But Wait! There's More!

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Program over, family in tow, onward to Wales and beyond

My program has now been over since the morning of the 10^th and while I am sad to see my new friends leave me I am also very happy that my family is able to be with me for the next two weeks. Together we will be traveling by ferry (where I am writing this post from) to Hollyhead, Wales where we will rent a car, drive around the Welsh countryside for a few days and then drop the car off at Heathrow once we arrive in London. We spend a few days in London, hopefully seeing a West End show, and then we take the Eurostar to the City of Lights. The family leaves out of Paris and I then have two weeks in Brussels and Malta before I have to, unfortunately, go home.

Truth be told it was time to leave Ireland. While I am sure I will fiercely miss it once I am home I am afraid that it was beginning to become just another big city. I had been to the pubs, heard the music, eaten the food and learned more about the history and politics of the country than I ever thought humanly possible. Because of this exhaustion I was finding that more and more I found a bad taste in my mouth when I saw the awful tourist attractions and traps that riddle the landscape of Dublin city center.

Before anyone accuses me of being a tourist let me beat them to the punchline by stating that there is a massive and important difference between being a tourist and a traveler. A tourist, at least in the Irish context, is someone who thinks that the Blarney Stone is a national treasure of Ireland. Let me make it clear; it is just a rock that someone waxed a story about in order to lure unsuspecting tourists to a boulder that the locals piss on, so I've been told. A traveler, not to be confused with Travelers with a capital “T”, is someone who does not find it necessary to view every single historic site, museum or pub (can't forget that). Instead, a traveler is someone who has more than a cursory understanding of the country they are visiting. A traveler is not hooked by the tourist facade, does not turn into a Japanese person who takes 100M pictures and finds it necessary to buy the "Pog mo Thoin" bumper sticker for their friend back home.

I feel as though I arrived in Ireland a tourist and am leaving a traveler and even, I dare say, a more educated and worldly person. Wait, that sounds sickeningly cheesy, but there is a reason why it is the easy summation of my feelings: because it is true. So now I am about to disembark the ferry and set foot in Wales for the first time. What adventures will I find? What things will I see and what kinds of people will I meet? These things I do not know, but I am looking forward to finding out. Éire go Brách!

P.S.- If you enjoyed my blogging this semester and would like to continue following my exploits, wanderings and wonderings in Europe I will be starting a new blog which will chronicle my travels for the next month until I get back to the States. You can find the link here.

P.P.S.- I have now been in Wales for two days, yes I wrote this post two days ago and didn't get to publish it until today.

Report Time!

I'm back in Dublin from Belfast now and its time for the final leg of my time in Ireland. So for this week I am busy writing my 35 to 40 page research paper; the culmination of all that I have learned, my experiences and my interviews for the last three weeks in Belfast. My paper is titled "The Role of Sport Working Towards Reconciliation in Belfast" a long title for a long paper. On a happier note I will be going to the Aran Islands as an end to my program and then I will be meeting up with mom, dad and my brother in Dublin! Once I'm with them I'll be leaving Ireland, a sad idea, but I think I am ready to see my family again and (eventually) go home.

Scraped, Bruised and Happy

Wow what a tiring, fun, crash-filled day of mountain biking! My adviser for my research project, Ben, invited me to go biking with him at a local spot outside of Belfast which I happily accepted. So today I rented a bike, met with Ben, loaded it up in his car and we were on our way. Once we got to the spot I realized that my little rental mountain bike was not going to be enough to tame the jumps and hills of the terrain, but fortunately Ben knew that the shop that I had rented the bike from was hosting a demo day with about 20-25 top of the line bikes at the park near our biking ground. So I did what I had to do and traded up for a wonderful (and very very expensive!) bike. I ended up being able to have a much better day and the best part is I didn't have to pay for the demo! Today was a good day.

