a place that this year’s group, besides us three, did not get a chance to visit. Milltown Cemetery is located on the West side of Belfast, and it is where some very prominent Catholic figures are buried. While walking through the gigantic cemetery we came upon the memorial for those who lost their lives fighting for Irish independence. At the memorial I saw the grave of Bobby Sands and other people who died during the hunger strikes. Raymond Lennon pointed out that the spot we were in was where Michael Stone threw grenades at people during one of the funeral services for these men. His actions killed three civilians. Stone devised the idea for the Milltown attack after an IRA bomb killed eleven people attending a Remembrance Sunday service in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in 1987.

On the way back to Queens we rode with Raymond through Loyalist districts. We had to stop by Raymond’s house to get something and on the way we passed several bonfires. We saw smoke rising from the fires in the distance. Northern Ireland is a place where sectarianism is visibly present as you drive through the city. Today was an uncomfortable day for me because I am a Catholic and we were among Loyalists, some of which are very anti-Catholic.

However, today’s festival was evidence that people like Sam White are trying to emphasize to people of both sides that we all cry, laugh, eat, worry, and do many of the same things. Having hatred towards people who are actually just like you is no way to live. Peace should prevail in Northern Ireland, and it is well on its way. We are very safe where we are staying at Queens. We are far away from the bonfires and the sectarianism.

Miss my family and Johnny,
Justin Hamlin

Human Rights

2011-07-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Our first correspondent today is Bethie Stein:

“Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.”
~Robert Ingersoll

Greetings! Today was a great and insightful day. This morning we were able to sleep in because we had a later start on the day. We walked down the street to Saint Bridget’s Church where we had another unusual mass. This time the liturgy itself was not bad at all, what was odd to us was the fact that there was no music. The mass was lacking some liveliness but other than that it was well done.

After the mass, we were given free time because our activities for the day were not going to start until 1 o’clock. Emma, Morgan, Eileen, Bill, Brian, and I headed over to a local café, Maggie May’s, for breakfast. Although an unusual mixture, we all ordered milk shakes along with French toast. It was delicious! We then rushed back to our Queen’s campus because we thought we were going to be late. Fortunately for us, our activities for the day were pushed back another hour. After the hour passed on we jumped in the cabs and headed over to a Human Rights Workshop at the Castlereagh Community Group.

When arriving to their local Recreational Center, we walked into their auditorium to find chairs formed in a circle. There were about a handful of youth from their community, and then the 16 of us. At first I thought this would not be a successful workshop due to the fact that there were so little of them there. In actuality it turned out that their representatives were extremely vocal and active in the activities. We started off by playing an icebreaker. The woman in charge of the workshop gave us all nametags and told us to write the name of someone famous on them. We then were told to put the nametag on the back of someone in the group to which they had to try to guess who was on their back by asking questions. After that icebreaker we played a game where every letter of the alphabet was placed on the ground. When a question was asked, we all had to stand by the letter that was the first letter of your answer. Questions included our favorite color, food, etc, all of which showed the separation between us and the youth from Northern Ireland. Then we were all asked what was most important to us in our lives. It was incredible to see that nearly two thirds of us went to the letter “F” for family (with a few stragglers for FIFA). Regardless, it was really cool to see that we all have a common ground.

Once we finished with the icebreakers, we all sat in our circle and named off our human rights. The right of food, shelter, love, and freedom were all examples of what our group brainstormed. After naming off those rights and discussing them, it became clear to all of us that no matter our social class, religion, or race, we all deserve these basic rights. The quote above exemplifies these realizations. Our social class or religion does not make us better than others by any means. We were all created equal which means we should all have the same basic rights as those people around us. After discussing our rights, we were split up by nationalities. The people from NI were asked to name five issues of teenagers in the United States, and vice versa for us. Our group came up with education, safety, political representation, employment, and sectarianism. The people of NI nodded to our answers in agreement and said we were spot on, but when it came time for their turn we quickly realized that although they had valid problems for people in the United States, they were not problems for any of us.

After that activity, we broke up into smaller groups consisting of two people from Northern Ireland and four Americans per group. Bill, Brian, and Emma were in my group along with two teenagers from NI. We were asked to pick a problem in society and make up a plan to solve it. Our group picked the topic of education. In Northern Ireland their schooling is broken up into four districts rather than one like in the states. This causes families to pay more in taxes and the government to spend more money. The four districts include Catholic, Controlled (Protestant), integrated, and Irish language. The students within these schools are required to a take test at the age of eleven (The 11+ Test) which determines the quality of schooling they will receive in the future. Those who pass the testing go onto Grammar School and ultimately University, while those who fail go to a much lower level of schooling. The test has been an issue in Northern Ireland because many say the age of eleven is too young to determine the rest of these children’s lives. Because of the separation of school districts and the 11+ Test, our group decided those two issues would be the way we would solve the issue of education. When we were trying to figure out how to solve them, we asked one of the teenagers from NI about the difference between the Grammar schools and the schools those who fail attend. She replied that she knew nothing about Grammar schools because she failed the 11+ Test. At the moment in time, the situation in NI became very real to me. I realized how easy I have it and that I should appreciate the opportunities and education that I am continuously receiving. Today was a real eye opener.

Our second correspondent today is Kevin Gibbons:

Everything can be taken from a man or a woman but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.
~ Viktor Frankl

The workshop was a great way for Americans and loyalists to interact with each other and get to know each other better. We played an ice breaker game in which we stood on letters of our favorite food, or what meant most to us in our lives, etc. This was a great way to get the two sides integrated and talking to each other. After the ice breakers we sat back down in a big circle and discussed some of the bigger issues that surround Irish history.

