London!

Sorry for not updating in  a while! The family coming has put me behind in time and schoolwork and with the end coming so soon, I need to catch up, and quick! There is no way that a person can see or do a fraction of the things worth seeing or doing while in London for only three days. However, we tried to do as much as we could for as cheap as we could while we were there. Our first day there we dropped off our things at the hostel (which was amazing!) and took the time to walk around London. It was an awesome experience, mostly because we got to see a lot of the sight in the city that we would see the next day, just at night! It was absolutely beautiful. Michelle and I had a great time buying Toffeenut Lattes at Starbucks and caramelized nuts from a street vendor and walking along the River Thames!

The next day we did a free walking tour of the city, seeing all of the touristy sights but with a bunch of cool commentary and history behind it thanks to our amazing guide. Originally from Limerick, he was super friendly and really fun to listen to! We got to see Big Ben, The House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Downing St, and much more. Afterwards we jumped on 'the tube' and headed to the Tower of London and the London Bridge to see Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and then eventually up to Piccadilly Circus and Leinster Square for dinner. Every night we were able to come back to the hostel, which was above a pub and hang out with fun people and get discount drinks and pizza!

The next day is my favorite in London because of the way we got to spend the whole morning! Thanks to my aunt, we were directed to Fortnum and Mason for afternoon tea and it was amazing! Fancy plates and scones with clotted cream and embroidered napkins (which i stole!) made the whole experience appropriately English and fantastic! The department store was SUPER fancy and fun to just be in and look at things. Soon the exorbitant prices started to seem reasonable and we knew we had spent too much time there and it was time to buy our tea and head out! We spent the rest of the day exploring Brick Lane, a very hipster section of London where street art is common and the food is multi ethnic and the people are unique in appearance. The markets there were fun, and Michelle had tons of fun discovering famous street art.

Céad Fáilte- One Hundred Welcomes from Galway!

Sorry I'm a weekend behind with updating! I said I wanted to travel while I was here but going a different place three weekends is a row is draining...

Last weekend we took a FIVE HOUR BUS TRIP down to Galway. It was supposed to be the "most Irish of Ireland". On our first day there we went to visit the Aran Islands, a group of three islands off the coast of Galway in Galway Bay. Here, Irish is the spoken language still and they're known for producing the Aran wool sweaters that are associated with Ireland in general. The largest island, Inishmore was the one we took a ferry to, and it was absolutely gorgeous. Traditional Irish life is showcased on the island for those willing to take the harrowing journey across the bay. The ferry rocked back and forth so much that people were getting sick on the ride there and over! It was enough to scare me for a few seconds! The island was only nine miles from end to end, but the sites were so spread out that people normally rent bicycles to get to each one, and it took me a hot second to remember how to ride a bike; it was definitely an experience. After asking the locals where the best place for lunch was, we went to a pub to get fish and chips and heard regular everyday people speaking Gaelic to each other!

  






The second day in Galway we took another day trip, this time to the Cliffs of Mohr. Unfortunately the weather didn't stay so nice for us this day, and it rained AND HAILED on us as we were trying to take in the sites. The cliffs were definitely breathtaking. I don't know if I am just partial to the northern coast because I saw if first and live in the north, but I still think that Castlerock was prettier, even if it was not so grand a scale. Even though the weather was pretty awful, the cliffs took on a haunting look, and they were still dramatic and definitely worth going to see.

While it was a really cool, fun little city, one could definitely tell that it was the major tourist attraction in Ireland. The city was filled with souvenir shops with the regular cheesy stuff; mugs and tshirts and jewelry. It was a little disappointing in that respect, but it didn't take away too much from its charm. There were street performers playing traditional Irish music and we went to visit the jeweler who first started making the Irish claddagh ring. Thomas Dillons also had a small museum in the back explaining all about the ring and its tradition. The heart for love, the hands for friendship, and the crown for loyalty.

I only just returned home from London this weekend and will begin to put up pictures soon! Ill post all about London soon as well!

Divided Societies Conference

Last weekend I was able to attend a conference in Maynooth, a little outside Dublin that was based on divided societies and how to handle conflict. It was one of the best experiences that I have had this semester. It was run by the former BCA directer of the Derry program (he's now back at Juniata running their peace program), Jim Skelly. While he is a very impressive figure in the peace community, the conference also consisted of many other lecturers that are actively doing work in the conflict resolution field. It was amazing to be surrounded by people doing what I want to do with my life.