Yachts and Sports

Today I went to a conference on diversity in Belfast sports hosted by Ocean Youth Trust Ireland an organization which takes groups of young people and trains them in boating skills, but more importantly gives youth an environment in which they can learn more about themselves and people they might consider to be "different", the obvious divide here being Catholic/Protestant, but also other races, religions, etc. Not only did I learn about the organization, but I was able to make some very important contacts in the Irish Football Association and Peace Players which will be immensely helpful in furthering my independent study research (summary for those who don't know: I'm currently doing a 4 week long research project based in Belfast on the role of sports in communities). On top of all of this I acquired a research adviser, Ben Craig, who put on the whole conference and is incredibly knowledgeable in all things sport-related in Belfast. At the end of the day there was the launching of a new fleet of boats for Ocean Youth Trust Ireland which was presided over by the Lord Mayor of Belfast. Needless to say I had a very busy and eventful day and am looking forward to making even more connections and having more interviews!

Last Night

So last night I went to a Hurling match at St. John's GAA Club off of the Falls Road. All I can say is what a bizarre and wonderful sport! I didn't get to take any pictures, but I did get an interview with an interesting older man named Jim Gough who knew the entire history of the club and all of the Gaelic sports. Overall it was a fun night (even though technically I was "working"). Hope everything is going well in the States and the rest of Europe (for any of my friends who are abroad reading).

Here is a short video which explains Hurling pretty well. (I would embed it but the video sizing is off. Sorry!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmzivRetelE&feature=fvw

Belfast: Part Deux

I've made it to Belfast again. The train ride today wasn't too bad except that I had to sit going the reverse-way the majority of the trip so that made me a little queasy, but I made it to the end of my trip with no problems. It was drizzling here earlier, but the sun is setting now and the birds are singing and I have some groceries for dinner so things are going well. My independent study project is gearing up so I'm sure to have lots to do the next four weeks. Wish me luck!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter from Dublin! Today I went to Christchurch Cathedral for mass and heard the most wonderful choir. Afterward I went to the General Post Office and saw a 1916 Uprising parade after which members of Sinn Fein gave a few speeches. It was interesting to say the least, but thanks to my history and politics courses I was also able to make some comments on the historical accuracy of the stories told. Overall I had a lovely Easter and hope that all those back home in the states had a wonderful one as well. I move to Belfast on Tuesday, taking the two hour train up, so I'm looking forward to that and beginning my research project!

Northern Ireland Picture Post Part 4: Return of the Pictures

Giant's Causeway

This is a part of the Unionist stronghold within the Derry city walls known as "the Fountain"

The Bogside

Political graffiti on a part of the old city walls which faced the Bogside

The famous "Free Derry Corner"

...even MORE pictures to come

Summary of Northern Ireland

For those who want to read it I'm posting in full my paper on my Northern Ireland experience. I move back to Belfast next Tuesday the 6th and cannot wait to start my Independent Study Project (ISP). My project is going to be an observation entitled "Sports and Social Conflict in Belfast" and will examine how sports, Gaelic football, hurling, soccer and rugby (if I have time for them all!), divide and unify communities. I am looking forward to exploring this topic, but at the same time I know that for the next four weeks I am going to be very very busy.
Anyway like I said if you want to read my paper on the North it is below. Enjoy! (also more pictures in the next post...)

Crossing the border and heading into South Armagh I was initially thrown off by the lack of border patrol. I must say that coming from a nation such as the United States where borders are heavily fortified and patrolled it seemed a little strange that an area such as Northern Ireland which has experienced so much violence would not have a secured borderland. Upon crossing into the United Kingdom I had a distinct flashback of watching the film “Omagh” when it showed the car with the bomb and the getaway car crossing the border. This mental image was only the start of a greater understanding of everyday life in Northern Ireland.

Upon arriving at Ti Chulainn and going on the tour of the borderlands, ultimately visiting the Orange Lodge #1 on the second day, I got a contrasting sense of two communities from my initial observations. In South Armagh the presence of the tricolor flag of the Republic of Ireland was very strong which showed that the town, even though it is technically a part of Northern Ireland, still maintains a strong Republican constituency. The tragic story of Paul Quinn, seeing the billboard and later finding out that it was vandalized later that evening, as well as speaking with his parents gave me a new perspective on societal conflicts. Before I had no idea that there were conflicts outside of the stereotyped Protestant/Catholic divide, but I now know that the reach of paramilitary organizations extends far beyond the sectarian divide.

