Weekend in Northern Ireland

In an attempt to cover our trip to Northern Ireland this weekend, I'll try posting one day's worth of pictures and stories for the next several days.

WARNING: The pictures you're about to see really don't do it justice.

Friday 5 Feb. Belfast

We were up and out of Dublin by 8 30am. Most of us slept the full 2 1/2 hours to Belfast, as we were all tired from the week. After arriving, we dropped off our stuff at the hostel, and headed out for a 2-hour bus tour of the city. Our tour guide for the tour was a student at Queens University, and explained to us that the city of Belfast is divided into separate Catholic and Protestant (or Nationalist and Loyalist) areas. One way to tell: in Protestant areas, the curbs are painted the colors of the UK, red, white, and blue.

We drove past the Peace Wall, built in the 1960s (I believe), during the trouble/conflict between the Protestants and Catholics. I find it's incredible to think that a wall still stands to keep these two religious groups separate, even 12 years after the Good Friday agreement was signed.

It amazes me to think that differences in faith would cause such conflict between two groups of similar people for such a long time. I have many friends who are Catholic, and to think that as a Protestant we would be enemies based on our religion is beyond me. A visit to see this 10 and at some spots 20-foot wall was a reminder that this type of hostility still exists in parts of the world. Some of us (including me) wrote our names and messages on the wall.
Murals are also a huge part of the storytelling of the troubled times in Northern Ireland, and I made sure to get a ton of pictures of the artwork.
After the tour, we ate our packed lunches on the grounds of Queens University. The architecture at the college is very similar to Duke University, except it's all red brick. We posed for several pictures on the campus and visited their student union for coffee and tea.

Our next stop: Stormont, Northern Ireland's parliament buildings. It was neat to get a chance to hear about their system of government, and how it is both similar and difference from ours back in the states. It's been a while since I've been in any type of class where we discussed politics, and it was interesting to hear about the different parties represented in their parliament. Since the Good Friday agreement was signed in 1998, and after a stalemate (not sure if this is what they call it), the Northern Ireland government has debated a whooping 39 bills, and they've been able to pass 27 of them. I think that's impressive, considering the vast differences in beliefs between the political parties.

We ate dinner at a pub in the Belfast city centre and all went to Crown Bar, one of the city's most famous bars. Caroline (our tour guide and professor) told us the bar was originally owned by a couple, the wife was Protestant and her husband was Catholic. The husband wanted to name the bar after their family's surname, but the wife insisted on naming it after the United Kingdom. As you can probably see, the wife won that fight. However, there is a tiled crown design on the floor as you walk into the bar, so everyone who walks in rubs the dirt off of their shoes on the crown.

Thursday's Retail Therapy

Third day of rain IN A ROW. I'm starting to finally understand why everyone told me to prepare myself. Another day of wearing my wellies isn't disappointing to me though!

Last two classes of the week. In Contemporary Society we had a quiz on the first several lectures. I think overall it went well, although I think I need to pay a little more attention to current events in the news. The only current news question I answered correctly was about the Six Nations Rugby competition between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales (You can probably tell what section of the newspaper I read everyday).

We had a guest lecturer today in history in preparation for our weekend trip to Northern Ireland. He further explained (in great detail) the conflict in the north in the 1970s up until present day. While we've been assured we're in no immediate danger traveling in that area, it is a little scary to think that just 10 or 12 years ago bombs were being set off, in an act to rid the north of Catholics. I'm more excited for the trip now, after hearing about the continuing disagreements between the British/Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland parliaments.

After class, Melissa and I headed into the city for a little "retail therapy." Although the rain had picked up to almost a steady pour, we were happy to get off campus for a few hours. We each found some great deals, including FAI National League of Ireland jerseys! They were on sale (marked down 70%!), and we each jumped at the chance to buy one to represent the country. (FAI stands for the Football Association of Ireland. Also, football is Europe is soccer in America.). We each bought Átha Cliath sweatshirts, which represent the Dublin's Gaelic Football team within the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). (Átha Cliath is Gaelic for Dublin. And Gaelic Football is a combination of soccer and rugby, although the sport predates both.) We managed to ask the salesperson for some direction as to which jersey belonged to which team, just so we didn't buy the wrong team's apparel. He was very helpful, and even asked if I was Canadian (Apparently, according to him I didn't have an American accent?). We left the city exhausted, wet and hungry, but it was definitely worth the trip.

We're all packed and ready to head out of Dublin again for the weekend. This time, we're headed north! Tomorrow we'll spend the day in Belfast, exploring the city and its parliament buildings and other landmarks. We're scheduled to make stops at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge and the Giant's Causeway before arriving in Derry (or as some may still call it Londonderry) for the night. Sunday sounds like it will be a little more relaxing, as we make small stops on the way home, including one in Drogheda, one of Ireland's oldest and most historic towns. It sounds like fun, I'm excited to see another part of this beautiful country! Check back Sunday night for pictures and another update on this weekend's adventures!

