Submit to Ireland

After visiting Ireland and meeting “real Irishmen” it was evident that the Irish people hold their history dear to them. As a group, we went on many tours and we were met with the same charismatic, knowledgeable, and proud Irish person everywhere we went.

I think the Irish identity is something that has only gotten stronger with time. The Irish are proud and resilient. Throughout history, the Irish have fought countless battles to secure the rights of their people, and although they were often unsuccessful, the Irish never gave up, they never wavered, and they always came back stronger than before.

While in Dublin, the mark left by the leaders of Easter Rising was shown almost everywhere. When we met at the Spire, we stopped at the General Post Office which was the site the rebels declared Ireland an independent republic. We were able to see the bullet holes on the pillars, and also the proclamation.

Mural of Bloody Sunday

Another event in history that left its mark was Bloody Sunday. In Northern Ireland, "The Troubles" were a turning point in their history and are remembered across the city of Derry. As we were walking through the Bogside, we were able to see the various murals on the sides of buildings depicting scenes from Bloody Sunday. There were also various flags, plaques, and memorials to commemorate the lives lost and battles fought.

 In Derry, I could still feel a divide between the people. There was an awkwardness to the community as if everyone was walking on eggshells, but at the same time displaying their views aggressively enough to warrant a similar behavior on the other side.

A reoccurring theme in our class readings is that the Irish people are extremely hospitable, and I definitely saw that in both Dublin and Derry. Even our servers at restaurants were extremely kind even though they didn’t have to fake it just to get tips, and the people at the stores we shopped in were welcoming and helpful.

I was expecting people to not be so fond of Americans, but the whole time I was there, I never encountered someone that treated me poorly. Robert Bell speaks of the Irish hospitality in Document B when he says, “Such a visit, so far from being deemed an intrusion, gave pleasure to every individual of the family, who were not only impelled by their natural feelings, but conceived themselves bound by a kind of sacred duty, to perform those acts of hospitality.”

Another personal example of mine is when we hiked to the top of Killiney Hill and I managed to come into contact with stinging nettle. I was honestly freaking out and so scared I was about to have a major reaction to it, but then a local man offered his help.

He stopped what he was doing and began to search through the brush for another type of plant to help the pain. Instead of just pointing it out, he got me the plant and helped me try to stop the burning. That just shows how kinds and selfless the Irish are and how willing they are to lend a hand.

The thing that stuck me the most was the history. Our country is relatively young, so to be able to see buildings, churches, schools, and castles that date back 1000 years, it was amazing. We cant get that here.
When a few of u went into the church Christ cathedral, my jaw dropped as I stepped in. I’m not a very religious person, but the sheer beauty of the building and its contents was almost bringing me to tears. I’ve honesty never seen anything like it.

Overall, I'm obsessed with my experience on this trip and I have so much respect and love for Ireland and its people. If I had a word of advice for future students going on this trip it would be: Submit to Ireland, experience all it has to offer even if it scares you. This trip has given me a gift that I will forever cherish. I was confined to my American bubble, but now I feel more aware of the world we live in, not to mention I've made such wonderful friends.

 Now that I’ve been to another country, I’m addicted, all I want to do is travel more, experience more, and see more. where shall we go next?

More than Religion in Ireland

Early on in the class it occurred to me that I did not have many preexisting beliefs or expectations of the culture of Ireland. Going in, the only expectation I had was that the Irish people and their culture had a strong connection to Catholicism. Being someone who is skeptical of all religion, many questions came to mind about their beliefs. As it turns out I was more uneducated on the subject than I had realized.

Maynooth University

Religion had been mentioned in many of the course readings that lead up to the trip, but it was not until I had read Document B by Robert Bell that I realized my own view of Catholicism was unfair. In some ways Bell reinforced my expectations, commenting on blind faith in the church and the priests.

However, after Bell describes the Irish as being “the most credulous and superstitious than those of any other country” I wondered what differentiates any religion from superstition. My skepticism began to turn more towards Bell than the religion after his use of the derogatory term “popery” illustrated his bias. This brought my own lack of understanding to my attention.

This bias left me wanting to claim his assessment as unfair, but I could not do this without accepting the same criticism of my own expectations.

As it turns out religion was just as prominent on the trip as I had anticipated, but not at all in the way I expected.