Belfast. Going into the city my expectations were high, but to be honest I was nervous of saying the wrong thing to someone and getting in trouble. Luckily this did not happen, however I did feel uneasy as everyone who was over the age of thirty seemed to have some kind of personal connection to a paramilitary organization. This begs the question of why did I feel nervous around these people? Clearly they were not going to harm me, however the possibility that they had done unspeakable things during the Troubles put me on edge. I believe that it was not the idea that they were going to be violent, but that they had the potential to cause violence that caused this emotion. While it is true that all people have the potential to cause violence the fact that the ex-combatants that our group encountered were former members of militant organizations made me a little weary. I am not trying to stereotype ex-combatants as violent individuals, I believe they are simply people who want to move on with their lives and I do feel bad that I was on edge around them, however I believe that I can blame my emotions on every human's natural inclination towards self-preservation.

One of my main interests before coming to Belfast was the peace walls. I had heard about the walls before, but even after seeing them firsthand it is very hard to wrap my mind around the fact that they actually exist. They are a reminder that even though the Agreement has been passed there is still a need to separate the two communities. To me they are both a reminder of the conflict both past as well as the present and I am saddened that no one can answer the question of “When will the walls be taken down?”. I can confidently say that the peace walls changed my perspective on the world. Coming from the United States, specifically a rather homogenous area such as Arkansas, I was not exposed to such open hostility between communities. I believe that I would have never acquired a greater understanding of conflict if I had not seen the peace walls and toured the Falls and Shankill areas. The peace wall is the definitive visual sign of conflict in Belfast.
Falls Road, the Catholic area of Belfast, was actually exactly as I expected it would be. Going to the Falls I already had an understanding that the Republican murals would be more commemorative of fallen brethren and solidarity with Basque and Palestinian groups and so I was not surprised when I saw them. I did not know how the area would be in relation to residences or businesses so I did not have any feelings in regard to if it was a busy area or not. There seemed to be a more comfortable atmosphere to it although I believe that this feeling was based on my Catholic heritage as all people have a bias towards the familiar. In general it seemed like the Falls Road was an overall safe and open place in my opinion.

Contrasting the Falls Road, the Shankill area of Belfast was almost completely different, never mind it being Protestant. The Shankill Road was more developed, it was overall busier with cars and foot traffic, and gave off a more energetic vibe. It seemed to be more confined, a feeling which was reinforced when I walked through the gates at the interface. The murals in this area had a near-singular message which they displayed, one of militant defense and remembrance of fallen Loyalist paramilitaries; the slogan of “Lest We Forget”and poppy wreaths being highly visible. Flags such as the Union Flag and the Ulster Volunteer Force were flown next to almost every memorial and they add to the defensive nature of the area. I did not feel unwelcome to this area which looking back I cannot answer as to why, perhaps because the tour was guided, but I am sure that I do not feel uneasy about returning.

Meeting with Alternatives on the Shankill road was another revelation for me; expanding my idea of what justice is and can be. Before going to Alternatives I had no idea that the concept of restorative justice even existed or that paramilitaries were the police forces for their neighborhoods. Prior to finding out this information I had a very Americanized view of justice, but now that I have seen what restorative justice is I can begin to understand that correcting anti-social behavior should involved the perpetrator, the victim and the community.

The meeting at Mediation Northern Ireland with Sean O'Baoill was definitely the best part of my stay in Belfast. The endless stream of topical and engaging information and discussion was incredibly beneficial in helping me to understand the dynamics of how both sides perceived themselves and their enemies. Sean drew a map of Belfast based on the distribution of Catholics and Protestants and proceeded to elaborate on the interactions between the two communities. The map that he made was very simple, but the power in it came from it's simplicity and how easily accessible he made the information.