The first activity was for the Americans to pick out 5 big aspects to the problem in Northern Ireland. It was really exciting to see the locals in the group nodding their heads and saying “Spot On” as we presented what we thought the big points were, because it showed that our immersion had given us a very real look into the conflict. A number of our teachers would later express their pride in how insightful our answers had been.

After this activity, we were again broken into small groups and asked to pick one of these issues and come up with a “game plan” for solving it. Most of the groups, with the help of some of the staff of the workshop, came up with reasonable plans of action. But the more interesting thing to see was how the group with two locals, Sammy, and Gareth, had structured it. They had fielded questions from the Americans on the issue, and had advised whether certain strategies would work. From this, the entire group gained further insight into the problems they faced.

Following the workshop we were taken to a Protestant bonfire. The locals building the fire said it was a short one, but it was twenty feet high. We were not allowed to climb up to the top of the fire pit because it was leaning and the teachers did not want us to get hurt. Tomorrow we are going back to the same place for a food festival. It was interesting to see just how little sense of history the people making the bonfire had, especially coming from our background. Having studied the bonfires from an academic point of view Dr. Gordon Gillespie, we always had an underlying sense of meaning. However, the people constructing it didn’t really seem to think of it as much more than a bonfire for the 12th. This was an interesting thing, and it made us more excited to see how they would act at the bonfire itself. Plus, the promise of lots of different food is pretty exciting for all of us. Afterward we returned to Elms, had reflection, and went to bed for a good nights sleep in preparation for the fun on the 11th.

Giant's and the Barking Dog

2011-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

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 17^th 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:

“The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

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 13^th 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!

Politics & Poetry

2011-07-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

Our morning correspondent is Brian Keller:

President Bill Clinton was the first President of the United States to visit Northern Ireland in November of 1995. During that visit he assured the people of Northern Ireland that they were viewed by the US as “partners for security, partners for prosperity, and most important, partners for peace". In October of 1997 reflecting on that visit he said, “I was there to show the desire of the United States to help and to support the peace process, not to impose a vision or a solution of our own. I'll never forget the faces of the people, young and old, of both traditions, who reached out to Hillary and me as we traveled through Belfast. I was very proud to represent the American people and to be able to share our ideals and experiences with the people in Northern Ireland.” President Clinton was an important figure in the process that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. President Clinton became personally involved in Northern Ireland to try and settle the differences between the nationalists and unionists. His “hands on” approach has been cited by all parties as a critical part of the peace process. He played an important role in the Irish Peace Process and was highlighted, along with President George W. Bush, by the US Consul General today.

The general wake up time this morning was nine o’clock because we had to get our good clothes ready for the day. Today we went to visit with the United States Consul General in Belfast. It was about a ten minute walk to the United States Consulate complex from Queen’s Elms Village. Upon our arrival we were subjected to strict security before were given access. The majority of us had to wait outside and go through security two at a time. There were two guards waiting inside the security check point and we had to present our identification cards. We had to put all of our electronics into a bin and walk through a metal detector; just like at Stormont. Consul General Kamala Lakhdhir represents the United States of America in Northern Ireland. Her function is to represent the US government in day to day affairs in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Due to the divided nature of Northern Irish society strengthening the peace process is important part of her job.

We did not have to wait long for the lecture to start because she already had the PowerPoint presentation set up and ready to go. There was a delicious selection of biscuits to choose from and tea was available to us and made us feel welcomed. Consul General Kamala Lakhdhir started the presentation by mentioning she has been working as the United States Consul General in Belfast for the past three years. Belfast is one of the oldest US Consulates and there has been an American post there since 1796. Many immigrants come to the US via Northern Ireland and there have been constant commercial links. There have been strong ties to Northern Ireland throughout US history. For instance during the Civil War the North would not buy cotton from the South; so we bought linen, from (Northern) Ireland, in place of cotton. During World War II, Northern Ireland was used as a fueling port on the way to Normandy and we trained some of our pilots there. Of course the current US involvement in the Peace Process was highlighted and covered in considerable detail.

Something I never knew before Kamala’s lecture was the positive role that President George W. Bush has played in implementing the Good Friday Agreement. He is one of the principal reasons why the IRA decommissioned their weapons. A large number of Irish Americans had supported the IRA throughout the Troubles, even though the IRA was involved in acts of terror. Many Irish Americans supported the IRA and their armed struggle for Irish unity. After 911, President Bush realized it was wrong to allow any Americans to support any group that committed acts of terror. President Bush’s had Ambassador Richard N. Haass deliver a strong message to Irish Republicans. They were told that the world had fundamentally changed that day and the US could no longer tolerate an armed IRA. I liked hearing that because it shows how much of an influence America has on some of the steps Ireland is taking towards peace. When it was time to ask questions I asked the first question about how long America will be needed in Northern Ireland to help consolidate the peace. Kamala said that the United States will probably be performing this role in Northern Ireland for a long time. Kamala’s lecture helped me understand more about the positive role that United States is playing in Northern Ireland.

Our afternoon correspondent is Brendan Keaney:

“You can’t build a bridge without support on both sides.”Jeffrey Donaldson, member of the Democratic Unionist Party

Jeffrey Donaldson said this in regard to building peace between Protestants and Catholics after what happened throughout the period known as The Troubles. Mr. Donaldson believes that both Protestants and Catholics must be willing to make peace with each other. Although they might not agree about what happened during the Troubles, they need to be able to forgive each other and move on with their everyday lives. As the quote says, you cannot build a bridge without support on both ends. If you have support on just one side, you only have half of a bridge. If you only have support on one side, conflict will still happen on the other side.

