In Belfast, place is identity.

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On our last day in Ireland, I enjoyed walking through the Ulster Museum, eating lunch at Maggie May’s, and taking a Black Taxi Tour of Belfast. At the Ulster Museum, I found the exhibit dedicated to The Troubles fascinating and appreciated the museum’s effort to present the material as impartially as possible. I found it interesting that the museum had a suggestion box at the end of that exhibit that encouraged visitors to share ways in which the exhibit could be more impartial, representative, and inclusive. In all my years visiting museums, I’ve never seen anything like it.

On the Black Taxi Tour, I was surprised by how much I didn’t know about Ireland’s current political climate. I had no idea a wall existed that divided Belfast or that gates were closed every night to help citizens on either side feel more secure. It reminded me a lot of East and West Germany and of the conflict that for so long defined and divided that country.

The taxi tour perfectly illustrated the importance of place. On the Protestant side of the wall, there were memorials dedicated to citizens killed by the IRA. The language on various murals and memorials conflated the IRA with ISIS, an interesting tactic. Conflation is a tactic I often see the US media use to advance an argument. Rarely do supporters of a particular argument find conflation problematic; however, it’s easy to recognize agitprop in arguments we oppose. On the Catholic side of the wall, the murals and memorials were more nationalistic and stressed the sacrifices made by IRA members and others in support of a free Ireland.

In this part of Ireland, place is identity. The lives of Irish people in Belfast are shaped by what side of the wall they’re on.

This trip has been a phenomenal exercise in studying the intersection of place and identity. The activities consistently engaged us on multiple levels, and I’m thankful for LeeAnne’s meticulous planning which allowed us to think critically about a difficult subject.

Ulster Museum, Our Last Day In Ireland

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Today was our very last day of our program and in Ireland. This is an incredibly upsetting thing to write right now, because I’ve had the time of my life here. Today I felt was the perfect last day. We ended going to the Ulster Museum and the botanical gardens which were both absolutely massive. The photo above is of the glass house in the botanical gardens and I thought this house was amazing because all of the plants were so unique. Afterwards we went to the museum which had a lot of history of how Northern Ireland came to be. There was a part of the museum I opted out of seeing, which was the natural history section that was full of taxidermy. As a vegan I don’t agree with the ethics of this, but other than that part I found the museum to be amazing. The Troubles exhibit was my favorite because it was really powerful to see all of the propaganda throughout the streets of Ireland, and I had no idea that all of these things happened to recently. The museum really opened up my eyes into the brutal history both Ireland and Northern Ireland faced. After the museum we went on the Black Taxi tour which I felt was extremely one-sided. The tour guides only talked about how horrible the IRA was and not really about what their mission was. I did enjoy all of the art and memorials on the streets because something about going to a place where a major thing happened makes it all the more powerful. Our dinner was a nice wrap up of our program, the food was incredible as well as all of you people that were apart of this wonderful trip. I honestly believe that I had made lifelong friends and I will never forget this experience.

Free Day in Belfast – Giant’s Causeway Tour!

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For our free day in Belfast, Nicole, Shana, and I decided to go on a full-day Giant’s Causeway Tour! To say it was breathtaking would be an extreme understatement – this tour was one of the best experiences I’ve had abroad to date. There were times that I had to remember that I was in Ireland because some of the locations were so tropical-esque. The drive was so peaceful, and the tour guide was excellent at pointing out all of the historical stops along the way. At one point, he said that he does this tour every weekday and he never gets bored or tired of it because the views are so gorgeous – that says something. The views are incredible and I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing it every day!

First, we made a quick stop at the Carrickfergus Castle, built in the 12th century – around the 1120s I believe – and surprisingly well kept for its age. We didn’t have time to go into the castle, but I really enjoyed the views from the outside and would love to come back some day! It’s something my husband would jump at the chance to do.

Next, we made our way to the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, which we were so happy to find out was OPEN! When we booked the tour we found out that it was vandalized and closed “indefinitely” but they fixed it much faster than we thought. It cost six pounds to cross and it was so fun – I’ve actually been on bridges much more rickety so I found it quite easy to cross! The views were impeccable and the hike was tough but worth it.

Next up – Giant’s Causeway! After a lunch break, we were finally able to take a more leisurely walk to these incredible rocks at the end of the trail. Hard on the feet and ankles, but amazing to climb on and cross. I found a spot right where waves crash where not a lot of people were to claim as my own for a good while, and found myself wishing I had a good book and all the time in the world to relax on the rocks. So many people were there, but it was easy to tune it all out and connect with nature.

During the drive back to Belfast, I kept thinking about how wonderful the day was and how lucky I was to go on the tour. With this, and today’s museum/gardens visit, Black Taxi Tour, and delicious dinner, I’m sad to leave Ireland but know that I will always remember this fantastic trip – and who knows, I might even frame some of the pictures with breathtaking views that I happened to capture!

