Ennis & Galway: A Weekend to Remember

What a weekend- I have to be honest, I'm completely exhausted!

We left DCU around 1pm on Friday and headed to Ennis, a town in County Claire on the west coast. Ennis' population is approximately 25,000, which makes it the sixth largest town in Ireland. We made several stops on the way there, including one to see the Co. Claire Famine Memorial (see picture in my last post). Our group of 39 stayed at the Rowan Hostel, which was locates just across the water from the main street running through the town. After exploring the town for a little while, we got ready for the night and then ate a late dinner at the restaurant connected to the hostel. Our tour guide, Caroline (who is also my history professor), along with her cousin John and his friend Louie took us on a pub crawl through the town. We visited three different pubs, got a chance to speak with some locals, and hear some great live music. We danced a little at the last of the three pubs; there was a "hen party" at that one (an Irish bachelorette party). After leaving the pub, we all headed to Queens Nightclub, the only nightclub in Ennis. (In Ireland, they call clubs discos, so the real name of the club is Queens Disco.) We had the greatest time at the club, which reminded me of something out of the 1970s: maybe it had something to do with the fog machine?

Saturday morning came early: We left Ennis and headed north the Galway City. On the way, we stopped to see the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland's tourist hotspots. With its absolutely breathtaking views (see last post), does it get any better? There are two different paths you can take to view the cliffs, and at one point at the end of one of the paths, there is a plaque memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives while visiting the cliffs. As young adults, I don't think the wall of the plaque scared us as most of us climbed over the wall to walk along the dirt path right along the edge (see pictures from my last post). I never felt scared about being so close to the edge, although now when I look at the pictures it's pretty incredible to think how close we really were. I made sure to wave as we looked over the Atlantic Ocean, but I don't think anyone back home was able to see me! Our next stop was Caroline's family farm. We learned how to play Gaelic football, saw a newborn calf, walked through a barn of expecting mothers (cows), and took a hike on the Burren mountains. The views from the mountain were absolutely beautiful! After returning from the hike, we all piled into the house for a lunch of quiche, cold salads, brown bread, and warm apple tart (a.k.a. apple pie). Two of the boys who live down the road played music for us during lunch, and a few people from our group sang as well, before we all joined in and sang several American and Irish songs together. We got back on the bus and headed into Galway city. Most of us were really tired and opted to take power naps before dinner. We ate at Monroe's Tavern: I had the best traditional Irish stew yet! After dinner, we all hung around for drinks, I had my first Irish coffee: coffee, Jameson whiskey, brown sugar, and homemade cream. One of Caroline's friends played in the band at Monroe's on Saturday night (see last post). We split up into smaller groups after hearing the first band, and several of the girls headed to the King's Head. We met a group of Gaelic football players, and one insisted on buying us each a drink. He introduced us to the rest of his group, including his twin sons who were all in Galway for the weekend. We heard another band at the King's Head, and one of the girls made sure to request they play "Galway Girl." We went to several other pubs and one nightclub: Coyotes. A Texas-themed bar/club, I thought it was interesting as it was decorated with Texas longhorns memorabilia.

Sunday morning, a small group of us ventured back in the Galway's city centre. I had my first creme egg: a Cadbury chocolate egg with pure-sugar creme filling. We walked along the river Corrib, and on a stone-covered beach near the bay. It was drizzling when we left the hostel in the morning, but it stopped and the sun broke through the clouds and was bright for the rest of the morning. A few of us stopped at a place for crepes, and then head to the Claddagh ring museum. (The Claddagh ring is said to have originated in Galway!) We left Galway around 1pm, and started to headed back toward Dublin. We stopped after we crossed the River Shannon for tea, and again at Clonmacnoise, an ancient ecclesiastical site founded between 545-548 (pictures in last post). We arrived back at DCU around 6pm after a great weekend!

Ennis & Galway

What I packed for the weekend: just a backpack
Rowan Hostel in Ennis
Famine Memorial
Cliffs of Moher
Cliffs of Moher
It looks like I'm on the edge almost here!
Fanore Surf Beach: notice how close the cows are to the water

A visit to my professor's family farm
Hiking across the Burren mountains
The view from halfway up
Monroe's in Galway: They have the best Irish stew!
One of two bands we heard in Galway
Galway City
Ducks along the river
River Corrib
The King's Head: one of the pubs we spent time in during our night in Galway!
Clonmacnoise ruins
Clonmacnoise: a medieval monastery founded between 545-548
The whispering door at Clonmacnoise

First Quiz & Galway Tomorrow

Last day of classes for the week! We talked about Mass Media in Ireland in Contemporary Society today, mainly about the origin of Irish television and radio. We also looked at a few advertisements: a Red Bull print ad depicting how France banned the sale of this energy drink. The image is of unrealistic-sized Red Bull cans being shot out of a helicopter toward the Eiffel Tower. The headline reads, "Bye, Bye Eiffel Tower." The lecture was interesting, although a little repetitive for a few of us, as we're taking the Mass Media elective, and have been talking about the same stuff for the past two weeks.