Following a meeting with U.S. Consul General Kamala Lakhdir, the Irish Studies group and I had a meeting with Sinead Morrissey, an Irish poet. At first, we were going to meet in a room at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, but Sinead quickly escorted us to another nearby building and into another room. She began her talk by showing the group two pictures of a young girl. She asked us to guess who it was, and to my surprise, it was not Sinead, but rather a girl by the name of Alice Liddell, the main character in the book Alice in Wonderland written by Lewis Carroll. After providing the Irish Studies group with background information for her poem Storm, Sinead read us her wonderful poem.

The next poem Sinead read to us was Augustine Sleeping Before He Can Talk. This poem was about her son’s trip to the Belfast Zoo when he was a baby. When her son was more interested in the leaves on bushes than animals at the zoo, Sinead wondered how babies think about before they speak a language. She imagined that maybe babies thought in terms of colors, smells, or even images. After this poem, to our enjoyment, Sinead talked about how two entrepreneurs around 1900 named Mitchell and Kenyon would go to various locations and film people as they walked by. Mitchell and Kenyon would show the film to audiences for one penny per person. The final poem Sinead Morrissey read to us was entitled Electric Edwardians. The poem was written in 2008. The poem was about the films Mitchell and Kenyon made. Sinead had seen one of their videos in 2005 and she instantly knew she would write a poem on it in the future. She ended up writing the poem on a train from Belfast to Dublin. Following Sinead’s poetry reading, some of the students were able to get some of Sinead’s books signed.

After Sinead’s book signing, the Irish Studies group and I headed back to Queen’s University for a talk given by Jeffrey Donaldson MP, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. Jeffrey Donaldson is a Unionist, which means that he believes that Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom. Mr. Donaldson objects to anyone who uses violence. Mr. Donaldson has a first-hand experience of the Troubles. His cousin was the first policeman to be killed by the Irish Republican Army. He believes that experiences in life shape who you become. Twenty years ago, Jeffrey hated what the IRA stood for. He was even happy when he heard that a member of his regiment killed an enemy after the enemy’s gun became jammed. He was happy that his comrade was saved, as well as, that a member of the opposing force was dead. After he met the father of the man who died, Jeffrey started to feel grief. Jeffrey suffered a lot from the Troubles, but he also learned a lot from the Troubles. He has forgiven people who have perpetrated wrongdoing against him and any member of his family.

A major part of Mr. Donaldson’s speech was focused around peace being a process rather than a single event. He believes that Protestants and Catholics have to find a way to live together in peace. Jeffrey Donaldson thinks that the Good Friday Agreement did not bring peace, but was a significant milestone on the way to peace between Protestants and Catholics. During his talk, he stressed how important he thinks peoples’ wants in regards to government and everyday life matter. He stated that only one-third of the people in the working-class of Northern Ireland vote in political elections. Local paramilitary group leaders seem to be influencing young people more than local politicians.

Following the meeting with Jeffrey Donaldson, we were able to split up and go out for a couple of hours and get something to eat. When all of us got back, we had a nice reflection and went to bed.

Building Trust

2011-07-07T17:39:00.000-07:00

Our correspondent today is Eileen Elliott:

Today we began our day with a late start. Our original plan was to wake up at ten in the morning and leave for The Reverend Bill Shaw’s church at eleven. However, once we woke up we received the news that we would not be leaving for the church until three in the afternoon. Our group had free time until then and we were so excited to relax. It was a nice change from our usual hectic schedule. Many of us went back to sleep, while some took the time to work on journals or get a big breakfast. The girls decided to watch a movie and relax. Our relaxation time passed very quickly and we soon had to leave for the 174 Trust, Reverend Shaw’s organization.

Bill Shaw runs 174 Trust which is an organization that brings both Catholic Nationalist and Protestant Loyalist children together to form bonds in a relaxed, safe environment. His belief is that children can change the future by integrating peacefully with each other. Baroness May Blood’s quote seemed appropriate to mention in this instance since she seems to reinforce Reverend Shaw by stating that children are not to be looked upon as future possibilities of change, but rather they are the only thing that matters if an effort for peace is to be realistic. Once we arrived at the church there were two young boys, Chris and Kieran, playing soccer. Everyone introduced themselves and joined in the fun. The church quickly filled with young boys of all different ages and backgrounds. You could not tell any differences between the boys while they were playing soccer. Everything seemed very simple. All of us played soccer with them but soon it was time for dinner. We all had fun talking with the boys, and some of us began to make predictions about what side each boy hailed from. There were certain signs that gave some of the boys away. One boy was terrified to find out that we would be going to a football match between two Catholic teams. He was literally shaking and near tears. This was very disturbing and put a very real face on a terrible reality.

At dinner we enjoyed Dominos Pizza with all of the children we had just played soccer with. The food seemed to be the best meal that the boys had ever had! They were very grateful and no one seemed to care who was who as long as there was food and drink! We sat around the two boys, Chris and Kieran, who were both fifteen years old. They told us about their life at school and about the Eleven-Plus Exam. The exam is taken by all Northern Ireland eleven year old children. The results of the test determine which track the student will follow for the remainder of their school years. If you pass the test you are able to enter Grammar School, which eventually feeds into University. However, if you fail you are basically told you are not good enough and are forced to go to a mediocre school in which it is very unlikely to succeed. Chris and Kieran continued by telling us about the forceful ways their teachers disciplined them. An example they shared was the story about a teacher shooting a student with a staple gun. I could not believe that this was a normal-day occurrence for them. However, this did not seem to weaken Chris and Kieran’s spirit. We finished our conversations and left to go see our first local Irish soccer game.

