Category Archives: June 14

Howth was a dream.

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I leave Howth with an overwhelming feeling of being part of a special place. I know that is a vague and sort of a cliche thing to say–“a special place”–but throughout our day I continuously was in awe. I’ve mentioned in a previous blog that Dublin is not what I had expected; I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but what Dublin is and what I imagined it to be are two different things. I had a romanticized idea of Ireland, though, and I imagined it as a place filled with greenery and, admittedly, sheep. Perhaps it was city fatigue, but satisfying my natural inclinations and my perception of Ireland in one day quenched a thirst that was created when I booked this trip.

I wish more people from the group opted to do the boat ride around Ireland’s Eye. It was remarkable. We rode past caves, puffins (!!!!) and cliffs. We were splashed by waves nearly as tall as the boat itself, and we were able to see a place in Ireland left relatively undisturbed. Ireland’s Eye is a non-inhabited island, where folks can go, free of charge, to explore. Access is only limited during nesting seasons, but otherwise the options on the island are limitless.

The caves on the island intrigued me the most. Since we did not have the chance to disembark due to waves, from the boat we saw two different types of caves: natural caves, which were deep and dark, and man-made caves, which were supported by a brick structure. I did some research on the island, but I couldn’t find anything about these caves, besides a shotty video of a person on a rowboat inside one of the caves on youtube. However, I did find information about the tower, called Martello tower, situated on the island. It was built in 1803 by the Duke of York (and is one of three in the Howth area) to prevent a possible invasion by Napoleon.

Howth!!

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Today we went to an excursion to Howth which was by far my favorite activity and place so far on this trip. Howth was incredibly breathtaking with the clear blue water to the mountains and to the beautiful houses along the terraces. This place meant a lot to me because I grew up in the mountains, and while I was living there I did not take much appreciation for the beautiful scenery around me. I was so over the nature part and really just wanted to live in the city as a teenager. Once I moved to the city I had to get used to stopping seeing trees and mountains and other natur-ey things. Once I came to Howth I immediately felt a connection. I felt a connection with a place that I’ve nearly explored. I found this to be interesting, because I feel that I have always been a city person. I do find myself still wanting to live in the city, but because of my upbringing I think I may have a felt a connection with Howth because of the scenery and that it’s all nature. Even though we walked the farthest amount today out of our whole trip, this excursion tired me out the least. I have always found myself adventurous so I feel that I made a connection with Howth and all of it’s beauty. One thing that really struck me about this place was how beautiful and clear the water was. It was beautifully blue without any trash floating around. I found the litter to be at a minimum in general here in Dublin, and I think that says a lot about Irish culture and American culture.

Howth Did I Get Here???

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Today we took a trip to the beautiful coastal city of Howth. Although I had seen a few pictures nd thought I knew what to expect, my breath was taken away as soon as I began to take in the astonishing views this city has to offer. A short bus trip and thirty minute train ride was all it took to get to this amazing spot, located only about sixteen miles from Dublin. Once we got off the bus, it was clear that we were definitely outside of the city limits. Although there were a few shops along the dock, you could really tell that this was a place where people were happy to relish in the natural beauty, rather than man-made tourist attractions. Chelsea and Nia presented their readings in place, and reminded us how the port we were looking out at may have provided escape for many Irishmen and Irishwomen in times of emigration.

Walking through the first half of the hike, I was captivated by the architecture embedded throughout the cliffs. The houses we walked by were absolutely beautifully built and I began to picture what it would be like to live in this area. Of course the further we ventured on, the fewer evidence of human presence we came across. Aside from the ever-present wind, I was surprised by how calm it seemed above the choppy waters. Everything was so green and magnificent. I found it difficult not to take a picture of every rock I stumbled across, but managed to make it back to the dorms with a meager 240 photos from the day!

As this study abroad program encourages us to define the meaning of place within the literature we read, I find that Howth may be one of those places that means something different to everyone you may ask. To some, it may be home. To others, it may be a speck on a map that has long since been erased from their memories. To me, Howth is a location that I hope to never forget.

Howth ???

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Today was by far one of my favorite days in Ireland. After having breakfast and discusting  Yeats poems we headed to a beautiful place outside the city: Howth. This was W. B Yates home in his late childhood, so I thought that it would be very insteresting to see if anything of this place could have influence him as a writer. As soon as we arrived, I notice the beauty of this place. Although it seemed to be a very small town, the geographical characteristics of this place created one of the most beautiful landscapes and places I have ever seen or visit. Howth is sorrounded by the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a beautiful sea port that constitutes a big part of the Dublin Bay. In there, we were fortunate enough to see a couple of seals swimming around the coast, and  awide diversity of birds. Our hike to the Howth Cliff was the big highlight of the day. It offered an stunning view of the  town, ocean and cliffs. It was very surreal, almost straight out of a movie scene. My heart was filled of joy , because being from such a small town I never imagined I would have the opportunity to see this side of world. I was very excited , and completely blown away by the beauty of this country. As I was contemplating my surroundings, I felt very grateful for every opportunity that has been giving to me. I also appreciated the gifts of nature more than ever before.There was a moment where I wished my love ones were here to see this with me.  I imagined my dogs hiking by my side, or swimming in the coast, and how perfect our lives would be in here. Ireland has slowly grown on me, and that reminded me of cresswell idea that places creates society. By this he means that our character and accomplishments in life are a construction of the places we have been, and that is our capability to connect with a location that turns a landscape into a place.