Game of Thrones

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Today I went on the Game of Thrones tour. It was one of the best experiences in my life. I saw many things that I could have only dreamt of seeing before. It was honestly like a dream come true to see the rolling hills, hundreds of sheep and other farm life, walk across a rope bridge, feel the cool and warm currents from the ocean and from the valleys.  We visited the Cushendun Caves, Giant’ Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and the King Road (Dark Hedges ) as well as Carrickfergus Castle, Carnlough Village, and Dunce Castle. In the case of the Dunluce Castle, a portion of the castle that had the kitchen and staff in it broke away from the rest of the building and plummeted into the sea killing many staff persons. The Dunluce castle served as a reference for the design of one of the many castles in Game of Thrones.

One really interesting natural land mark we saw was Loughareema- The Vanishing Lake of Northern Ireland. Loughareema is a lake that disappears completely into the ground from time to time as if a lake had never existed there before. When we drove past it was dry. However, our tour guide informed us that it had been filled on the last tour he did just a few days prior.

One of my favorite places on the tour was when we walked across the rope bridge to a beautiful island. The walk to the rope bridge and island was a little strenuous but it was definitely worth the effort because the view up there was absolutely stunning. We had a clear view of Scotland and we could see right through the water below us. Chelsea, Diana, and I enjoyed the fresh air and the close to our wonderful trip.

 

Women in the Rising and a Goodbye to Ireland!

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Picture are forthcoming! Waiting for more reliable wifi!

The International Wall, which we saw during our Black Taxi Tour of Belfast, had a quote painted on it that reminded me of something I have seen throughout our time in Belfast studying the 1916 Rising: “About 90 women took part in the Rising.” The passage continued to saying to what capacity they served in the battles.  Because of my personal area of interest and study, which is focusing on domestic spaces during tumultuous periods (specifically WWI), quotes like this give me pause since they assume that a woman must be on the battle front to have taken part in the rising. Perhaps I am caught up in wording, since the writers of the passage very well could have meant solely military participation, but the reasoning behind my awareness still stands: where is the mention of what it was like to be part of the domestic life during the Rising?

Surely, women have been mentioned. We have seen dozens of instances where women fought alongside men in the battlefields, and many sections of exhibits are dedicated to women in the Rising. However, I am interested in what it was like for the women who were kept indoors—women like the mothers of the boys portrayed in the movie Bloody Sunday. It is easy for these voices to get lost in the chaos of a rebellion, and finding these voices and analyzing their words is something I hope to explore further in my essay for this class.

This being the last blog post, I want to take these last few words to reflect on our trip. Today, we had our final dinner together as a group, and while I am exhausted (!!!), I feel so fulfilled. This was completely different than my previous study abroad experience, especially with the opportunity to become submerged in the period and place. I especially enjoyed the diverse experiences we had: from museums, to walking tours, to pub crawls, to theatre. We were all really lucky for and made better by this experience.

Last Day in Ireland

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Today was our last day in Ireland, and I couldn’t be more reluctant to leave. It is difficult not to note the drastic differences between Belfast and Dublin. Even though we only spent two full days in Belfast, it’s very obvious that Belfast is not quite as lively or touristy.

First, we took a walk to the Ulster Museum and Botanic Gardens. Since the weather was nice, I decided to walk through the garden before the museum. The glass house was absolutely breathtaking and I could not believe how many different types of plants could live (and thrive) in one place (I have a hard time keeping succulents alive)! A bit further along, we came across the rose garden. I’m pretty sure I smelled just about every single type of rose in the entire garden. One of them in particular smelled like a Lush store, and I was tempted to take one with me!

We decided to explore the museum for a little while, and I found myself interested mostly in the exhibit on The Troubles in Ireland. I learned a new stance on the issue between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic when I walked through this exhibit, which I anticipated. Later on when we had our Black Taxi Tour, I was really surprised by how one-sided the information seemed. I completely have sympathy for the innocent victims who were needlessly killed, but I think they could have touched on the brutality that was received by victims in the IRA as well.

Aside from that point, I really enjoyed the tour and think I won’t forget it, as seeing the faces or innocent victims was incredibly sobering.

Poteen Maker

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On our tour today we saw hidden caves in limestone deposits where secret Catholic schools sessions were held. After seeing those on my tour today I thought about the story Poteen Maker. In it a teacher makes poteen during school hours and disguises it as science experiments. During the tour, our tour guide explained that poteen was made by an elderly woman around that part of town. It was illegal to sell poteen and because it has a very strong alcohol content it most people dilute it with water. One clever, poteen maker decided to sell water to go with the poteen and give the poteen away for free. No law prohibits the sale of water.