Around thirty students attended the conference and came from programs all over Europe; Germany, Spain, Belgium, France and obviously Ireland and Northern Ireland. I met so many cool people and made really cool new friends throughout the three days I spent with them.

The first half of the conference was held at Maynooth campus and then we were all bused to Derry for the second half. The lectures were about the conflict and the peace process in Israel/Palestine, conflict management in urban spaces, specifically Belfast, and the Northern Ireland peace process happening right now in places like Derry and Belfast. We had the opportunity to talk one on one with the experts and then discuss together among the students about the themes. When we got back to Derry, us people who lived here were able to show everyone else around this awesome city.

One of the coolest things about the conference was the play we were able to experience in Derry called the Theatre of Witness. The actors were real people telling their stories about how they were involved in and affected by "The Troubles" here in Northern Ireland. It was incredibly powerful and moving.

The experience was so amazing; I got to meet so many fun people and learned so much. The best part is that it really underlined the idea in my mind that this is what I want to do with my life. One of the main themes of the conference is that there are so many easy ways that people can get involved and make a difference; and thats what I want to do. I learned so much, met so many interesting people, and surrounded myself with people doing exactly what I want to be doing. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

ONE MONTH

Sorry that I haven't posted anything here recently, not a lot has been going on. Classes are moving into more substantial material which is really interesting. I know how to say lots of things in Irish and I'm learning a lot of interesting stories in my folklore class! My class about violence against civilians might be my only "real" class, and it is super interesting. Its challenging and the tutor is brilliant making it even more intimidating.

In the past few weekends I have found my most favorite place in Northern Ireland to date. Castlerock seems like just a stop on the bus to Colraine, a much larger town, but it has been the prettiest place, and I had the most fun there to date. The coolest thing about it was the ability to go right up to the cliffs and hang over them- literally. In Castlerock we played on the beach, climbed up to the cliffs, and explored the ruins of an old mansion, all for free. The north coast of Ireland is breathtaking and I don't think I'll ever be able to get enough of it.

 


This weekend we went on a trip that was organized by the international student department of Magee, and financed partly by the university chaplains. We went to Giants Causeway, one of the natural wonders of Ireland. The rock formations are very unique, and the legend behind them is as well. The giant of Northern Ireland, Finn McCool was said to have built the rocks in order to get from the coast of Northern Ireland to the coast of Scotland, which we could see barely from the causeway, to fight a giant from there. When he saw how huge the giant was, he came up with a plan: he disguised himself as a baby. When the Scottish giant saw how huge the "baby giant" was, he was so afraid to face the adult that he ran back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went. There is the same formation of rocks off the coast of Scotland, so the legend is that they are the remnants.

You can see what I mean about the northern coast of Ireland? Absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, the trip took longer than the chaplains were planning and we didn't get to see all that we were hoping; Bushmills distillery, Dunluce castle, the Dark Hedges, etc. That just means I'll have to find some way to go back! Next weekend is the Divided Societies conference in Maynooth, outside of Dublin. I can't wait to hear all about the subject from the experts! 

Buncrana, County Donegal

On our first real trip outside of Derry, we went to Buncrana, the largest city in County Donegal, but that really isn't saying much. It was very quaint and cute, right on the coast. It was extremely picturesque but aside from spending lots of money on gifts and souvenirs, there wasn't much more to do but hike around and take pictures. Which was totally okay, since it was GORGEOUS.

  




We took a hike out to Buncrana Castle, which turned out to not be much of a castle, but it lead us on a two hour hike along the coast of Lough Swilly and then eventually the ocean. It was winding and beautiful and was sufficient enough to make the bus ride out there worth it. Our first venture into the Republic of Ireland was a success, and we should be going back again next weekend with Gavin.

 

While we were in town we bought claddah rings and shirts celebrating Donegal's Gaelic Football All Ireland win from the week before. Since the currency in the Republic is euros so the exchange rate was MUCH better than what we get here in Derry using pounds. I know where I will be shopping from now on!

 


 





I had so much fun, and it makes me so much more excited for the other trips we plan on taking this semester!