Once we arrived at the soccer game the stands were filled with people. There were even super fans at the top of the stands screaming for their team. The atmosphere felt like I was back at a Walsh Jesuit football game. There were the young men screaming like crazy and the parents surrounding them. The super fans were even singing similar songs that we do at our own football games. I could not believe that a place that was across an ocean had traditions that were so similar to our own. We were caught up in the fervor of the fans surrounding us and began cheering for their team, the Cliftonville Football Club. The little boy who was terrified to go to the game was still pretty uneasy, but I caught him smiling a few times! Our team was down one point and when we left the score had not changed. We returned back to our dorms for reflection and well deserved sleep.

Goodnight to all of our family and friends.

Playing for Peace

2011-07-06T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our morning correspondent is Morgan Wajda:

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.”

- Anais Nin

Good Morning again!

Last night was a late night, so we were thankful for a later start this morning. Running Club met again since the rain had prevented even their strongest will to run yesterday morning. After a quick breakfast either at the Treehouse or in our own kitchen, the cabs picked us all up around 9:30. Today was much anticipated as it was finally time to get to experience Peace Players International of Northern Ireland (PPI-NI) first-hand after Rory O’Neill, Mr. Bizga’s former student at John Carroll University, spoke to us all last week. Peace Players International has four locations across the globe (Northern Ireland, Middle East, Cyprus, and South Africa) where many volunteers and staff work to bring communities together through sports. Last year PPI-NI worked with over 900 students through teambuilding activities and teaching these kids about acceptance of others in their community. Within Northern Ireland, PPI specifically focuses on the game of basketball, because most children do not know how to play and basketball is a neutral sport in an area of such deep-rooted conflict. PPI-NI staff divides the players into four groups of about nine kids each. These teams are mixed Catholic and Protestant with children from all over Northern Ireland who attend different schools. Starting at a common ground, all participants are treated equally and shown over a course of eight weeks the similarities between the two groups. Activities require teamwork with a group of individuals a child might not have ever met in the past. After Rory spoke with us last week, I couldn’t wait to experience this relationship building program.

When we first arrived at Ballysillin Recreational Center, in north Belfast, we were instructed to divide ourselves into four groups, each of our groups partnered with one of their groups. The event we were participating and helping with today was called The Game of 3 Halves. In the morning, the section we witnessed, the children switched off between four stations, Peace Players, Football (Soccer for Americans), Gaelic Football, and Rugby. My group was Brenna, Stephan, Drew, and Shannon, one of the volunteers from the United States, specifically Connecticut. We started off at Peace Players where we talked about stereotypes and what it means to discriminate. I was very interested by some of the responses the children had when asked what a stereotype was. The activity was passing a basketball to another teammate after saying the first thing that came to mind when given a word. Some of the “off the top of your head” answers given for Americans were burgers, tall, speaking differently, baseball, basketball, and proud. On the other hand, the responses given about Irishmen were Irish dancing, shamrocks, leprechauns, four leaf clovers, green, and drinking. I was amazed at some of the responses the 11 year old children said. After watching and participating in this activity, I see how valuable it is to educate young kids about respecting all individuals no matter what side of the city they live on.

The other three activities our group did were football, Gaelic, and rugby. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the kids interact with people they might never meet if not for PPI. The quote above really summarizes this feeling for me. A whole new world is opened to these kids when the past is left to the past and friendships are formed on neutral territory. Only once the children meet people from the other side can they form an opinion about someone who is very different from them. Although they play together, I was surprised when a little girl on my team, Amy, began talking to me about the 12^th. She was very interested in our studying abroad experience, and since she was under the impression we were only there for the day (she thought Ireland in general but we were only with PPI today) she told me I was very lucky I wouldn’t be in Ireland on the 12^th of July. When I asked her why I was lucky, she said, “Satan.” Through “telling,” a concept of asking generic questions to figure out what side any person is on, I was able to quickly figure out she was Catholic. I was disturbed by her statement after having just agreeing stereotyping is wrong. Immediately I turned to Shannon, the coach of our team, and told her. Shannon informed me the little girl lives in a very Catholic, nationalist community and that at lunch, she would talk to her about her statement because she figured she was probably just scared.

After we broke off from the kids for them to eat lunch, we left and went to have lunch ourselves. I believe this is where Stephan picks up, but every single one of us enjoyed our morning spent with Peace Players International. We will have great stories to share with you all when we return in a little less than two weeks.

Cheers! Dia dhuit!

Happy Birthday Marissa!!

Our afternoon correspondent is Stephen Sigmier:

“When people tell me that young people are the future, I say no, they are now.”
~Baroness May Blood

After reluctantly leaving the Peace Players, we stopped at a delicious sandwich shop, had a filling lunch, and walked up the Antrim Road to meet Reverend Bill Shaw at the Duncairn Complex. Rev. Shaw, a spirited man with a lively voice, sat us down in a conference room and spoke to us about the program he leads, the 174 Trust, and about his own life. Rev. Shaw was born in the Sandy Road region of Belfast, a predominantly Loyalist area. Growing up, he was taught to never interact with those outside his community; the first time he met a Catholic was when he was 17. At the age of 26, however, Rev. Shaw had a changing religious experience that inspired him to enter ministry in the Presbyterian Church. His first years as a minister were spent in traditional congregation. While working as a pastor, Rev. Shaw felt glad he was improving peoples’ lives. Yet he also began to feel that he could help improve the community by paying attention to problems that his church often overlooked. This feeling led him to apply for the leadership position at the 174 Trust, which he received only three weeks after the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

At first, Rev. Shaw felt alien working for the Trust at the Duncairn Complex, located in the predominately Catholic New Lodge area of Belfast. People in the area were skeptical that he, a Presbyterian minister, could improve their community. Their skepticism was increased by the fact that he was working in an area known as the “Murder Mile,” where almost 20% of all murders during the Troubles took place. The Catholic community only accepted Rev. Shaw after being persuaded that he had no ulterior motives in running the Community Center and seeing his contributions to the 174 Trust.

