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. 

Bring It On!!!!

9/8/13

I am proud to say that my father and I finished the Adirondack 90 Mile Canoe Classic. After three days of exhausting paddling in the scenic Adirondacks I feel unbelievably sore and rewarded. For those that aren't familiar with the 90 Miler, it is an endurance race that goes from Old Forge Saranac Lake and is divided into three sections. The first day is 35 miles, and goes from Old Forge and ends at Blue Mountain Lake. Second day is 30 miles, and goes through Long Lake and goes along the Racquette River for 20 miles, with only one long, technically difficult carry. The third day is 25 miles, and goes from Fish Creek on Upper Saranac to the town of Saranac Lake, with only three short carries amounting to a half a mile.
The course on the firs day goes through the Fulton Chain, then through Racquette Lake, the Marion River, Uttowana Lake, Eagle Lake, and then Blue Mountain Lake. There is also a total of 3.5 miles of extremely long carries (when you transport your boat over dry land.) The first day was by far the hardest day, not only because of the long distance, but also due to our expectations. My father and I expected there to be a lot of 80 year olds just doing the classic for fun (all the 80 year olds passed us.) We were actually surprised to that most of the participants were wanna be 60 year Olympiads, with their carbonfiber paddles, and special racing boats. We on the other hand had a touring kevlar canoe with traditional paddles. Our technique was also inefficeint, with us overextending our strokes, and going slower than we really should. After eight and a half ours of paddling, we did finally reached the far shores of Blue Mountain Lake.

Here we are before starting Day 1 in Old Forge.

 And here is us during our first portage through Inlet. Quiet chaotic and stressful for a first time canoe racer. 

On the second day we started at Long Lake (here we to the starting line.)

From the starting line, we went done the length of Long Lake, which is 10 miles, and then 7 more on the Racquette River, until we reached the main carry of the day 1.5 miles of strenous terrain along the length of Racquette Falls. It was only steep uphill and downhill, with plenty of boulders in the way. 

After the portage, we went through 13 more miles of the Racquette River. It was similar to the Otter Creek with steep banks and with the scenery rarely changing. Overall, we did improve our speed and technique, as well not overstraining our muscles. 

The third day started at the Fish Creek Campground on Upper Saranac Lake (here we are at the start.) 

Technically, it was the hardest day to canoe. With winds blowing up to 20 miles per hour, the waves in the open water were large and frequent, which made navigating through Middle and Lower Saranac difficult. Although we were going slow, we told ourselves that going at a steady pace would have to be acceptable. Though, after over five hours of paddling with the wind at our face, we finally reached Saranac Lake. 

Here we are reaching the finish on Flower Lake.

And look, we're still happy!

So bring it on world! Let's see what other extreme activities you have in store for me. Maybe the Seville Marathon?

A Thousand Beginnings

August 28, 2013

My gap year (which I'd like to think started on July 10,) as of now, is certainly not a traditional one, I'd like to think that because I'm doing an assortment of activities that I will learn numerous lessons on how to better myself and lead my life. Before departing for Ireland in July, I did not know what this fall had in store for me. I knew that I would start working at Omya (a company that produces calcium carbonate in Florence, Vermont) the Tuesday after I returned, but for all I knew I was working there until I went to Spain in January. But my schedule filled up with surprisng trips and wilderness medical courses. 

Recently several of my friends from high school have started college and today was the first day of school for my two younger brothers. Personally, I am feeling a little bit misplaced but I remind myself of the benefits of living at home for a shortly extended period of time: I am allowed to do the things that I enjoy the most without being stressed out about homework, and I am also able to do things that I have been yearning to do, such as teaching myself Spanish, participating in the Adirondack 90 Mile Canoe Race, and trying to get myself into prime physical shape. 

Although I have only been a gap year "student" for less than two months, I have learned a fair amount. While in Ireland I learned the importance enjoying the people around you, as well as your surroundings, and being able to obtain as much information about the country's culture and history. While working at Omya I have determined that working in the science field for me might not be meant for me, but that it is vital for me to persue studying the subjects that matter to me the most in college. 

Note to Reader: This is my first time doing a blog, so I'm sorry that the graphics aren't extremely gripping, but over the course of time improvements will be made, and the contents will certainly not be quite as dry. 

Above is a picture from when I was in Ireland. It is the Upper Glendalough, which is located to the ruins of Glendalough, which was a mega monastery founded in the 6th century.