Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 9

Last Day at Belvedere

Today was the final day of our stay in Ireland. Started out bright and early with another day at Belvedere filled with classes and different cultural lessons. Some of us began our day by joining a class and attempting to understand what was going on when thrown into a middle of a lesson spoken in a strong Irish accent. Next we had a lesson on Irish poetry. We all crowded into our meeting place of Lecture Hall 1 to hear an invigorating lecture on identifying heroes and villains in society, and the different perspectives people have. We read through “After theTitanic,” and dissected the lines until the bell went off again. We went to another class with the Belvo students. We had "Tin Whistle Lessons" on our schedule, and we all knew at this point in the trip the idea of packing us all into a small room and giving us whistles would prove to be a bad idea. We did however manage to pull out a few lines of “Shipping out to Boston,” which was then stuck in everyone's head for the rest of the day. 

 

When the class day ended, and we were ushered up to the roof to play a game of soccer. Of course, the rain decided to show up as we got to the roof. The game was played for a bit and eventually the fiery competition waned and everyone just wanted the pizza that we were promised. We gathered in a room before we got our food to watch a guy do Irish dancing. He was one-upped by Charlie's impressive break dancing routine. Despite that, it was interesting to see such a professional at such a foreign art form to us Americans. Once this ended and we ate our pizzas, we were given free time with our host brothers for a few hours to do last minute family shopping. We all scattered around the city to enjoy our last few hours with our host brother in the city and eventually made our way home.

Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 3B

Kerry Day 2 The Hike

 

Today we all went on a hiking journey through the mountains. We experienced all different types if weather and terrain. The views seen were truely breathtaking, and through the hard work of the hike, it was well worth it to see what we saw. The experience was like no other, and truely amazing.

The hike began with an uphill climb through a road into the mountain range. Throughout this leg of the hike, we were able to see plenty of farm animals roaming through the nature surrounding them. The most common was sheep. We were taught how the farmers mark the sheep as their own with spray paint, while also seeing views of the towns below us. Although there was a bit of rain, it came and went in short spurts, allowing the hike to still be enjoyable. 

Next we began to climb the steepest part of the hike, heading to the highest point of our travels. We learned important skills about walking up hill, such as leaning in the proper direction. Apon arrival to the top of the mountain, the view was breathtaking.  You could see for miles below, and the land was a bright green (a nice change from the grayer color of a Massachusetts winter). We then decended from the mountain top. This was most likely the most unenjoyable part of our hike. Not only were the downhill slopes extremely steep and treacherous, but it was also raining and hailing at the same time.  This combination made for an extreme challenge, but we eventually made it through the harsh conditions all in one piece.

Our final portion of the hike brought us through two different environment. The first reminded many of the African jungle. Seeming very desolate, there was not much to see in this area, but more to learn. We learned why the land looked the way it looks, about the original form of taxation in southern Ireland, and about the types of animals that could be found in this area. Finally, we went through an area resembling a rain forest (without the extreme humidity). The entire place was covered in green, and there was a wonderful river running right next to our path. We eventually came out to the fantastic Torc waterfall. It was a beautiful sight to see. This ended our wilderness adventure. Although some parts of this hike were a real challenge, the experience was well worth it. We all learned and saw many wonderful things that can only be discovered in southern Ireland

Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 8

Two Views of Wicklow

Today we went for a long bus ride with multiple bus stops to visit a county called Wicklow.  Though some resented the idea of a bus ride that extended 10 minutes, we all managed to carry on with the 2 hour, or so, bus ride.  Along the way we made many pit stops in which we got 5-15 minutes to explore.  Before we even left the city, we stopped at the statue of poet Patrick Kavanagh beside the Grand Canal.  We read two of his poems here in the spot that inspired them. 

Though my only thought was to get a soft serve or "99 cent"(which is what a soft serve ice cream is called here) ice cream, we all paused for a second to really embrace the beauty of the land around us.  It was special to me when we stopped at the Martello Tower where James Joyce lived and that he used as the opening in his novel Ulysses because the nearby beach happened to be just down the street to where my father grew up.  

Our third stop, Bray, is a seaside town, and though it was just down the street, my hunt for soft serve ice cream was still all I could think about.  Taking loads of pictures of  beautiful Bray Head in the background, we saw someone carrying an ice cream and bolted.  Though it was gelato, we settled.  Not quite satisfied with the gelato, I was still determined to get my 99 cent.  