The main contribution Rev. Shaw explained to us was the 174 Trust Youth Group, which he had started personally with a group of 11-15 year-old kids from around the New Lodge and Shankill areas. The club began when, after seeing the kids loitering on the roof of a building, he invited them into the Duncairn Complex to hang out and talk about football. At the end of their stay, he invited them to come to the building the same time next week to play football in the assembly hall. They came, and thus the Youth Club was born. Rev. Shaw gave us an example of a game they played at the group, a puzzle in which the kids unscrambled a hidden word through guessing. He showed us the paper they played on yesterday. The word was “inclusion.” Rev. Shaw had a story to go along with this word; one day, after seeing a child show up day after day at the football field to watch the Youth Group play, he walked over and asked him if he wanted to join in. Ariel, whom they got to know over the course of the day, happily joined in, and the Youth Group suddenly included another member. After hearing so many painful stories about the Troubles this week, Bill’s was a balm to me; it made me remember that there is good in the world.

After speaking to us about the Youth Group, Bill gave us a quick tour of the Duncairn Complex. Colorful murals painted by both children and adults in the 174 Trust’s many programs adorned the walls of the buildings. My favorite part of the tour was the playground outside the two Irish-language pre-school trailers. Rev. Shaw mentioned that it was financed by the Bank of Ulster, which noticed the good work the 174 Trust was doing and decided to chip in to the effort. Although the playground had walls around it, which served as somber reminders that not all is well in the community, it was still good to see that local children had a safe place to play. The best part of the tour was the end, however, when Rev. Shaw mentioned that the entire complex was set to be renovated in the near future. He showed us a computer simulation of the projected effects of the renovations, which was beautiful, and went on to explain that he had managed to raise over 2.6 million pounds for the effort. The fact that the Trust had been so successful and gained so much support left me with a good feeling for the rest of the day.

Hunger

2011-07-05T00:34:00.000-07:00

Our morning correspondent is Brian Keller:

Today the general wake up time for everyone was seven o’clock, because a bus came to pick us up at eight o’clock in the morning to take us to Derry/Londonderry, where we were going to have a tour of the city. Why Derry “Stroke” Londonderry? Catholics call the city Derry and Protestants call the city Londonderry. The bus ride was fun for me, because I got to see the country side, which looked amazing. It was nice to see some of the Irish countryside, which I thought I would see in Belfast, but didn’t. I have always heard of the green pastures and rolling hills in Ireland and finally being able to see them is breathtaking. We were greeted immediately by our tour guide, and Ruairi Ó hEára, who grew up in the Bogside during the Troubles. He has been doing this tour for the Irish Studies students for the past few years. He took us up on the walls and gave us the history of what happened in Derry/Londonderry and towns that surrounded Derry/Londonderry. Derry/Londonderry is divided by the Foyle River which is an important river in Derry/Londonderry because it divides the Catholic and the Protestant communities; it operates as a natural peace wall.

Ruairi gave us a historical background on Derry and why its importance in history. The wall around Derry/Londonderry was under construction from 1613-1618 and was an important defensive structure for the Protestants during the Siege of Derry. We saw St. Columb’s Cathedral which was both a church and a defensive structure, its walls were 6 feet thick and they put cannons on top of the tower. The city was under siege from the Catholic King James II for 105 days. The Mayor of Londonderry wanted to surrender, but the Apprentice Boys didn’t listen to him and shut the gates of the city so the negotiations could not be carried out and the siege began. During the siege of Londonderry the protestants citizens experienced great hardship and hunger. Many were reduced to eating dogs and rats to survive. After 105 days, the Catholic army of King James II gave up the siege and the Protestants won. Every year now the Protestants have a parade in memory of the Apprentice Boys to celebrate their victory.

The second half of the tour focused on more recent history. Again Derry/Londonderry would become a place of great struggle. Ruairi showed us a monument dedicated to Sean Keenan who was a member of the IRA and Citizen Defense Association. Sean Kennan worked hard for equal rights for the Catholics in Northern Ireland and helped turn the Bog Side into an area for Catholics to live in as a community Sean Keenan was killed on duty. Rauiri also told us his experiences in the Bogside with the police brutality and unfair treatment of the Catholic citizens. We looked at another monument set up in dedication to Bobby Sands and the hunger strikers who died in the H-blocks. While we were having a Q and A with Rauiri and his experiences with the IRA, an old lady, who was also looking at the monument, asked him if his father was part of the IRA. It seemed like a harmless question to me because I did not grow up around the troubles, but Ruairi got very offended at her question and told us that an Irishwoman should know better than to ask questions about people’s associations with the IRA. After the incident with the old lady, we proceeded to the museum set up by a brother of one of the victims of Bloody Sunday.

The museum was very moving because they displayed objects worn by the people who were killed in the streets by bloody Sunday. John Flynn was the museum curator and his brother, Micheal Flynn, was killed on Bloody Sunday. John was a very nice guy and told us he was not trying to make us hate the British army, because if I were him I would hate them for killing my brother. He had video evidence and a recording of what happened on the day of Bloody Sunday that proved the British army fired on the peaceful protesters unprovoked. This evidence was used the Second Inquiry, which was John’s main goal; he wanted to make sure the person responsible for killing his brother was put behind bars.

