Ireland 2010

A failed attempt to capsulize a feeling

2010-05-20T16:54:00.002-04:00

Houses in Adare.

The Cliffs of Moher.

Some things just can't be retold, you just have to live them. Today was one of those days. We got up early this morning and boarded the bus for our last day in Ireland. We traveled for about an hour and a half before we came to Adare, our first stop.

Adare is said to be the most beautiful city in all of Ireland and it is truly gorgeous. The town features small houses with thatched roofs. We were given about an hour to explore the city before we got back on the bus and headed to our next location.

Next we headed to the Cliffs of Moher. This is truly the most remarkable thing I have ever seen. I don't even know how to begin to describe it. I can't do it justice, you just had to be there. It's a feeling. To stand there and feel so small next to something so large and magnificent really puts things into perspective. See, you think I'm crazy. I told you I couldn't explain. Nor will my photos even begin to show you but I will post them anyways.

After that we went to our hotel for a quick check in before heading to a medieval dinner and show. The food was amazing and it was a really fun and relaxing time for all of us. It was a nice chance to take a break and have fun before we undergo the stress of traveling tomorrow. As of now I must go prepare myself for my 4:30 am wake up call and a long flight.

This whole trip has been truly amazing. I feel I have gotten close to those I just met and even closer to those I already knew. It was a great two weeks and even though at times we were annoyingly cramped on space, I wouldn't have traded it for the world. What I learned in two weeks here is stuff I will forever carry with me. Goodbye Ireland, you have been life changing.

Free day in Killarney

2010-05-19T18:51:00.000-04:00

Today was a beautiful day. We got to sleep in before heading downstairs for a full Irish breakfast. After that we were on our own to explore the town of Killarney. A group of us got together and headed out to do some shopping and site seeing.

Killarney is a really cute town which features a sort of town center with a ton of small shops and cafes. We walked around a lot and checked them out. Most of us were able to finish up our shopping.

After that we had a meeting with editor of The Kerryman newspaper Decoln Malone. He gave us some insight into how a weekly regional newspaper is run. One thing that I am finding really upsetting is the way in which photographers are thought of here. They seem so disposable according to the people we have talked to. Almost none of the papers we have had meetings with still have staff photographers.

On a lighter note, after the meeting we headed out to dinner in town. We found a cute little restaurant where we had our last meal on our own in Ireland. We went for classic fish and chips or burgers and chips. After that we came home and all just hung out in someones hotel room. I think we are all approaching the end of this trip with mixed feelings of sadness and excitement. Although we are all ready to go home we are not quite ready to leave this beautiful country. Tomorrow is our last day in Ireland and we will be traveling and doing some site seeings as well as seeing Ireland's most beautiful city, Adare.

Killarney

2010-05-19T04:59:00.000-04:00

Today we left Cobh and headed for Killarney. Along the way we stopped at a few attractions including a museum which portrayed early Irish life. We also stopped to see a sheep dog demonstration. I was amazed at how smart those dogs are. The man trains them using a series of whistle which they then respond to. With a simple noise he can do everything from make them heard the sheep in to lay down.

The sheep respond to the dogs because they are descendants of predators. Because of their eyes and the way they walk, the sheep are scared of them and therefore try and run. This allows the dogs to direct the way in which the heard is heading.

After that we headed into the Ring of Kerry. I wish the weather had been better today because it would have been a fantastic place to take photos. We did stop a few times along the way but the constant rain limited where we went. Overall the majority of today was spent on the bus traveling from one location to another.

Tonight we had a group dinner which featured a live band and Irish dancing. I love going out here. The people are all so friendly and it basically turns into one large party. At one point the entire pub was singing along with the band. A little girl performed a traditional Irish dance to a few of the songs played by the band.

Tomorrow we have a partially free day to explore the town of Killarney. At 4 pm we will be meeting in the hotel with an editor from the local newspaper. After that we are once again free and responsible for getting our own dinner.

2010-05-17T19:29:00.003-04:00

Looking down into the center of the Blarney Castle from the top ledge.

