Dublin Part 1

7/22

Today, the Irish Way had the privilege of visiting the Irish President's house in Phoenix Park. While walking the grounds, many of the students commented on the 'royal' cows and the beauty of the place. Meghan described the house as 'extravagant' and Betsey followed up by saying it was 'quite lovely with delicious biscuits and jam.' We were shown around the state rooms of the house which included the historical cabinet table of DeValera and furniture from King Louis XXIV.

After this once-in-a-lifetime experience, our students were given a free afternoon in Dublin city center. Most chose to shop, like Barbara, Ali and Julie who all bought matching Claddah rings, or they went to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. Others wandered down to the fashionable Temple Bar area, to explore the cafes and vintage stores. Megan B. came back on the bus, raving 'Dublin has replaced NYC as one of my top cities!'

We ended our day with two workshops taught by our Irish teachers, Dan and Angie. Dan lead a rugby session, something that an experienced player like John was looking forward to. Although our kids weren't completely able to grasp the rules of the game, they had fun trying. After that, all of our students attended a Northern Ireland workshop, where they learned about the recent conflict and the current realities of the region. Mary Kate found Angie's personal perspective on the issue to be the most rewarding part of this experience. Our group politician, Sam, said 'the Northern Ireland workshop highlighted how the colonialism and imperialism of the British government oppressed the world!' Frenchie was speechless, saying only, 'ditto.'

7/23

Our Northern Ireland Workshop was well timed, as today we headed up to the North to see the Giant's Causeway. The scenery between the North and the South remained largely unchanged and the beauty of this area was as breathtaking as areas in the Burren. On the causeway, we hiked the cliffs and debated the mythical and scientific reasonings behind this natural wonder. We then headed to the Carrick-a-rede bridge, a suspension bridge that connects the mainland to a fishing island off the coast. Rachel was proud of her self for crossing the bridge no-handed. The views of the sea and distant Scotland left many of our students stunned. Molly said that the beauty of these places made it her favorite day yet!

Galway

7/16

Today was our first full day in Galway. After settling into their apartments, the kids all agreed that they loved the set up of Gort Na Corrib much more than Newtown Boarding School. Our time in Galway is packed full with tours and we started our stint in the West off with a visit to the Cliffs of Moher. This is one of the most beautiful and famous places in Ireland. As we left Galway City, we passed through the Burren of Co. Clare. This area is most known for its exposed limestone and lush greenery. We stopped at an ancient dolmen, a burial site that pre-dates the Pyramids! Legend has it that if you run around the stone structure 10 times anti-clockwise, you increase your fertility. Most of the Irish Way-ers gave it a shot, sprinting around the tomb.

At the Cliffs of Moher, the students all snapped photos and took in the beauty of the scene. Colleen felt like she was 'looking into the end of the earth' as she gazed across the Atlantic Ocean. The dark blues and greens of the sea amazed even those who had visited this dramatic landmark before.

Back in Galway, the kids were all given freetime to explore the city. With the Galway Arts Festival going on in July, the city is at its most vibrant. Mary loved the street performers and many of our students bought authentic Claddagh rings at the original site of their creation.

7/17

Today we got an early start and headed to the ferry docks. From there, we were off to Inishmore, the biggest of the three Aran Islands. These islands are known for preserving many of the traditional ways of Irish life, such as fishing, stone houses and the Gaelic language. Once off the boat, we all rolled up one leg of our pants in preparation for a day of cycling. This proved a daunting task for Mariel and TJ who both had never ridden bikes before! Either riding tandem or solo, the group headed uphill to explore the island. One of the greatest attractions on Inishmore is Dun Aengus, a ring fort situated at the highest peak of the island. Once we mounted the top, most students thought the uphill climb was worth it. Unlike the Cliffs of Moher, Dun Angus has no barriers on the edge of the cliff, so students were able to peak their heads over the cliffs to get an even closer glimpse of the drastic drop below. While Molly claims that the island seemed to be uphill both ways, the lack of rain made the trip that much better!

7/18

Today we headed to Connemara to see a typical homestead of an Irish tenant farmer. We took a tour of the grounds, learning how to dig peat and also playing games of horseshoes and tug-of-war. Patty came out of the day as the horseshoe champion. As he accepted his title he said 'yeah I could get used to living here.' The only problem might be the short ceilings and door frames. Dan O'Hara's cottage gave all of us a unique glimpse into traditional Irish life. Many of us were sad to leave Galway, but there are more fun times ahead in Dublin.