 

At the next stop we came upon one of the most famous sites in all of Ireland, the monastic settlement at Glendalough   While there we managed to find the soft serve I was so craving, but unfortunately I was not able to get some.  Though the craving for the said ice cream was insignificant to the 1000 year old tomb stones.  With the massive watch tower in which the monks used to live in, to the small chapel that was in the center, all were amazed at how something this old could still be standing.  At our last stop I stumbled upon an ice cream stop and thought some divine intervention was at work.

In the back of my mind we all couldn't think that we were leaving in two days.  Truly a bitter sweet feeling of being able to come home to our family, but on the other hand were leaving the wonderful time we've had here in green paradise; not to mention the unnecessarily copious amounts of make up work we will all have.  All in all this trip has really been one of the greatest trips I have ever taken.

James O'Dea

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     From the enthralling adventure of drudging through the plains of Ireland in a sauna with wheels, to hugging a gravestone trying to touch one's fingertips together to disparately wish for AC, each and every person truly surfaced their extreme mental and physical toughness. We traversed through narrow passageways in a coach bus to a monastic site that is thousands of years old. Surprisingly, it seemed to be a hybrid between a country could (?) and historic site, which I guess isn't that bad. Yet our bus driver, who must've followed the teachings of Socrates and great philosophers everywhere, unloaded his vast ken of knowledge concerning graves and monastic buildings to the young group and me. Besides the fact that I could've passed any Irish graveyard AP course, my fellow pupils and I were awestruck by the overpowering beauty of more mountains and even more pastures. Following this perilous journey through the land of the dead, we hopped back onto the coach blossoming with the aroma of teenage sweat accompanied by other enlightening smells. Despite the setting, the group continued to play many classic sing-alongs riddled with ear piercing solos from the bold few. 

      Just as Eddie Money was about to inspire many in "Take Me Home Tonight," we arrived at the ancient jail. As we sludged our way to the waiting room, I noticed a man dressed in rags with old fashion handcuffs. After some time waiting in the rectangular tomb of hopes and dreams, this man came through the door looking like a slave and proceeded to attempt to strike fear in our hearts as part of his job pre-tour. Myself, and I believe many others, were not able to take him seriously, considering he was a 30 year old man who was in a costume. However, we did thoroughly enjoy the fruitful experience walking through the low-doored ancient jail for a good half an hour. We really did get a feel for what it felt like to be an enemy of the British Empire. After some time, the experience turned into selfies with wax statues and attempting to startle "easily rattled" classmates from dark corners. All in all, the day was a great experience to look back on, but the sauna on wheels blessed with the stench of 21 teenage boys did not make it easy. Regardless, the experience was a fruitful and beautiful one.

Charlie Flaherty

Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 7

In Belvedere, Visit to Glasnevin

Today was a very interesting day in Dublin. The morning started off
with a nice small mass with the Belvedere students and the BC High
students. It was very similar to a mass like we have at school. We
next went to our first class at Belvedere which was again similar to
our own classes at home. We had a filling lunch which filled the whole
and set us up for a fun time with one of the science teachers doing
chemical experiments involving the changing of color.

After our experiments we then took a double decker bus to the biggest
cemetery in Ireland which is Glasnevin Cemetery which was very cool.
The cemetery held many of the members of the Easter Rising of 1916
there as well as heroes like Daniel O'Connell and Charles Stewart Parnell. The excellent guide provided some concrete examples on how important these men were to their country.

The tour was great and we learned all about Ireland's long history. We then went back to school and had a nice farewell event to say goodbye to our host families.

Today was a great day and full of excitement much like everyday in Ireland.

 

 

 

Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 6

Weekend in Dublin

This weekend was one where I (and I assume the rest of the BC High guys) got

some much needed rest. We were given the two days to spend as we wanted

with our host families, although everyone had tickets for a Gaelic Football game

at Croke Park Sunday afternoon. After all the exercise in Kerry and buzzing through Dublin on Friday, I slept way in. Once I ate an always-delicious breakfast, my host brother Conor and I played some xbox and planned the day. Then, taking the bus in, we met up with Chris Young and his host Fiachra Smith and spent a few hours

cruising the streets in the sprinkling rain. Some of the other guys got together to go paintballing and one went down the country to see a relative he had never met before.