The view of St. Colman's Cathedral out of my bathroom window in Cobh.

Today we got to visit a local Cork radio station RedFM. I had no idea what all went into radio. I guess I really had never thought of it before either. I was really surprised by how similar radio here is to in the states. Much of the music they are listening to is stuff we are familiar with at home.

After the radio station we headed to the Blarney Castle. We got a chance to walk to the top and kiss the stone. The view from the top was amazing. You could see the whole way into the next town. We also got a chance to shop in some of the local stores near the castle. Unlike all of the other places we have been, these shops weren't as touristy. One of the shops was the Blarney Woolen Mills which had things such as sweaters and scarves.

We then boarded the bus and headed home. After a short meeting discussing the past weeks events we were turned loose and allowed to head off on our own to find dinner. We decided on a small basement restaurant in Cobh. I ate the most amazing cheeseburger of my life. I'm still thinking about it hours later. The rest of the evening was just spent hanging around our room and resting up for tomorrow. We check out of the hotel at 8:30 and head for the Ring of Kerry.

Forever Young...

2010-05-16T18:12:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was our last day in Dublin. We had the entire day to roam about and do as we please. Abby and I got up early and decided to go shopping. We got all of our gifts and headed to the Guinness factory for a tour. After that we stopped by a small pub where we ate our lunch before heading back to our apartment before we went out for the night.

Whiskey, Coke and classic rock. If you know me, you know these are three of my favorite things. Last night was a combination of those things and more. A group of us attended a performance of The Last Waltz live at The Olympia. The show featured a cover band performing songs by Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and many more. It was amazing! At one point there was a full out group sing along to Forever Young.

Today we headed to Cobh where we will be staying for the next two days. The bus trip took about 4 hours total but was filled with gorgeous scenery. We drove up the long mountain and saw the green rolling hills and a lot of sheep.

Houses along the street in Cobh.

Catholic Church in Cobh.

Mountains during the drive to Cobh.

My free pint at the Guinness Storehouse.

A small baby sheep running in a field.

Belfast

2010-05-15T04:17:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we left the city of Dublin to travel north to Belfast. We took a scenic two hour train ride and arrived around 10:30 am. We were met at the train station by a tour guide and bus where we loaded up and started our tour.

Stepping outside the train station felt like stepping into an entirely new country. I was amazed at how different Belfast feels from Dublin. Dublin feels very modern and Americanized whereas Belfast had a very old, industrial feel to it. Because of the past religious problems which have taken place there, the city features high walls separating the Protestant and Catholic sides.

My favorite part of the city was getting to see all the murals. Belfast is covered in colorful murals which feature political statements and tell of their history. They reminded me a lot of the the Berlin Wall at times.

While we were in Belfast we got to visit the shipyard where the Titanic was built. We were given a chance to get off the bus and walk around a little and take photos. This is also where we ate lunch. After we were done eating we got back on the bus and continued to explore Belfast.

The tour guide took us up to a mansion located on a hill. The view on the way up was gorgeous. From the mansion grounds you could see the water in the distance as well as a little of the city. Located on the grounds where beautiful gardens.

Our media lecture for the day was given by Gerry at the Belfast Telegraph. Gerry is in charge of changing the newspaper's content over onto the website. He gave us some very interesting insight into how Ireland feels about the internet and their newspapers. I found it interesting that the majority of traffic on the Belfast Telegraph is being pulled in by viewers of their online photo galleries.

Although Belfast is in many ways more internet savvy than the rest of Ireland, they have yet to embrace it the way we have in America. It feels very strange to know and understand the full potential of the internet then visit places such as this where it just hasn't caught on yet.

We finished our day in Belfast with a group dinner at The Morning Star. The food was amazing and it's really nice sometimes to get to eat all together and discuss the things we visited during the day. We then headed to the train station where we caught the last train back to Dublin.

The back gardens of the mansion.

The Shipyard where the Titanic was built.

The Morning Star where we ate dinner.