Our afternoon correspondent is Brendan Keaney:

“They will not criminalise us, rob us of our true identity, steal our individualism, depoliticise us, churn us out as systemised, institutionalised, decent law-abiding robots. We refuse to lie here in dishonor! We are not criminals, but Irishmen! This is the crime of which we stand accused. Never will they label our liberation struggle as criminal…Our revenge will be the laughter of our children” – Bobby Sands

This quote is taken out of a page in Bobby Sands’ prison diary. Although some people will not agree with what Bobby Sands’ methods and politics were, there is no doubting that he held a key role in gaining the members of the IRA that were imprisoned their political prisoner status and moving the IRA down a political path. What Bobby said here is that the prisoners involved in the hunger strikes were not criminals, they were Irish patriots that were arrested for their involvement in the IRA.

After getting on a bus and touring Derry/Londonderry with the Irish Studies group and Ruairi Ó hEára, the group and I went to the Museum of Free Derry. The museum was set up by John Kelly to commemorate those who lost their lives on Bloody Sunday. John’s brother, Michael Kelly, was shot and killed on Bloody Sunday by David Cleary, a British soldier. Michael was only a 17-year-old boy participating in his first march. The only reason why Michael was in the march was because his friends wanted him to join along with them. John Kelly introduced us to the museum and told us what happened on Bloody Sunday. According to John Kelly, The Museum of Free Derry was set up as a “people’s museum”. He also made the group aware that everything in the museum belongs to the people. The museum is not owned by the government. John Kelly also shared with us the level of brutality that the Irish endured during British occupation. He talked about how British troops would insert razor blades and other sharp objects into rubber and plastic objects to inflict more pain and deadly harm. John, above anything else, wants Cleary and all the others who killed Catholics on Bloody Sunday to be prosecuted. He stated that it was obviously premeditated, and an example of this premeditation is that Cleary also killed 3 other rioters in Derry during the civil rights march.

In an inquiry regarding the events that occurred on Bloody Sunday, Lord Widgery concluded that the British troops were fired at first, and so they did not do any wrong in firing at the crowd of rioters in a march for civil rights. Lord Widgery’s inquiry was later referred to as the “Widgery whitewash” because Lord Widgery covered up that the British did not have a right to fire at the crowd. A second inquiry, opened by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, came to a different conclusion: the British soldiers unjustifiably opened fire on the peaceful protestors since they were not fired upon. He said that when Prime Minister David Cameron released the results last year it was a moment of healing.

After visiting the Museum of Free Derry, we hopped back on our bus and went to the Felon’s Club in Belfast. The Felon’s Club is an association of Irish Republican ex-prisoners who have committed crimes against the British Crown in the pursuit of Irish freedom. It is basically a VFW hall for former IRA members. At The Felon’s Club, we watched a movie called H3, which was about the hunger strikes, and we listened to two former hunger-strikers named Seanna Walsh and Pat Sheehan. The movie was very horrifying because it portrayed what the actual conditions were like in the H block prisons that the hunger strikers stayed in. The movie was so disturbing to Seanna that he had to leave and come back after the film was over because it brought back horrible memories of what happened to his other comrades on hunger strike. Seanna Walsh was a political prisoner for twenty-one years on three separate occasions, all of which were for being involved with the IRA. He now works with a bunch of political ex-prisoners from the H-blocks. Pat Sheehan told a story about when he was about sixteen-years-old, someone came knocking at his door late at night, and asked for him. The man fired shots, and soon after, Pat’s family moved because they lived in a loyalist neighborhood where the only Catholic family there was the Sheehan family. Pat enlisted in the IRA a year later. Pat also served time in prison for his involvement in the IRA. While being imprisoned, Pat and Seanna both missed going to university and obtaining degrees, and as a result, it was difficult finding a job when they came out of prison. As Pat Sheehan stated, “It was just as hard outside of prison as in, and if anybody thought life would be easier back home, they would not survive.” After the Felon’s Club, we went for a nice gourmet dinner at a nearby McDonalds, and following our delicious meal, we took taxis to go back to our dorms at Queen’s University to reflect on our day and then get some sleep.

PSNI: Policing the Peace in Northern Ireland

2011-07-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

Our morning correspondent today is Clark Andrews:

Today we had the privilege to visit a police barracks and spend the day with many of the officers and hierarchy of the police force of Belfast. The morning began with the police picking us up at Queen’s University. We all piled into two vans and began to make our way to the police barracks. It struck me that almost anyone you talk to in Belfast with call it a police barracks and not a police station. This in my opinion must be because of the brutal and militaristic reputation the police force had throughout the Troubles and Irish history. Arriving at the station this epiphany was further upheld by the appearance of the barracks. It had high walls with barbwire and spikes and truly looked as if it was in an active war zone. As we passed through the checkpoint and the rather muscular police officer I gained my first sight of the police land rovers. These were by no means high-end luxury trucks, but rather ultra-militarized armored cars. They were equipped with blast shields and were completely bullet proof. These armored vehicles also had large, technologically advanced video cameras attached to a moveable platform at the top. I found this rather strange, however, later in the day the purpose behind these cameras became clear. We eventually made our way up to a conference room where the officers introduced themselves and we returned the pleasantries.