While many of the Irish seem to say that Dublin doesn't have much to do, I'd dare to say it's got lots like Boston, with shops, parks, museums everywhere. Finally, Fiarchra and his mom were kind enough to invite Conor and me over for the night, to pass the rugby ball around and meet up with some of their friends in Clontarf, a very nice suburb just on the edge of the city.

On Sunday, Conor had to go fundraise for Belvedere's trip to Kolkata all day, so he left early and the rest of us enjoyed a full Irish breakfast and again tossed a ball around with some other Belvo guys before heading off to the Gaelic Football

match, Dublin vs. Derry. Gaelic football is something like a mixture of soccer and basketball, involving both holding, bouncing, and kicking the ball into a net or between two posts. The pitch is the size of nearly two American football fields put together long-sides touching, yet the game is quick enough for the ball to travel that in seconds. The players wear jerseys similar to that of rugby players, with cleats and no pads. Despite this, it is an immensely physical sport, with players bumping, pushing, swiping at each other to gain control of the ball, which looks similar to a volleyball in size

and stitching. To summarize my experience, this was my first time watching the sport, and I was with some of the other BC High guys in wanting to start a team back home.

Reflecting on this weekend and the trip so far as a whole makes me realize howlong we've been here and how little we have left, so I hope, like many of the otherexchanges to make the best of the next few days.

Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 5

City Tour and the Theatre - 5

Dublin Blog 4/25
 
Today was a very busy day for all of us in Dublin, but a day everyone enjoyed immensely. From our morning tour of Belvedere to our evening viewing of The Ideal Husband, we had nothing but fun. We got the full experience and history of Dublin, including Strongbow's Norman Conquest, and the 1916 rebellion.

The day started with a tour of Belvedere's campus, which was admirable in its efficiency for the small space the school works with. We learned of the classes we'd be attending on Monday and Wednesday, and got a feel for the school environment there. Continuing on our walking tour, we saw many monuments and sights, such as the Garden of Remembrance and the Statue of Daniel O'Connell. We also saw the Dublin equivalent of a town hall, with murals on the domed ceiling depicting important events from Irish history.

Upon finishing the walking tour and arriving at the Boxty House, it was time for lunch. We were all treated to a live demonstration of how to make boxty, a pancake-like potato, which required a few students as volunteers. After lunch, we toured Dublin's Parliament building, seeing the meeting room of the Seanad Éireann, the Irish senate. An interesting fact we learned about the Irish senate is that out of its sixty members, eleven are appointed by the prime minister, six elected by universities, and forty three chosen by other members of the Irish government. 

After dinner, we attended the play The Ideal Husband, at the Gate Theatre. Written by Oscar Wilde, the play addresses the philosophical issues of whether a man is defined only by his past, or how he acts presently despite his past. The script was very funny in it's witty humor, and very interesting and reflects Wilde's own uniqueness in its writing. At the end of the play, the main point that we were left with was that it's not what happens to someone in their life, but rather how they deal with it. Returning home to our host families, our great tour and day in Dublin concluded as a complete success.

Dublin Spring Seminar 2014 - 4

Kerry to Dublin 

Leaving the Eclipse Center

Thursday's activities were great even though it was tough to wake up after a strenuous twenty six kilometer hike through the mountains while it was hailing and raining. Once we finished breakfast, we packed up the bus and made our way to the Eclipse Adventure Center. We all expected to go kayaking but a change of plans had us hiking up the bank of the Blackwater River. The river was amazing. It was a bit early to see the Atlantic salmon or brown trout, but if you focused very hard, you were able to see a brown trout rise to the surface every couple of minutes. A couple of the guys tried "trout tickling," reaching under rocks to find the small trout resting there. 

Chaperones catch a break

As we made our way back to the center, we had to pass two very large bulls in a pasture no farther than twenty yards away. That kept everyone on edge for sure. When we made it to the Eclipse Center, lunch was served and then we had the rest of the day to ourselves. I spent the rest of the day fly fishing for brown trout in the river. It was an amazing way to end our trip in Kerry.

Crossing the river the easy way

 As we left Kerry to go back to Dublin, the bus driver took a route we hadn’t seen before through the mountains. We went through Moll Gap and by Ladies’ View in Killarney National Park with beautiful scenic views. Stopping in Limerick as we did on the way out from Dublin, we once again drove by the front gates of Crescent College, one of the other Jesuit secondary schools in Ireland. On the highway home we passed the signs for Moneygall, the ancestral home of Barack O’bama.