Photo Day

2010-05-13T15:36:00.002-04:00

We got the morning to sleep in which we were all very thankful for after our night of pub hopping. We started our day with another lecture at DCU. This lecture, once again given by Roddy Flynn, concerned the internet and its effects on journalism. I am constantly amazed at how little of an impact the internet has on Irish media and culture. At home we are used to getting everything online. Any question we have, we Google it. In Ireland, the number one usage of the internet is to look up travel information.

After this lecture we headed to Photocall where we were able to talk to one of the owners and two of the photographers. It was very interesting to compare the photography world in Ireland to in the United States. Eamon, the owner, said that there were approximately 80 photographers in Dublin. I find this to be amazing. At home we are used to everyone being a photographer and the competition to be hard.

After the meeting we headed to the pub where we met with local photographer, Paul Kelly. Only the photo students attended this meeting so it was very intimately set in the back room of the bar. It was a fantastic opportunity to not only view his work but get a chance to discuss things such as how he shows clients his portfolio. He gave some great advice to aspiring photographers and gave insight on a lot of tips of the business.

I think the last few days are finally catching up to us. We all seem a little tired and are planning to stay pretty close to home tonight. Tomorrow we have to be up and out the door by 6:30 to catch the high speed train to Belfast.

Already Day 4

2010-05-13T07:12:00.004-04:00

Today started off bright and early once again. The group all met in the lobby and then walked up the block to a small cafe where we met with Irish Times reporter Rosita Boland. I find this woman absolutely fascinating. Before she was a writer, she was an actress. As someone who has struggled and had to work very hard on my reporting skills, I find it amazing that she ended up as a journalist almost by accident.

After our breakfast meeting we hopped on the bus for our big event of the week, the United States Embassy where we got to meet Ambassador Rooney. If you are an American, you understand what a big deal this was. If you are a Pittsburgher, you understand what a REALLY big deal this was. He was so nice to take time out of his schedule to meet with us. He even posed for a photo and gifted us with little pins of the Irish and American Flags. Because he had limited time to spend with us one of this staff members stayed and talked to us.

After the Embassy we headed to Dublin City University where we had a lecture on Irish Television Drama given by Professor Helena Sheehan. She discussed which soap operas were popular in the Irish culture. One thing I noticed was that the Irish seem to be much more liberal and accepting of homosexual relationships that most of America. She said that numerous times shows have featured same sex relationships and they get no heightened attention because of it.

The rest of the night we were free to do whatever. A group of us got together and went out to eat. We found this amazing Italian restaurant called Elixir. The owner, Casper, was so nice to us. It was the best dinner I have had in Ireland so far. After dinner we went to a few pubs. We tried to avoid the overly touristy areas and ended up meeting some really nice locals.

Students in the Irish Television Lecture at DCU.

Professor Helena Sheehan talking about Irish Television.

And the jet lag hits....

2010-05-11T14:29:00.003-04:00

After very few hours of sleep last night we drug ourselves out of bed bright and early at 7 this morning. We lied to Kristen and told her that it was ten minutes later than it actually was and were able to all be dressed and downstairs in the lobby with ten minutes to spare.

We left the apartments around 8 and made our way across the city to the Buswells Hotel where we had a lecture on Public Relations in Ireland given by Gerry Davis. I'm not going to lie, my knowledge of PR things is very limited. I found it very interesting that there doesn't seem to be a big difference between PR here and in the states. One interesting fact which I picked up on is that in both countries, women make up the majority of PR specialists.

After the lecture we made our way to Ogilvy and Mater, an Ireland advertisement agency. There, Jo Wood, an account planner, spoke to us about what the company does and what her specific job duties were. She also was able to show us a video of ads and commercials which the company has done. The commercials were very similar to what we are used to seeing in the US and there was even one for Heinz Ketchup.

One thing which I had never really considered was how much work goes into the background studies for advertising. I hadn't ever really thought about things such as the target audience and what they thought and felt and therefore their reaction to the ad.

After the meeting I was exhausted and headed back to the apartment where I crashed for about an hour. When I woke up Frankie was here and in a need to satisfy our sweet tooth, we headed out for afternoon tea and scones. We found a cute cafe a few blocks up where we stopped. The scones were amazing although the owner insisted that since they were made yesterday, they were old and therefore free. Score! I love free things.