At Corrymeela I had the most relaxing time of my entire stay on the isle of Ireland. The weather was great, the ocean was right outside my window and it was a very peaceful time of introspection and conversation about where the group had been and where we were headed in the future. I learned that in situations of conflict that there are multiple ways of understanding another person's viewpoint, such as using art as an expression of one's feelings. While this seems obvious to me now I believe that some of the best solutions are often so simple that they are overlooked sometimes. By taking a few days away from the Northern conflict I was able to process my thoughts in an incredibly relaxing environment and to be honest I wish I could stay there forever.

Derry was a city that before I set foot in I knew would be different than Belfast. I knew that it was a predominantly Catholic city which made me feel more comfortable, but I also knew that one of the most terrible tragedies of the Troubles, Bloody Sunday, had occurred here and that the city had been a “flash point” for violence. The geography of Derry, the walls of the old city bearing down on the reclaimed area of former riverbed known as “the Bogside” created a physical narrative of history.

The response by Bogside residents to the walled city can be interpreted as adversarial. I heard a story while on a tour of the wall which logged itself in my memory and justifies my interpretation. Apparently there was once a statue of some great British military man, sword outstretched, on the parapet facing the Bogside. The statue was later purposefully destroyed with a bomb by members of the IRA. This goes to show that even the symbols of British authority were seen as necessary targets by the Bogside residents.

For me there was a definite and continual tension in the air which was reinforced by the political graffiti and seemingly endless memorials and flags throughout the North. Every parked car that I passed I could not help but feel uneasy. I can only imagine what kind of terror the people of the North must have lived through knowing that any day could be their last. As if this experience was not enough the stories that we heard and lectures which we took part in crystallized the overall experience. Everything working together made our trip to the North, in one word, intense. I can say with confidence that I did not feel completely secure and at-ease in the North except for my stay at Corrymeela, away from the areas of violence.

Between Belfast and Derry I would say that the two share the unfortunate legacy of the Troubles, but with deeper examination it is obvious that these two cities are dissimilar in a number of categories. Physically, Belfast is a much larger and flatter city, whereas Derry has some of the steepest hills I have encountered during my time in Ireland. Derry also seems to be more compact, especially inside the walled portion, with shops and buildings being squeezed into whatever space is available.

Political, cultural and social aspects of society in Northern Ireland are difficult to remove from one another and this is indeed true for Belfast and Derry. These three categories are knotted with each other, however there are a few observations which ought be stated about them in the Belfast and Derry context. In both cities the use of symbolism, specifically in flags and colors, weighted heavily on the landscape of areas. It was to my great please that I found myself in Derry on St. Patrick's Day where I saw many people of all ages adorning themselves in green, white and orange; it is serendipitous that I was able to hear the PSNI tell a Unionist woman the day before that Tricolors would be banned from public display. This is, in my opinion, a wonderful example of social, political and cultural interaction. It shows how three players, the Unionist woman, the PSNI officer and the Nationalist people on the street all form a stitched picture of specifically Derry, but in the larger context all of Northern Ireland.

I believe that my observation on Tricolors in Derry was a great leap forward in developing my ability to conduct field research. There is a need to truly engage yourself in your subject matter when you are conducting field research. This is a job which does not sound highly entertaining until you begin to see a bigger picture emerge out of your observations as I believe I did in Derry. I believe now that there is a need for all aspects of field research, be it informal or formal, observation or interrogation, insider or outsider, martian or convert, however I feel that above all of these things there is a need to be flexible in order to move from one method into another. The best way that I can describe this is fluidity, to be able to rise and fall with the waves- the ups and downs, but maintain a connected surface- your overall focus. I am no longer stressed about my Independent Study Project. I am excited and ready to explore!

If you just read the whole thing you either have way too much time on your hands or are my mother/father or brother.

Northern Ireland Picture Post Part 3

More as promised...

After we got done with the Shankill tour we went for a walk through the city center, a much more developed area that is the heart of a recovering Belfast.