Upon learning of the conflict between the Catholics and Protestants I was surprised when I noticed that none of the fighting seemed to be over specific beliefs of either religion. The Irish people were divided into groups and classified by names that did not truly represent the problems.

Though technically it would seem that the terms of Catholic and Protestant do fit the division, they were fighting because of cultural oppression not a difference of religious beliefs.

It seems more fitting to say that the conflict occurs between the Irish that want to be independent (who happen to be Catholic) and those that wish to remain a part of England (who are likely Protestant).

One such conflict was the Battle of the Bogside, which was a riot that took place in Derry, Northern Ireland. It would be easy to simplify these groups down to Catholic and Protestant, yet these titles would not truly reflect the heart of the conflict that was taking place.

To simplify Irish culture down to either Catholic or Protestant would be to overlook many of the finer details present in the history of the land. In truth it is a land rich with culture and passion despite the turmoil and suffering.

My advice to future students hoping to travel to Ireland is to not underestimate or simplify the amount of history present. Both Dublin and Derry are packed with history and knowledge that extend beyond the boundaries of religious differences.

The amount of information present will likely be overwhelming at first, but it is best to retain as much as you can. Though it is true that there will be plenty of people and noise around (more so in Dublin) I recommend taking a few moments along the way to reflect on what you have seen and heard as you are able throughout the trip.

I found that keeping a journal helps with this process, so a pocket sized note pad is strongly recommended. Additional, the places I found to be the best for thinking would be Killarney, Howth, and the Giant’s Causeway.

Finally, the obvious recommendation, keep an out for the safety of your fellow group members and have fun!

Who are the Irish?

Ireland is not just leprechauns and green beer. After visiting both Derry and Dublin, I have come to find out about he Irish culture. Meeting and interacting with the infamous, hospitable Irish was really what I experienced in my time in the country.

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and I could tel why that is. It is full of vibrant and lively culture with people who love to interact with tourists. One way I experienced this was when we explored the city of Dublin and learned about the tough history from a charismatic Irishman, Dr. Frank Cullen. He explained to us how the Vikings first took over Ireland, specifically Dublin and was called the "black pool". In Gaelic, black pool is translated to "duvh lin", which is now known as "Dublin".

Temple Bar is also a location we strolled through during our history lesson, which is a major tourist attraction. It is filled with pubs, restaurants, shops, and more that give off the Irish culture. The pubs were streaming with traditional Irish music and if you were lucky, even Irish dancing.

Temple Bar

Visiting Dublin lit a lightbulb in my head because I truly understand the Irish identity. In Robert Bell's "Document B", he discusses the characteristics of the Irish by stating, "...every man's door was open to a neighbor or a stranger" (72) and "...and if he could play on any instrument of music, or tell tales of old times calculated to excite the admiration of his hearers, the inhabitants of every neighboring cottage vied with each other for the honor of entertaining him as a guest" (73). I would agree with Bell because I have experiences this first hand.

Meeting Irishmen who were happy to help with directions or happy to talk to us Americans, treating us like we were friends. Also, watching music players entertain others at pubs or on the streets just for the fun of it, was what I saw in Ireland.

In Derry, we visited the famous Giant's Causeway. We first learned about this in William Carleton's, "A Legend of Knockmany". It was beyond beautiful and unique to be able to tour this location. Also, having the opportunity to visit a place we once read about in class was fascinating as well.

Giant's Causeway

During the lectured we had we learned about, "The Troubles" Derry faced. The one that stood out to me most was Bloody Sunday. It was a major event that is still commemorated to this day. Citizens were killed, fighting against internment and the ban on marches. 14 were killed and 13 others were injured.

Meeting Irish people in Derry was easier than in Dublin, since Dublin has more tourists there. I was fortunate enough to become friends with one in particular and she proved that the readings and my impressions of the Irish were correct. She showed kindness, willingness to help, and hospitality. It was a nice change to be able to meet authentic Irish people rather than meeting other Americans.

This study abroad experience has altered my life because I was shown there are more patient people who are willing to help strangers that I'm not used to much in America. Meeting professors in both Dublin and Derry benefitted my experience because I learned more about the history and culture of the Irish.

Cliffs of Moher

If you ever get the chance to study abroad in Ireland, you will have no regrets.