Irish Literature trip to Ireland, March 7-14, 2015
Dublin, Cork, Killarney
On day 1, we flew from Newark to London Heathrow and then missed our plane to Dublin, but it all worked out because we got a five pound voucher In London, which I was able to stretch beyond it's worth, bargaining for an apple, sandwich and bottle of seltzer water at the airport from the kind British crew. The plane was was also great, gourmet for sure and I was able to watch many newly released in flight movies such as Gone Girl, which I definitely recommend. I was also able to catch up on Joyce's Dubliners while in the airport.
This photo is of the Old Library at Trinity College, after we saw the Book of Kells. This library was truly amazing to see in real life as I have only seen pictures online. There were wooden ladders for the shelves, statues of famous philosophers, and an immense collection of old books. I could have spent all day looking at everything. This was definitely a highlight of the trip. It is one of the world's coolest libraries.
In Dublin we got to visit the James Joyce Center and hear a lecture by the esteemed critic, Anne Fogarty. She gave us a lot of insight into Joyce's Dubliners, but what most intrigued me about her lecture was her point at the end on Eveline where she asked if Frank really existed. I had never thought about this before, but she raised a great question and gave us a lot to think about.
St. Patrick's Cathedral was also amazing. The architecture is just so fascinating to look at: the high arches, crossed ceilings, stone walls. It was everything I had only seen pictures of and learned about in Art of the Western World. It is amazing to see how beautiful and breathtaking the construction and architecture of a building can be. We also learned that Jonathan Swift was a preacher there and he and his wife are buried underneath the floor of the cathedral.
While in Cork we visited the Cork Writer's School and were given a lecture on Elizabeth Bowen by Thomas McCarthy, who was a wonderful speaker, and an even more wonderful reader. Just listening to him was a treat. He ended with two of his own poems, "The Fiction, The Sea," which was moving and beautiful, especially to hear in his own voice.
Here are the grad students and I along the Ring of Kerry. Another truly amazing day, where we visited the Kerry Bog Museum, drank Irish coffee in the Red Fox Inn, visited a sheep farm and saw tweed sheep and sheep dogs, and visited the beaches along the Kerry coast. It was a great little group of girls that I was with. I also got an awesome tweed jacket at the sheep farm (that cost me an arm and a leg) but that I could not live without. And I do not regret my purchase. Tweed right off the sheep. You cannot beat that.
Justine I. Sha
This is the sunset on the Liffey River in Dublin on our first evening. I still can't believe we were able to stay in this city for four days. I will never be able to get over it's beauty.
Here is a picture of my favorite bog pony. I think he has a lot of character.
Tips for future travelers:
1. Explore as much as possible, day and night! You will have time to catch up on sleep on the bus.
2. The amazing landscape deserves a good camera to justify it.
3. Pack light. You will want room for souvenirs. And do not even bring a curling iron or straightener. You won't need it! The water and the fresh air are even fresher than America.
4. Buy sweaters and postcards. They are the best souvenirs.
5. Eat tons of fish and chips because you will be craving them all the time when you go home.
6. Bring all the money you have, because if you don't, you will just take it all out of the ATM anyway, and be charged fees each time.
7. There are way better, cheaper, and more fun places than Temple Bar!
Favorite Sights:
1. Ring of Kerry
2. The Old Library at Trinity University
3. St. Patrick's Cathedral
4. Cork City
SELF ASSESSMENT:
The trip to Ireland was absolutely incredible in every aspect. We have read many Irish texts and novels during our course, but now to put those ideas to an actual place was truly amazing. It seemed that Ireland was very proud of their literature, in a way that we do not experience in America. There were statures of their great literary figures like Oscar Wilde (my favorite) and James Joyce, an exhibit all about W.B. Yeats, and Irish authored books set on the front displays of every bookstore. It was incredible to be a part of a country and culture, for a week, where literature plays a significant role, as it does in our hearts.
Along with the significance of literature, the Irish also heavily prided themselves on their history of independence. It was so surreal to see the bullet holes in the statue of Daniel O’Connell and the General Post Office. The museums and exhibits were also amazing. I especially loved seeing the bog bodies in the Museum of Natural History. I love Seamus Heaney’s bog body poems, and to witness actual bog bodies was fascinating. Some parts of them still looked so alive which made it easier to visualize how Heaney wrote the poems. The lectures by Anne Fogarty and Thomas McCarthy were insightful as well and overly enjoyable. The best part was hearing McCarthy read his poems in his own voice. He was a fantastic reader.
The people in Ireland were very friendly. I love to hear their accents, but everyone from shopkeepers to people on the streets were so kind to American tourists. The musicians in the pubs always were delighted to hear that we were from New Jersey and always made a special effort with songs we liked to get us to have a great time. The kindness of the Irish people that I encountered was truly inspiring.
I feel like the trip to Ireland help me grow a lot and see a part of the world that I never dreamed I would get to see. It is one thing to look at pictures, but to actual see the rolling hills, the Liffey River running through Dublin, and the shores of Kerry with the jagged pieces of Earth that jet out into the sea, was beyond expectation. Ireland was a truly majestic land, so much so that it is difficult to put into writing how it makes you feel. I love Irish literature because it is so politically charged that it becomes even more personal than political. The writers are so torn between county, family, and self and their struggle is always depicted in their work and the piece is full of passion. To feel this way going in, and then to see the land makes me understand even more why their struggle is so great: Ireland is a place to be longed for. It is enchanting in history, beauty, and culture. I will be thinking about the week we spent in Ireland for the rest of my life.