Dublin

The last few days have been busy ones spent in an unusually warm and sunny Dublin. Overheard in town yesterday..."who knew that Dublin was a tropical city". We have been so fortunate with the weather. Tuesday afternoon was our excursion to the seaside town of Howth for the best fish and chips in the area. Everything served in the restaurant comes fresh from the ocean caught earlier in the day. After a great meal students headed off to see the sights: beaches, ocean views of the "Eye of Ireland", the fishing pier as well as the quaint little town. We looked for the family of seals who live in the area but they were remarkably shy and nowhere to be seen. We headed back to the residence just in time for dinner and then students had a free evening to catch up on work or explore the city. Wednesday afternoon was our visit to the National Museum of Ireland where the highlight was definitely the "bog bodies". These ancient people all died a violent death and were perfectly preserved in the bogs of Ireland. We all found them fascinating. Throughout our afternoon in town we were confronted with a large protest regarding the potential legalization of abortion in Ireland. The protest was peaceful and both sides were represented in the crowd. The presence of the gardei was definitely reassuring though. It was interesting for the students to be exposed to varying opinions on abortion and to learn that women do not have this right in Ireland, lots of conversations amongst the students. Following the museum we headed over to Trinity to see the Book of Kells and then to the National Library for a Yeats exhibit. Shopping, exploring and food consumed the remainder of the day. Thursday was an especially busy day for both classes. The business class toured the Jameson Factory and then visited St. Michan's church where they were invited to touch the 800 year old body which is guaranteed to bring good luck. The English class spent much of the day out and about in Dublin working on their photo essay. A few shopping bags made their way home with both groups as well as lots of stories about all of the things everyone saw. Several students even visited the Leprechaun museum. Thursday evening was a night out for most students. A large group saw Riverdance and met one of the cast members, thanks to Sophie who is a talented Irish dancer herself. Another group travelled to a Bingo Players concert. Stay tuned for student blogs and pictures of the last few days. Dublin is a whirlwind of school and fun!