We also had our first quiz today in history. Now I'm not saying that we were stressing about a little 10-question, 6-8 minute quiz, but most people spent some time last night in study groups reviewing the material. I think I did well, I knew the material well, thanks to a review session with my roommate!

I'm pretty tired today. It could be that I woke up at 7am to do laundry. The laundry room on campus closes from 12am to 7am, so a few of us woke up early to beat the rush of the rest of our group. I got an extra hour of review for today's quiz too, which I think was definitely helpful!

Now, enough about school for the week. Tomorrow, our group's scheduled to have a meeting with EUSA, the group that arranges our internships for us. We won't officially start interning until after our spring break, but I believe the meeting is to set up the initial interviews. After the meeting, most of our group will be leaving DCU for the weekend to travel to the west coast of Ireland. We'll be staying in Ennis on Friday night, and Galway on Saturday. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

Spring Break Plans & A Visit to the Immigration Office

Two more classes down, two more classes until the weekend. In Contemporary Society, we talked about the origin of the Gaelic language. (The terms Gaelic and Irish are used interchangeably. If you ask an Irish person, they'll tell you they speak 'Irish.') While English is now the main language in Ireland, many parts of the country (i.e. the west coast and least populated areas) still speak the country's native language. Most classes at Irish colleges and universities are in English, although there are a selective few (including DCU) that offer courses in Gaelic/Irish.
An interesting side note too: We also talked about why a baby's first word is usually "mother." When infants are teething, their mother may repeat the word 'mother' in some variation. The baby then repeats the sound, the mother beams, and the child continues to make the sound after receiving a positive response from its mother. Regardless of what language the mother speaks, this word is usually a child's first spoken word.

In history, we discussed the part of Irish history we were all most familiar with: the Great Famine. Interestingly enough, the British were hit just as hard with the famine as the Irish between 1845-1851. But at that time, even the poorest social class in Britain could affair other foods besides the potato. It's estimated that around one million Irish died as a result of the famine, and another million immigrated to the United States.

I booked my flight to Rome for spring break today! We're planning to fly into and spend several days in Rome, before heading north to Florence, Venice, and ending our 10-day break from the books in Paris. We're still working out the logistics for traveling between the cities, but for not I'm excited about the trip!

Tonight, our group was scheduled to have a meeting with the National Immigration Bureau. When we arrived here almost two weeks ago and went through customs, they stamped our passports to approve our stay in the country for one month. We were told to follow up with the Immigration Bureau to have the remaining three months of our program approved as well. While the idea of making this process run as smoothly as possible might have been the intention, we wound up spending two hours in the office waiting in a long line behind one another. Nevertheless, we each received a certificate of registration card that we'll present to customs when traveling outside of the country. Some of the girls stopped to get milkshakes on the way home; it made the trip into the city to the bureau a little sweeter!

Tuesday's Observations

After completing our first week of classes and a field trip to Newgrange, we hit the books again today for the first time since last Thursday. In Contemporary Irish Society we discussed the Holy Catholic Church of Ireland and its struggle against the English Protestant Church in the early 1900s. We talked about how many Irish are raised Catholic: born in a Catholic hospital, to Catholic parents, attend Catholic schools, marry in the Catholic Church, have children named by a priest, and be buried by Catholic rites. The class turned into a discussion about the importance of religion in our society. I can honestly say I can't ever remember having a discussion in school about religion or faith like today's class.

On our way back to the apartment from class, we passed NuBar, the student hangout, eatery, and bar on campus. It's typical to walk by and see groups of students sitting, eating, and just hanging out. Since we arrived almost two weeks ago, the other students on campus have been taking exams (their course schedule is different from ours, and varies slightly from a typical American university). It amazes me that, even during exam week, we'll walk by NuBar and the students will be drinking pints at noon. It just goes to show how drinking is a regular part of life in this country, and with the students here.

In Mass Media in Ireland, we talked about the what makes an event/story newsworthy. Our professor kept talking about an in-class writing assignment for next week called a media statement. Halfway through our three-hour class someone finally asked if he meant a press release. Turns out they're one-in-the-same!

Another trip to Tescos tonight, to stock up on more food for this week. I'm starting to get used to making the group trip on Tuesday nights after class, walking 20 minutes to the store, and backpacking my groceries for the walk back to campus. We leave for Galway on Friday afternoon for the entire weekend. We'll also be making visits to the Cliffs of Moher, a family farm in North Clare, the Burren mountains, and the Fanore Surf beach. Two of my friends from BU who are studying in London this semester will be in Dublin this weekend as well, so it will be great to catch up with them too!

Sunday's Dinner & A Visit to Newgrange

Last night, eleven of us took the bus into the city centre for dinner. We started at a place called Madigan's, and we just about to order before the electricity in their kitchen went out. We walked down the street to Murray's. I had excellent Beef & Guinness Pie!

