Today we completed the 1916 Easter Rising Tour. The amount of history in this city is amazing, and the amount of blood shed is unbelievable. I thought it was rather interesting to walk down the street along the river in Dublin and see the markings that bullets had left behind. There was constant fighting from 1916-1923 due to the uprising and Irish Civil War, and it was pretty cool to see some of the physical markings left behind on present day buildings.

I really enjoyed going in the Post Office downtown, it was basically a live page in a history book. I never realized the importance of this Post Office to the rebel forces; it was were their main base was located. I also learned about how significant women forces had been. Many places during this time period did not allow women to join in and participate in military forces. They were the ones that were supposed to cook, deliver messages and tend to the sick or injured. Not carry a rifle and protect their base and fight for the cause.

I also really enjoyed our tour guide, Lorcan Collins. He is so full of energy, very funny and was actually able to project his voice, so I never had to strain my ears to hear. Plus the way he told these stories, didn’t miss a beat in the timeline and expressed such detail in these events made me eager to learn more. His book and tour are by far my favorite things we as a group have participated in and read.