Brown Bread & Wellies

Someone in our Contemporary Society class today asked, "So, what is brown bread actually?" I've wondered the same thing since arriving in Ireland almost three weeks ago. Our professor explained that brown bread is similar to wheat bread, with the exception that the husks aren't removed before the wheat plant is harvested. I can't put into words how good it is! If you've every been to Ireland, I'm sure you'd agree brown bread isn't only the BEST type of bread out there, it goes with everything! Brown bread makes the perfect toast (topped with nutella), ham-and-cheese sandwich, and side with a big bowl of stew. You can buy this type of bread at the grocery store, in similar packaging to bread you buy in the U.S., or it's typically made in a smaller-loaf style. Below is a picture of the traditional Irish stew I had in Galway last weekend (with brown bread on the side).



The past two days it has rained. Yesterday, it drizzled in the morning, and the sun came out in the afternoon. Today, what started as a light rain developed into a steady pouring spell. Personally, I didn't seem to mind the rain, as I wore my rainboots. Two girls who studied in Dublin last spring explained that rainboots (or wellies, as they call them in Ireland) are essential when spending months in Ireland. I bought a new pair of GREEN wellies in my first week in Dublin. I've loved wearing them so far (someone remind me of this after a few months of wearing them everyday). Here's a picture of them, from last weekend. Melissa and I thought it would be smart to stick our wellies and shower shoes in a brown-paper bag. Unfortunately, the bag didn't survive the trip.


Interesting fact: Wellies received their name in the 1800s, after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. Wellesley has his shoemaker modify the Hessian boot, so it would be both durable in battle and modestly comfortable as evening wear. The name just stuck. Many countries around the world have different names for these boots, gum Boots (Australia), rubber boots (Canada), waterboots (Ireland), galoshes (France), and rainboots (U.S.A.).

Schooling in the US & Ireland

We had any interesting lecture today in Irish Society about Ireland's school systems. Believe it or not, the majority of first level (elementary) and second level (high school) schools are still predominantly affiliated with and run through the church, whether it be Catholic or Protestant.

Irish students are asked at the early age of 16 to decide what profession they'd like to pursue. I can't even imagine what I would've chosen at the age. High school level students are given a choice: to take the "junior cert" exam, which if passed means they are finished with their second level schooling. I'd say this test is similar to the American version of the G.E.D. If they wish to continue with their second level education, they take what's called the "Leaving Cert" exam. Similar to the SATs, the scores a student receives from this test determine what area of study they'll be able to take up at university and what college of university they will be able to attend. While second level education is primarily free for everyone, the schools typically ask for annual contributions of 6-7,000 EURO from the student's parents for funding purposes.

Entering university here has become more competitive over the past several years, as the economy has taken a turn for the worse. Many students know see any advantage to stay in school for a few more years, in hopes of obtaining a degree that will help land them a decent job or simply waiting for the recession to end.

What amazed me most of all: Irish students, once accepted to a university, attend basically for FREE. That's right, for free! They are require to pay the registration fees, which average between 1,000-1,500 EURO per semester, and housing costs. The Irish government enacted some sort of law that allows Irish students to attend university and obtain their first undergraduate degree for free. Pretty nice, huh?

Sleep-In Monday

I didn't wake up until after 11am today, guess last weekend's trip really tired me out! A solid 11 hours was exactly what I needed. On Mondays, we don't have class until 2pm, and after this weekend, I completely understand why they set up our schedule this way.

We started a week of lectures about northern Ireland today in history. We briefly discussed the fighting between the Catholics and Protestants in the north from the early 1900s through the 1960s, when rioting and marches broke out among the two groups. We saw a clip from The Boxer, a 1997 film depicting the troubles in Belfast and Derry, two cities in the north.

Some facts for you:
- There are 32 counties in the country.
- 26 of those counties are part of the Republic of Ireland.
- The remaining 6 counties make up northern Ireland & are currently still under English rule.
- There are two separate Parliaments in Ireland: one in Dublin, and one in Belfast.
- My family in from County Derry, Colraine to be exact.
- The Stewart side of the family is from Portstewart, one of the most northern parts of the country.

Our lectures about northern Ireland will continue until Friday when we make a weekend trip up north. We'll be making stops in Belfast, Derry and Droheda, and visiting some pretty incredible sites, including the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Giants Causeway, and the north's Parliament buildings. I'm looking forward to visiting Derry and seeing where my ancestors were from!

I made another trip to Tesco's tonight to stock up on food for the week. I think it's safe to say I finally seem to have a grip on food shopping and the US dollar to EURO conversion rate. I bought a package of tea biscuits after my roommate Melissa let me try some of hers last week. They taste similar to animal crackers at home, which I absolutely love. It was a great find, and one that I'm currently enjoying as I write this post! And I picked up some Nestle's Curiously Cinnamon, a very similar cereal to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, my absolute favorite cereal from my childhood- another great find.

That's all for now. Oh, and congratulations to my little sister on turning 17 yesterday, and passing her driver's test today! I'm so proud of her!

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