The officers then showed us two videos of their force in action from both 2010 and 2009 Twelfth of July parades. The Twelfth of July parades have been controversial throughout Irish history and often upset the Catholic Nationalist community. My initial reaction to the video was utter shock. The police force was under attack from massive crowds of hooligans who were fearless in their aggression. The massive crowds of rioters often threw bricks, stones, petrol bombs, and blast bombs. In one seen the protestors disabled one of the police land rovers and ripped the door open to seize the officers. Luckily, a large tank like vehicle showed up to subdue the crowd with its water cannons. These violent outbursts of civil disorder were frightening. Just last year, a large brick was dropped off a building and fell onto a female officer. She had to resign the force because of post-traumatic stress disorder. The officers began to explain such shocking confrontations to our group. They began by explaining that peaceful protests of Catholic Nationalist start the day and the police force’s present is light. The guards wear an average police uniform and there are a minimal amount of land rovers. However, around four o’clock, the police presence increases exponentially. Light guards are traded out for heavy guards, similar to those of US SWAT teams, and the full number of police vehicles is called out. This is because around four o’clock all the wild rioters have woken up and are ready to make their way down to the parades for their return trips from city center. Many of these rioters are teenagers who enjoy the excitement and do not necessarily understand the politics behind the violence. These teenagers merely see it as an opportunity to throw bricks at cops as a form of entertainment. There of course are also those who firmly believe in the politics and are trying to send a message to the police. Surprisingly, there have also been several convicted criminals from other countries who joined the riots. These rioters began with verbal abuse but quickly began the above named aggressions. The whole video was shown through the cameras of the police land rovers and CCTV cameras on buildings and the officers on the ground. Belfast is the number one most supervised city in Europe. To my surprise, the officers told us they made very few arrests on the parade days. Instead, the arrests come later after the parades and enough time has passed for the police force to analyze the videos of the riots. They then begin to track down the rioters and have strong evidence against them. This was a strange idea to me; in the United States this would be unprecedented. However, this became the most practical reason as spent the rest of the day with the police force. The city would be too difficult to control otherwise. Raymond Lennon told us, “Belfast has the most loving people in the world, but they just are not loving to each other.” This has been my experience so far. The first few days everyone was friendly with our group, however as the days approach the twelfth, the tension between various factions within Belfast was growing.

One officer Rory took the time to speak with Mr. Bredesca, some of the other students, and I. His specialties were identifying the suspects of civil disorder and determine their activities. He was a Catholic who after receiving his masters in criminal justice decided to become a police officer because he wanted to make a difference in his world. He told us that in Catholic neighborhoods the residents said the police would not be as brutal in the Protestant neighborhoods. Ironically he stated, the Protestants tell him the same thing. This really shows the preconceived notions of the police. Rory said he is just trying to stop people breaking the law; he does not care if they are Protestant or Catholic and that is an attitude held throughout the police force. Fortunately, the public opinion of the police has come a long way. He then told how the land rovers had become vulnerable to attack because they are the same RUC cruisers from the Troubles thirty years ago. Many of his friends had been injured or killed and each land rover had its own story of who had died inside of it and how. He even began to open up his personal life and told us how he and his girlfriend check their car every day for explosives and he hides his identity coming to and from work. It was interesting to hear the stories of the police force in first person. It strongly contradicts the stories of previous people we have talked to. The different perspectives of people paint an interesting picture of the conflict and the misunderstandings between different groups because of preconceived notions. One of the officers took us out on patrol with her. She was our guide to the city, and had worked as a community policewoman who specialized in suicide. She trained groups of policemen so they would know how to deal with certain situations. One powerful stop of the tour was an average city park. However, a closer look reveals that it is no ordinary park; it is an interface between Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods and a source of violence in the community. A peace wall was constructed to stop the conflict but it left a sickening reality. Children from both communities go to the park to play in segregated areas never having a chance to interact with the children on the other side of the wall. The conflict in Northern Ireland and particularly Belfast are often vexing. They are so complicated that it often leaves me perplexed. For example, why don’t the parades just take a different route to avoid violence? Well because it impends the people’s civil rights. This is just one example of many questions raised. Asking questions is a way to work through conflict. It bridges gaps with new knowledge. This day with the police has provided great insight on the conflict in Belfast and how everything is interconnected. Belfast seems rather pleasant until you look closely at the city and see the troubling internal conflict. This conflict should make us feel uncomfortable and make us strive for social change.

Our afternoon correspondent is Brian Clark:

This afternoon, we were all given the privilege of listening to Gary White, Hugh Forester, and Officer Allens. Each of them had very different topics to talk about, even though it was all under the same central idea, policing in Northern Ireland. Gary White gave us an overview of policing in Ireland/Northern Ireland. Hugh Forester talked to us about the history of policing in Northern Ireland. Officer Allens showed us how CCTV cameras can be used to benefit the society of Northern Ireland.

First we had the pleasure to have a presentation from Gary White, Assistant Chief Constable, who gave us all the overview of the policing in Northern Ireland. He made key points about how the police dealt with paramilitary powers such as the IRA and UVF. Another point he made in his presentation was how the police aren’t really liked in Northern Ireland, and even though it is getting better with people trusting the police, there are still many groups of people who refuse to trust them. But then he made that connection of the not trusting the police to America and how people don’t trust people in cities like Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and Chicago. He told us a story about how he landed in San Francisco the day of the Rodney King verdict and there was rioting in the city. That day he was randomly interviewed by a news reporter who asked him how as a tourist he felt about the riots and all that was going on, he replied that he is a police officer from Northern Ireland and is used to rioting. That made me realize that everyone has different views on policing and our experiences with the police ultimately shape our perspective.