I made a short trip into the city this morning to mail Abby's birthday present and make visits to Vodafone to sort out my phone situation and Dublin Bus to collect refunds from riding the bus back and forth from campus to the city. Vodafone has a pay-as-you-go plan that allows its users to call and send text messages to other Vodafone users. Apparently I forgot to sign up for that plan when I bought my phone ten days ago, and I've been getting charged for each phone call and text message. They credited me back for the money I was charged, and were really helpful answering some other questions: just another reminder of how nice and friendly the people are over here! Made a stop at Butler's Chocolate Cafe for some hot chocolate before heading back to campus- they have the best hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings!

Today, we embarked on our first field trip for history class. I almost felt like I was in fourth grade all over again, except no packed lunchbox lunches! We drove almost an hour to Newgrange, one of the most important passage graves in Europe. Newgrange dates back over 5,000 years! The "big hill" has three chambers inside, where the human remains are believed to be kept. The chambers, along with the only entrance point form a cross shape when viewed overhead.

We had the opportunity to walk through the narrow passage and stand in the central chamber. While those who were claustrophobic might not have liked walking through the passageway, it was a really neat experience. Unfortunately, they don't allow picture taking inside the chamber, but here are a few pictures of Newgrange and its surroundings.
That's all for now. Spinning class tonight!

A Relaxing Sunday

Last night on our way into the city, our group met four Irish guys who also go to DCU. They decided they would show the "Americans" a good time in Dublin. Our large group of twenty-some decided to split up into smaller groups, and Casey Colleen, Elizabeth and I headed to Bruxelles, a pub near Grafton St. As true Irishmen, they refused to let us buy our own drinks, and insisted on making sure we got home safely. It was great to spend time with and get to know some local students! We can now say we have friends on campus aside from our group! Below is a picture of us with our new friends (Casey took the picture):

I didn't wake up until around 1:30pm today. I think after a full day of visiting with Ashley yesterday touring the city, and being out and about last night, I was exhausted. I spent some time at the gym this afternoon (no classes today, because it's Sunday). The entire city, besides some restaurants, and the pubs of course, seems to shut down on Sundays. The food halls, department stores, pharmacies, and many other businesses are closed as well. We're planning to venture into the city in a few hours for dinner: Guinness stew's on the menu!

Ashley's Visit to the Fair City

Ashley's in Dublin! We spent the entire day walking around the city, stopping to visit several of the city's staples. First stop was the Ha'Penny Bridge and a walk through the Temple Bar area. Next stop: the Dublinia Museum and Christ Church Cathedral.
The museum featured the story of the vikings as they came to Ireland and how they were able to survive after arriving. I learned that there's actually evidence that the vikings wore horn helmets, and that it was just a mistake an artist made many years ago while recreating an image of them. We walked through the enclosed archway over the street and into the cathedral. It was absolutely beautiful inside, we explored the main floor and the crypt in the basement. We signed the prayer book and each lit a candle for peace.
Next stop: lunch at the Brazen Head, a small bar and restaurant that claims to be Ireland's oldest pub. Ashley had really good seafood chowder, and I had the traditional Irish stew- a combination of lamb, carrots, celery, and mashed potatoes, so good! After lunch, we headed to the Old Jameson Distillery for a tour and my first glass of Jameson Whiskey. We were placed into a tour group with a guy whose 30th birthday was today. Several of his friends and family were along for the ride; they were hilarious, and made our tour guide laugh a bunch. I had a glass of Jameson and Ginger Ale, an interesting combination, but I was a little surprised how much I liked it. Next stop: the Guinness storehouse. We toured the factory, sampled our own pints of Guinness, and walked up to the top in hopes of seeing a 360-degree view of Dublin. Unfortunately, the fog prevented us from being able to anything, but it was definitely worth the trip. We stopped in some shops on the way back to the city centre, including Butler's Chocolate Cafe for the best hot chocolate! Above are some pictures from today.

Walking and More Walking

Casey, Melissa, Mike, Jake, Jack, and I set out today around one o'clock in the afternoon and walked to Ireland's National Botanic Gardens. On our way, we met an older woman drinking beer and smoking a cigarette along the water running through Griffith Park. She started asking us where we were from in America. After we explained we were all from Boston, she asked if we were enjoying our time in Dublin so far. We all said yes, and she replied, "It's a crazy country. Crazy (bleeping) country." We laughed. Nevertheless, she was very nice and gave us directions to the botanic gardens. Once we got there, we spent over an hour walking through different greenhouses, stopping to take photos and admire some of the beautiful flowers, plants, and outdoor scenery. Above are picture from the Botanic Gardens.
After leaving the gardens, we walked another few miles and got on a bus that took us to Phoenix Park, Europe's largest enclosed city park. We visited the Wellington Testimonial, a 206-ft memorial named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. We ate dinner at La Pizza (I know what's you're thinking, really Irish) on O'Connell St before heading back to campus. Below are some photos I took at Phoenix Park. The last picture is of a bridge over the Liffey River that we passed on our walk back into the city centre.