Since we are all feeling a bit tired tonight and the majority of the evening it has been raining, we decided to stay in and cook dinner rather than go out. Ab and I went to the grocery store where we able to purchase the stuff to make tacos. Only they aren't really tacos, but fajita mix on ground beef. We were lost and asked a women in the store where the stuff to make tacos would be and she had no idea what we meant.

Kristen sent us on a mission to bring back anything chocolate from the grocery store and the results were amazing. They have this Twix like things which are a wafer filled with hazelnut cream and covered in a Nutella like chocolate. A package will definitely be making the trip home with me.

Tomorrow is another early morning. We meet Rosita Boland, a reporter for the Irish Times, for breakfast at 8am and then head to the Embassy to meet Ambassador Rooney and speak with his Press Assistant.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot....

2010-05-10T19:37:00.003-04:00

Today started bright and early with our first media visit of the week. We attended a lecture at Dublin City University given by Roderick Flynn which addressed the history of print and broadcasting in Ireland. I found it extremely interesting and learned a lot I didn't know.

In Ireland, online news is nowhere near as popular as it is in the United States. I'm an American, I like my news right now, this second and updated by the minute. It's not like that here. Some Irish Newspapers actually print twice a day rather than simply updating online like we are used to papers doing.

After leaving the lecture, we were turned loose to get lunch on our own. Frankie, Kristen, Abby and I grabbed lunch at a little cafe called O'Brien's. The food was amazing. From there we got to go back to the apartment for a little downtime before all meeting in the courtyard to take a group photo.

Early this afternoon we all met up again and got on the “Hop On, Hop Off” together. The bus takes you around Dublin and allows you to get off at any of the tourist sites you wish, then get back on the next bus when it comes. The pass is good for 24 hours.

After exploring the city in the cold windy weather, Ab and I decided it was time for our first pub visit of the trip. We ended up at The Temple Bar about a block over from the River Liffey. In true Irish fashion, I indulged in some Jameson Whiskey. Delish!

Some amazing news for the day is that I conquered the shower! As many of you who are with us on this trip and some who we have had contact with in the states know, we are having shower issues. Imagine this: four girls in one apartment trying to use one bathroom. That's not even the issue. This one shower has about three minutes of hot water a day. Four girls and three minutes of hot water a day. You do the math. Today however, with much planning, I was able to take a shower without freezing. My dear roommate Frankie interviewed me and made a reaction video. Feel free to check it out on her blog at http://frankie-ireland.blogspot.com

5 hours later:

We just got back from being in the studio audience for the Irish talk show The Frontline. Tonights topic was on the problems the country is facing since the recession. I found it interesting since they are facing many of the same problems we are. However, they all seem to have this idea that our country is functioning amazingly and are modeling after us. Hmmmm...

Photos of downtown Dublin from the "Hop on, Hop off" tour:

Arrival

2010-05-09T13:06:00.001-04:00

As of now I am going on 24 hours without sleep. We made it from Pittsburgh into Philadelphia much quicker than expected which just added to the time we had to kill in the airport before our flight to Ireland. After sitting around for about 5 hours we boarded the plan where we sat for another 7 hours.

We finally arrived in Ireland at around 9 am (4 am at home). Rather than calling it a day and giving in to our deep desire for sleep, we stuck it out and began sight seeing. Our first stop was in downtown Dublin where we were turned loose for the first time and allowed to explore and grab some lunch.

After about an hour we met up again and took a tour of Trinity College where we got to see the Book of Kells. The sheer number of books within the long hall at the college was amazing!

From there we went to Dublin Castle which is really more of an estate than what one would typically think of as a castle. Although it was originally built in the 18^th century, the Castle is still today being used as a government complex.

After site seeing a little we found our apartments and got checked in. Now we are getting ready to go to dinner at one of the oldest pubs in Dublin. I'll keep you updated on what happens.

Photos to come!