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?

From South Bend to Dublin

When I think of Irish I instantly think of the color green and leprechauns due to the extreme stereotypes of St. Patrick’s Day. It did not help living in a town that religiously celebrates a college team called the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to enhance these views. In downtown South Bend, Indiana I have been going to the annual St.Paddy’s Day Tent Party and Pub Tour, where the whole town goes from bar to bar drinking green beer on the way. This event always gave me a sense of community that I also believed was a strong aspect of the Irish culture.

Plastic Paddys enjoying the South Bend Tent Party

Now that I have been learning about Ireland (for 3 weeks) with Indiana University of South Bend, I now know my assumptions were not completely accurate. Green beer would be a travesty in an Irish pub, to waste a good beer by tainting it with food coloring. I did not realize that both the GuinnessStorehouse and JamesonDistillery are located in Dublin, Ireland. Along with these two major alcohol corporations, I noticed by looking at google maps that there is a surplus of pubs in Dublin.

I am interested to see different places and try different foods. Hopefully we might run into some famous Irish celebrities such as U2 singer Bono, UFC fighter Conor McGregor, or former One Direction member Niall Horan to name a few. Seeing that the geographical size of Ireland is roughly the size of Indiana, and that the majority of the population resides in Dublin, it is a possibility to be star struck while out enjoying a pint of ale on our literary pub crawl.

Real Irishmen on a pub crawl

It's Not All Leprechauns and Green Beer

Leprechaun

Like many people, when I thought of Ireland I thought of St. Patrick's Day, leprechauns, four leaf clovers and green beer. Much to my demise these Irish example are all false.

Throughout my course at IUSB - Everybody's Irish, I've learned some facts about what makes the Irish so special and it does not include leprechauns and green beer. Many of you may not realize that the country of Ireland was under the control of the British for 800 years before claiming their independence in 1921-1922. The people of this beloved country endured a massacre, battles, famine revolutions, rebellion, and discrimination laws known as Penal Laws. The country of Northern Ireland (6 most northern counties) remain under the control for the UK. 

Map Ireland and Northern Ireland 

According to readings I've read throughout this course, such as "Condy Cullen and the Gauger" and "A Legend of Knockmany" the Irish may be tricky, cunning and conniving folk. The readings I have mentioned are folk tales but seem to give a slight interpretation on how the people of Ireland are percieved. These two folk tales describe tricks and schemes the Irish people have pulled off in order to get the upper hand on an unwelcoming situation. Even though these tricks and schemes worked out for the Irish in the long run, what do you think would have happened if their conniving plans did not work out? Would they have tried to sweet talk their way out of the predicament or would they have retreated and confessed their wrong doing?

Although, these two readings could have been thought to depict hospitality. The sister of the giant Oonagh suggested inviting a stranger giant into her home for a snack before ever knowing the details on why her sister needed a distraction. It seemed like a natural thing for her to do. In the story of Condy Cullen, after the guager thinks he has out smarted and out witted Condy Cullen he invites him to have dinner with his wife and daughter. Though the circumstances in each situation were different the same evidence of hospitality was depicted. If you have read these two stories, which character trait do you think best represents the Irish? Hospitable or conniving?

*evidence from other readings and scholarly source welcome.