The Belfast City Hall

A picture from the Belfast Wheel next to the City Hall

Queen's University Belfast was an amazing urban campus of old red brick buildings.

North Ireland Picture Post Part 2

Continuing from before. These are all photos from the Protestant Shankill area of Belfast.

One of around twenty "Peace Lines" which separate Protestant and Catholic communities

An Ulster Volunteer Force mural

Stay tuned! More still to come!

North Ireland Picture Post Part 1

As the title suggests I've started a massive upload of photos from my three week stay in Northern Ireland. Hope you enjoy! I'll try to put some commentary with a few as well.

Stormont, or the Northern Ireland Assembly, the building of government in Northern Ireland

Bobby Sands on the side of the Sinn Fein office, Falls Road, Belfast

Stay tuned! More pictures to come!

Giant's Causeway

Just a little video I shot of the Giant's Causeway. Hope you enjoy! Another post will be up tonight!

Derry: the Walled City

So after a wonderful and relaxing time in Corrymeelia I have now spent a week with my host family in Derry. The Lyttles, Eugene and Brydgene, have six children, but they are all out of the house so having an American guest for a week is probably nice! (at least I'm hoping as much) Derry (or the UK name, Londonderry) was a hotspot for violence during the Troubles. Bloody Sunday occurred here and it is very interesting to see how such a divided community functions (and oftentimes fails to function).

Perhaps the biggest thing that shocked me about the North was that government funded schools are still segregated between Protestants and Catholics. There are mixed schools, but I was shocked today to find out that only two percent of children go to them. It is difficult to wrap my mind around the fact that segregation still exists in a developed Western country. The second biggest shocker for me is that there is still violence here. Now don't worry about me, it is nothing like rioting in the streets, I'm told it is only paint bombs thrown at significant Loyalist or Republican buildings by teenagers who don't know better. No threat of me getting injured.

It does look like, from the people that I have spoken with, that people are caring less and less about sectarianism and more about what they call "bread and butter issues". This I feel can only be a step in the right direction and shows that the people of North Ireland can get past their antagonisms and realize that they have to work together if they are to get anywhere at all.

On to Corrymeela and then Derry!

So after an interesting time in Belfast I've moved to Corrymella near Ballycastle, County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Today I'm going to the Giant's Causeway, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, where I plan on taking lots of pictures. (my camera has been out of batteries so I haven't had any new ones to post lately) Anyway I thought I'd give a quick update and I'll be sure to update you all when I get back from my day trip.

Hey Everyone!

Two weeks ago I spent five days touring the Erris Peninsula in County Mayo. The scenery was amazing, the people were friendly and we spent our stay at the Kilcommon Lodge; a hostel right next to the bay. The purpose of our trip was to learn about the Corrib Gas conflict which has been ongoing for the last ten years. Basically this is an ongoing conflict between Shell and the people of the area about building a pipeline through an EU Special Protected Area of wildlife as well as having the pipeline too close to residential areas for it to be deemed safe. Shell has refused to redirect the pipeline and the people have refused to allow Shell to construct it. It is a very interesting conflict and is one that I cannot give proper justice to with such a small amount of writing.

This week and the next few weeks I am in Belfast and Derry- two areas that have seen more than their share of conflict and violence during the 30 year period of sectarian fighting known simply as The Troubles. Two days ago we spent the night in South Armagh, a border town between the North and the South. Although it was a part of Northern Ireland I never saw a Union Jack, but instead saw the tricolor of the Republic flown proudly almost everywhere. The actual border area is non-existent, with only a change in the signage from kilometers per hour to miles per hour as a notification of your border crossing.

During my stay in Belfast I am at Stranmillis University College, a college of Queen's University Belfast, were I am staying in a dorm room. Some differences that I have noticed about Northern Ireland compared to the Republic of Ireland are that they have hot water from the tap, that their showers have actual water pressure instead of a trickle and that the heating in the buildings is much, much better.

