Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Ireland

9/10/13
After my last post I've been asked by several people to write about my trip to Ireland this summer. Well, here it is. This past July I went through the University of Vermont's Continuing Education program to take a course in Irish History (which was taught by fellow Brandonite and UVM history professor Kevin Thornton.) We stayed at the University College Dublin campus, which is located in the Dublin suburb of Stillorgan. For our academics we had three hour lectures in the morning, and in the afternoon we took day trips to sites that corresonded to the material that we learned that morning. To get to and from the UCD campus we usually took public transportation, which really helped get a sense of Dublin cutlure. In order to recieve a grade for the course we had to write two papers, one that focused on the texts that we read before and during our trip, and the other was about something that had interested us while in Ireland (I chose to write about St. Enda's, which was an experiential school established by the revolutionary martyr Partrick Pearse.)
The amount of information I learned about Irish history is astonishing. Because I was so immersed in the subject that I was learning I felt like I gained a totally new perspective. Last year I took AP European History. Personally, I thought that the curriculum was biased when it came to the topic of Catholicism vs. Protestantism. I felt that I was routing for Elizabeth I to chop the heads off of Blood Mary and Mary Queen of Scots. However, I didn't know that Elizabeth I promoted plantations to be formed in Ireland, forcing the natives to be pushed off of their lands. I didn't know that Catholics were unable to receive a proper education, unless it was to become a priest. I also didn't know the amount of influence the Irish had on the world, such as having one of the first anti-violent political leaders, Daniel O'Connell.
Now, let me get to the highlights of the trip. We went into to Dublin so much, that I think I know it better than any other city I've been too, including Rutland, Vermont. The day after we arrived we went to the National Museum, which had a lot of Viking and Medieval artifacts.
                                                    
The next day we went to Powerscourt, which is a grand estate, which is located in Enniskerry, in County Wicklow, which is south of Dublin. I actually think that I might be distantly related to the family that originally owned the estate, because my great-grandmother's maiden name was Power. The Powers family was one of the first groups of people to migrate from England to Ireland during the time of the plantations. Also, Powers evolved from LePoher, meaning poor. 
                         
Right after our visit to Powerscourt we went to Glendalough (Gaelic for Valley of Two Lakes,) which was one of the major medieval monasteries in Ireland. It was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century, and was destroyed by the English in 1398.
                        
The next day we went to Dublinia, a museum about the vikings and Medieval Ages in Dublin. It was a little cheesy, but it was a nice thing to do for teenagers that were still suffering from jet lag. Below is my friend Johannah and I in some Medieval ware.

 Monday afternoon, after learning abou the Tudors and Cromwell, we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral (where Jonathon Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, is buried) and Christ Church. Both were Catholic, but after Henry VIII formed the Church of England, they both, and still are, were put under the domain of the Church of Ireland. 

Tuesday we learned about the Protestant Ascendancy, and that afternoon we took the classic Viking Splash Tour. The tour consisted of us going around the city and screaming at pedestrians. Because our professor was so good, we already knew the majority of information that our tour guide gave us. However, we did get to see the original U2 studios.
That afternoon we walked around Grafton Street, and two girls and I went to St. Steven's Green, which is the equivalent of New York City's Central Park, but smaller. That evening we learned how to play gaelic futbol, which is a combination of soccer, basketball, and handball. 
Tuesday we went to Trim Castle, where Braveheart was filmed, and Newgrange, a neolithic tomb. The highlight of the day was going inside the tomb at Newgrange and seeing the light come in through the passageway.

Thursday we had a lecture on O'Connell, and in the afternoon we went to Castletown House, located in Cellbridge, another grande estate. Unlike Powerscourt, the inside was preserved, thanks to the Georgian House Society. It actually reminded me a lot of Downton Abbey, which made things even more fabulous.
Friday we had lunch at the Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Dublin. AFter our meal we went to City Hall,  Dublin Castle, and the former House of Lords, which is now the Bank of Ireland. At 2:30 we had a tour of the same sites with just a few extra facts. (Left to right: Dublin Castle, House of Lords, Dublin Castle lawn.)
Saturday we went to Dalkey, which is where Bono and Enya live. That evening we went Celli danicing. (Below Dalkey Harbor.) A funny story about that day, was that after going to a historical renactment we took a short walk to the top of a hill to see the ocean. Because it hadn't rained in two weeks it was very dry, and to much of our surprise there was brush fire. Some kids and one of the teachers decided to go and find the source of the fire. Some fire trucks camp up, but turned around because they didn't see anything, and then when we were coming down we almost got hit by some tankers. 
Sunday we went to Croke Park, where the sports part of the Gaelic Athletic Association are played (gaelic futbol, hurling, rounders, and handball.) The GAA was established in 1884, as part of trying to preserve Celtic traditions. The interesting part about Croke Park and the GAA is that all of the seats cost the same (90 Euros), the fans mingle with one another, and all of the players are amateurs. That afternoon we had all afternoon to wander around Grafton Street. My friend Marissa and I decided to instead go to by O'Connell Street, and found some cool Asian Markets. Later we went to watch cricket on the Trinity College campus. (Below: Croke Park, Cricket at Trinity.)
Monday we went to Kilhelmain Gaol, which is where many of the revolutionaries from the Easter Rising were held before they were executed. Also, during most of the 20th century many children that they purposely committed so that they could have food and shelter. It was very somber, yet interesting.
Tuesday we went back into downtown Dublin to take a Revolutionary tour, which focused on sites that were important around the time of the 1916 Easter Rising. Highlights included the Abbey Theater, which was the center of the Celtic Revival and where many Gaelic plays were performed, as well as the Garden of Rememberance which was a memorial for those that persihed during the rising. That evening we saw the legendary Riverdance, which was FANATASTIC!!!!!!!!!! (Below: Garden of Remembrance.)

Wednesday we went to Collins Barracks, which is actually another national museum with mostly materials from the 17th century to the present. It was interesting getting there because we had to get a cable car from O'Connell Street through the northern part of the city. For those that are not familiar with Dublin, the city is bisected by the Liffey River. The northern part is the poorer part of the city (my Left Foot takes place there,) while the southern part (which is where UCD) was much more manicured. Actually, while on the train I heard my first and only authentic Irish accent.

Our last day on the Emeral Isle consisted of going to Leinster House, which is where Parliament meets. It reminded me of the the Vermont State Legislature, maybe because of its small size (they're actually getting rid of their Congress because it's so small.) Afterwards we went took a tour of Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells, as well as thelibrary that is the basis for the Jedi library in Star Wars. 
Overall, my two weeks in Dublin was AMAZING!!!! My classes were highly intriguing and I was lucky to be surrounded by kids that were also passionate about history. I enjoyed doing the work that came along with the course, and actually feel lucky to have read Seamus Heaney's Field Work in his native country while he was still alive. When I do come back to Ireland I do plan on traveling around the rest of the country, but I feel that because I took the course I will have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Ireland's culture and people. 






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