Next we were privileged to receive a presentation from Hugh Forester, the Curator of the Police Museum, who taught us about the history of policing in Ireland/Northern Ireland. I thought learning the history behind the policing was great. He talked about many aspects of policing. Early policing under Sir Robert Peel was highly militaristic. Nineteenth century Ireland had a higher number of police officers than England and the RIC was ultimately a colonial police force. In fact, Ireland was a training center for colonial police all over the British Empire. He explained how the RIC became the RUC after partition. Originally it was envisioned that 1/3 of the officers would be Catholic, but this never happened. He spoke about the Special Powers Act and its draconian powers. The Special Powers Act gave the police of Northern Ireland the same power as the secret police in the Soviet Union and the Nazis. He explained how desperately reform was needed and how much has changed since the Good Friday Agreement and the Patten Commission. He delivered his presentation very well, and I felt very privileged to have gotten his lecture on the history on the policing in Northern Ireland.

Finally, we met with Officer Allens, who is the Head Director of CCTV. The overall experience meeting with him was really cool and interesting. He illustrated for us how the CCTV cameras are used to watch over Northern Ireland to keep the peace. I learned that the CCTV cameras are literally everywhere. All the monitors we saw in the monitoring room were all places we’ve been to before, so it was a little bit surreal knowing that we were on those cameras being watched at one point or another. By the end all of us were checking out the cameras that looked over Belfast and were watching people on the monitors. It was a surreal experience seeing how the CCTV cameras work, and also how they use the CCTV cameras to keep order in Northern Ireland; especially Belfast.

After hearing all of the different views of people on the policing in Northern Ireland, it reminded me of a quote by Kenneth Cloke and Joan Goldsmith that stated, “Every conflict we face in life is rich with positive and negative potential. It can be a source of inspiration, enlightenment, learning, transformation, and growth – or rage, fear, shame, entrapment, and resistance. The choice is not up to our opponents, but to us, and our willingness to face and work through them.” I believe this quote can apply to all that we have been studying in Ireland, but especially to this aspect because the Police Service of Northern Ireland have the choice to be either good or bad police officers, and if they want to end the conflict in Northern Ireland, they can contribute by doing the right thing such as being friendly, trustworthy, and honest.

Back to Belfast!

2011-07-03T04:46:00.000-07:00

Our correspondent today is Bethie Stein:

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”
~ Samuel Johnson

Greetings from the Free State! Our second and final day of our tourism extravaganza in Dublin was a blast. After almost a full week in Belfast, we were finally able to experience a different side and atmosphere of Ireland.

Today we started off our day as a group by going to mass at St. Teresa’s Carmelite Church. The beautiful structure of the Cathedral captured all of our attention with its beauty, not the liturgy itself. Oddly enough, it was one of the most disorganized masses we had ever been to. With the mumbling sounds of the foreign priest, it was quite difficult to understand and be attentive to the mass. The mass was only a half hour at the most which enabled us to get a head start to the rest of our adventure and tour filled day. After leaving mass and grabbing a short coffee break, we headed off to Trinity College to view the Book of Kells. Personally, I did not know much about the Book of Kells other than what we had previously seen in the movie, The Secret of Kells, which we viewed in our classes. I did not know what to expect. To my surprise, I was fascinated by the exhibit. I first entered a room full of posters with the history of the book, and then off to the main attraction. The designs and details of each page were spectacular. After viewing the book I walked upstairs to the Old Library which I can honestly say gave me chills. Being a Harry Potter nerd, the first thing that came to mind was the library from the films. I was intrigued by its’ architecture and similarities to the library I’ve watched and read about for years. Once we finished up at the exhibit, free time was given for the day. Emma, Morgan, Brenna, Laurie, Eileen, Bill, Brian, and I jumped onto the “Hop On, Hop Off Bus”, and headed to St. Stephens Garden which was one of the prettiest parks I’ve witnessed. Beautiful flowers and fountains filled the area, making it a great spot for pictures. We represented our country and state proudly by appropriately snapping some O-H-I-O pictures. We felt it necessary to introduce to Ireland some of our own culture. After our pictures we jumped back on the bus to take a tour of Kilmainham Gaol. Kilmainham Gaol is a former prison that played a very important role in Irish history due to the fact that many of the leaders of the Irish rebellion were imprisoned and executed there, such as Charles Stewart Parnell. In our tour we viewed the cells, recreation area, and execution area. Having already studied about the site in our classes, I believe that we enjoyed and appreciated the prison more than some of the other people on our tour because we understood its significance. It was definitely an eerie place.

After leaving the jail, it was time for us to become the ultimate tourists. Whether it was the shops in the Temple Bar district or Carroll’s Gifts & Souvenirs, we made sure to get our shopping done. Leprechaun and Guinness souvenirs filled our bags to the top as we left the stores and headed off to lunch at Luigi Malone’s for the second day in a row. Once finishing our dinner we said our goodbyes to Dublin and parted ways with the city and our visiting teacher, Kaija. We got on the bus back to Belfast and headed back to our temporary home.

Now that I have been both in Belfast and Dublin, I noticed how much different Dublin is from Belfast. The two cities have entirely different atmospheres which made us all question what exactly it means to be Irish. Just as Samuel Johnson stated about the reality of what things really are, I realized how blessed I am to have gotten the opportunity to see what Dublin really is. Before the trip I imaged the “romanticized” Ireland that I have grown up reading and hearing about, but when I actually got there I noticed how much of an international place it is. It at first was not just this solely Irish heritage atmosphere because of all the different cultured visitors there, but when I got to the Temple Bar district I felt my romanticized Ireland had come to life. From street performers to pubs packed with the hymns of Irish folk songs, I immediately felt like the stories I’d heard growing up about Ireland had been right there in front of me. Dublin has been such a great experience!