When we discussed the Poteen maker I thought of how the new teacher at the end of the story could be a representation of the poteen maker in the past or possibly things coming full circle. One of the things that hold the narrator back from going in the school is nostalgia. He has nostalgia for his old school just the way it had been. Maybe, some part of the narrator does not want his hopes dashed about the new school by venturing in and seeing the changes that have been made. he wants to preserve the memory of the school as he knew it in his mind. That idea ties into place and one molding a place into something meaningful with by the creation of memories and familiarity.

For this character, the condition of the school and the behavior of the teacher is all he knows. He is familiar, he is comfortable, and because of nostalgia, he does not want to disturb the place he has created in his mind.

Northern Ireland

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Today was such an amazing day. My peers and I celebrated the first day of summer by going on an outdoor adventure. We headed towards the country side Northern Ireland and it was a very interesting experience. Our road trip lasted about 2 hours, and we made several stops along the way. One of the things I noticed is that as you move away the city , neighborhoods become more political  and national identity starts shifting from town to town. There were places were the Irish flag flew free in the sky , while in others there were monuments and flags praising the English crown.  Although our tour was not meant to be educational or  to address this issue, our tour guide shared with us what he thinks is the reality of Northern Ireland. He explained to us that the political spectrum in this particular place is broad. There is people that identify themselves as being Irish, others British, and others simply as Northern Irish. He also shared with us something I thought it was pretty cool. Apparently citizens of Northern Ireland are allowed to have both an English and Irish passport, which kind of allows them  to pledge alliance to the country they feel more related too. Also, he explained that after the Brexit referendum a lot of people who didnt have an Irish passport decided to get one to ensure mobility across the European Union. I think this is going to be something to look up at the future because I think it could be a game changer for Northern Ireland’s political situation.

The biggest highlight of the day was our visit to the Giant’s Causeway, and  walking to the Rope Bridge. It was such a wonderful experience. I will attach a couple of pictures, but I must say that the camera doesn’t do justice to the beauty of this place. Honestly, it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seem.

Rocks, water, cliffs and other awesomeness!

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An image will be here shortly…. Wifi problems!

The Giant’s Causeway tour was incredible. Each location superseded the last, and Whitney, Shanna and I were consistently blown away. After a quick stop at a 12th century castle along the Irish Sea, we got the opportunity to cross over the infamous rope bridge (which we thought had been closed!!). The experience was terrifying but still amazing and definitely unforgetable.

After, we made the short drive to the most breathtaking scene:  the actual causeway, which we learned is the product of ancient volcanic eruptions. However, local legends about the causeway claim that giants built the structures of perfectly squared, oversized stones stacked atop one another. Since science tends to be incomprehensible to me, both options are equally logical in my eyes. If I was to connect this scene to the ideas about “place” we have discussed on this trip, I would propose that this place is made meaningful by the absence of memories. Sure, geologists can pin down the origin on the stones, but the system through which they took on their unique shape is practically inaccessible; therefore, we are left to fill in the gaps with folklore and other made up tales that work towards explaining things beyond our understanding.

Whitney and Shana found themselves shouting random adjectives at the cliffs, saying “astonishing,” “amazing,” “spectacular.” And while all of this was in jest, I can’t come up with any other way to describe the experience of the causeway. All of us have seen beautiful beaches and shorelines, but something about this place stood out. We couldn’t pin down if it was the contrast between the deep blue water, the grey stones and the green grass or the magnificence of the stones overall—or if we were made privy to something special since the day had turned out to be so beautiful. For a measly 23 pounds, we got an experience of a lifetime, in places that we couldn’t have even imagined.

Sight Seeing

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During our free day, I decided to take a tour based off of the filming locations for HBO’s series, Game of Thrones. We traveled to a series of different jaw-dropping locations. We first visited Carrickfergus  Castle, which is still intact and was built in 1170. It was impressive for me, because I have never seen a castle that is as old as this one and still in wonderful shape. We then made a stop in the Cushendun Caves, which happens to be in some major scenes in Game Of  Thrones. In the town where these caves are located, also had secret caves set up for Catholic people to practice there faith is secrecy and still be protected. During these times, the Queen had outlawed Catholicism in Northern Ireland.

My favorite part of the day, was the crossing the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and visiting Giant’s Causeway. The bridge was so much fun, and the little island waiting on the other side is peaceful. It was such a sunny day, that you could clearly see Scotland. Our tour guide noted that today was the best day that they have seen in months. We are a lucky bunch to have experienced that.

Giant’s Causeway was like something out of a fairy tale. The hexagon rocks were so breath-taking, and acutally looked man-made. Our tour guide explained the natural phenomena to us. Basically the tectonic plates pulled apart from each other causing lava to bubble up to the surface, causing the hexagon shaped rocks to form. As the iron inside the rocks oxidizes it creates that stunning red color that can bee seen on all the rocks or the sides of the cliffs.

I thought it was such a great experience, and it was so beautiful, it felt like I was apart of a story, or movie. I really enjoyed the scientific facts that followed with the Game of Thrones Tour.