've been in Dublin for a few weeks now, and it just keeps getting better! In my classes we are learning about the cultural, economic, and political history of this country. The history of a country may sound boring, but it is actually very interesting. The majority of my classmates are either irish-american descendants or outsiders. Which was very interesting when everyone found out that the island of Ireland was split up into two parts. The shorten version of the historical reason is because the United Kingdom wanted to conquer the land and became greedy. The United Kingdom of Great Britain is composed of multiple countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. For those who knew I was struggling to get my student visa to participate in this dual program (Dublin + London). Now it is clear why Ireland/The Republic is not part of the United Kingdom, and why I needed a student visa to study in both countries! FYI, don't go to into the Irish customs saying you are staying in the "UK" for ten weeks. Funniest mistake I made, but a great story to tell. All the anxiety is gone, even though I received my visa on the day of my flight.The Republic of Ireland:This is where the major cities of Ireland are located: Dublin, Cork, and Limerick. It is considered the free state, since Northern Ireland is still under UK rule. Below are images of the museums, cathedrals, nature and Guinness factory. Sadly I'm not fond of a pint of Guinness, even if it is fresh, it just a heavy beer! I'm a total fangirl over this Irish cider called Bulmer, which is called Magners outside of Ireland & Northern Ireland. The Cliff of Howth was the first excursion I went on in Ireland (more info). One particular museum (National Museum of Ireland: Decorative Arts & History) has great historical significance, since it was part of the Irish Military Barracks (Click Video).
Northern Ireland:As I mentioned that this portion of Ireland is still under UK rule, we learned about the conflicts between Catholics vs. Protestant, and the Republic vs. North. Northern Ireland is full of history, and going to the places made the learning experience come full circle. Surprisingly, the Titanic was constructed in Belfast, but aside from that occurrence the city of Belfast is still a split city divided between catholics and protestants. One of my classes is called peace & conflict, and surprisingly we also have to blog about Ireland's conflicts. Here is the link to my other blog which talks more about the conflicts (Click Here). Northern Ireland has the best natural phenomenons I ever seen! Just a few places to check out if you are ever in Northern Ireland: Giant's Causeway & Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge.
First, I have to say that I didn't understand Ireland being split up along with the way the United Kingdom itself is set up. Before coming to Prague I also would have thought of the history to be boring but find it to be super interesting now. Understanding the history makes it easier to understand the subsequent culture. On an unrelated topic, I have to agree with you on heavy beers, I'm not a fan of Guiness haha. I lean toward the lighter, fruity beers and in Prague the best kind for me would be something like Staropramen.
ReplyDeleteLearning about the history of names even helps out when touring around bars in Dublin. Apparently any bar called "Kitty O'Shea" is named after Katherine O'Shea who committed adultery with a Political figure of Ireland. In one weeks time hopefully I can finish a pint of Guinness before I move onto the London portion of the program.
ReplyDeleteHey Shan, I just have a note about your images. I like that you placed them together and added titles and descriptions, but they're showing up as a really small size in your posts. Maybe if you make sure the image is 600 pixels across in Photoshop, and then select the "Original Size" option when you place the photo in your post, it will be easier to see.
ReplyDeleteI clicked on the images to make them bigger, which was fine with me. But I really like reading about your trip in Ireland. It is so interesting how you are learning about a country that is split and what you have said about the visa issues makes a lot more sense than it did when you were having the issues. Also, I really hope you can finish that pint by the time you leave! I too am taking a history class and I really like knowing what's what and why now!
ReplyDeleteHI! I am completely sold on going abroad to Ireland, I have never been before , and I have family there so it would be a perfect opportunity to meet them. It seems like you hard a great time on your trip. I did not realize how many things have happened there just in the past decade. Thanks for the post !
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