I hope to take tons of pictures while I am up here and I'll do a better job of keeping everyone updated too. Miss you all back in the States!

P.S. - I have to submit six photos for my Center for Global Education photo contest by tomorrow. If you have any favorites from the photos I've posted please let me know!

All Photos Post #2

I know what you're thinking. "John you just did a 'quick update' post, why are you being lazy and doing a teaser post?" Well I've had a bit of work to do for Monday so this will have to suffice until I can get that done. In the mean time enjoy the pictures. The first few are extra from around Dublin and Glenageary and the last ones are from Co. Mayo.

Oh and a quick story as well while I'm at it. Frank, my home stay "father", goes swimming every morning at 7am in the sea. Prior to going to Mayo I was invited by him to join in on what the Irish consider an activity that is "good for your health". Clearly the Irish have no conception of what hypothermia, pneumonia and shock are because when I jumped into the water I entered into a World of Cold. I truly believe that I will never, never be that cold for the rest of my LIFE! Moral of the story: If you are the type who whines about how cold things are take a dip in the Irish Sea on a February morning. You will never complain again, not just about the cold, but about anything.

Mayo Teasers

Quick Update

Hey everyone! Thanks for being patient, but I'm afraid you will all need to wait until the weekend for me to install a proper update. Currently I am in Rossport, County Mayo in the Northwest coast of the island. We are learning all about the Corrib pipeline and environmental politics which is a topic that I have never explored or even really heard about! Again sorry that I cannot provide a good update, but I am taking loads of great pictures and I'll be sure to get them up ASAP.

Irish Museum of Modern Art and Kilmainham Gaol

So yesterday I joined a few people from my group and we decided to go to the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Walking down the street we just so happened to randomly find the Guinness factory, but alas we did not go through St. Jame's Gate.




Instead, we stuck to our plan and just up the road we arrived at the front entrance to the museum.







It appeared to be, like many of the buildings in Dublin, anything but modern in its structure. I do not know the history of the building, but It appears to be of a military-style construction. I am sorry to inform my readers that I was unable to take any photographs while inside the museum, but I can tell you from personal experience that the outside of the museum was greater to view than the sum of the artworks inside.



Upon exiting the museum we decided to walk through the other side of it towards Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced 'jail') which had a terrible, but intriguing history. It was built in the Victorian Era as a new form of prison with the policies of individual confinement and silence being paramount.

Unfortunately, the Great Famine, caused by a pan-European potato blight, happened shortly after the prison's opening. This resulted in massive overcrowding, often with five to six to a single cell. Indeed the prison was often seen by the populace as a better place to be than the slums. At the time people often committed crimes in order to be put in Kilmainham where they were at least assured three meals a day.



During the 1916 Uprising it was used by the British as a political prison and many important Irish political figures, such as Eamon de Valera, were held there at the time. Many were also executed in one of the courtyards. (if you have seen the film Michael Collins this courtyard is seen near the beginning)


During the Irish Civil War the prison was utilized again as a political prison by the Irish Free State. It was abandoned as a prison in 1924 and was left in a general state of non-upkeep, mostly because people wanted to forget about the terrible memories of it, but through private donations it was refurbished and reopened as a museum in 1966; the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising.

At the end of the tour we were told to exit in the same way as the first jailbreaks from Kilmainham, who paid off the guards, received the keys to the front door and walked out! Hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of one of the more fun days I've had here so far. Wish you all were here!

A Quick All Photos Post

The first pictures are of the outside of where I'm living in Glenageary (25 minutes south of Dublin city center by DART) and the second group of pictures is some random shots around the city today. Tomorrow I will make a post about the Irish Museum of Modern Art and Kilmainham Gaol. The last two pictures are teasers for that. Hope you enjoy!

a view of the seafront

the kitchen

the front door

an interesting sign

some cool graffiti (it is EVERYWHERE!!!)

funny name for a liquor store chain

teaser of the Irish Museum of Modern Art!

teaser of Kilmainham Gaol!

Come back tomorrow for more!