Home again, home again

Back home safely.  Can't wait to return!

We're Internet Stars!

I don't know if you watched the live feed or not but you can still go on and see the recording of our farewell evening.  I definitely cried.  I really don't want to go home at this point.  I'm going to miss everyone I met, particularly Maynard, Michael, Gary, Mark and George....our Ulster-Scots buddies.  I'll never forget them and can't wait to see them all again!

We leave Belfast at 8:15 to catch a bus....our bus leaves at 9.  Our flight leaves Dublin at 2:35 and we arrive in Philly at 5:10.  Hopefully there are no hitches along the way!  I want to come home but at the same time I really don't.

The other people I will miss are the new friends from the states that I made on the trip.  It seems that no one is staying in or coming to the Pennsylvania area.  I may just have to make a trip out to the mid-west sooner than expected to visit people!

The next message I post will be from the state-side!

I Conquered Slemish Mountain!

Ah...our last "fun day."  Tomorrow we're spending the day in the St. Patrick's Centre so today was our last day to have a dander (Ulster-Scots for walk) around the countryside.

In the AM we headed to Stranmillis College to talk to one of Mark's professors about the education system in Northern Ireland.  Apparently, it is equally as messed up as ours in America.  That prompted a discussion with Maynard about the government system in Northern Ireland which was very interesting.  

Next we drove up to the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world--Bushmills.  

After a spot of lunch at The Coffee Shop we took the tour.  

The rain was the worst I've seen it in Ireland ever, but no where near as bad as it gets in Pennsylvania (especially during Carnival and/or Football season.)  The tour was really great.  

From the mash room (the first room we entered)

 you could get drunk off of the air...LOL  It smelled heavenly!  We learned as much as they'd allow you to know and I highly suggest the tour.  At the end you get a sample.  I chose the 12 year old reserve (non-blended) whiskey that they only sell at the distillery itself.  It was

 brilliant.  The absolute best whiskey I have ever tasted in my entire life.  And as much as I wanted to purchase a large bottle it's too much of a pain to get it back home with having to pack it in checked luggage and then pray to God it doesn't break in transit.

Unfortunately, between the weather (wind and rain) and our schedule it wasn't possible to do the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.  (We'll have to save that for our next journey!)  Next we headed to Ballymena to meet the Mayor and have a jaunt through the building.  The Performing Arts center there is extremely impressive.  It has a full fly system and retractable seating for 400.  There is also a dance studio and art work from regional artists.

After Ballymena we undertook the climbing of Slemish Mountain.  St. Patrick would have been proud!  We headed up the "hard" way...straight up the mountain and up through the rocks.  There's apparently a way with a path

 around the mountain somewhere...but we never found it.  LOL  It's a moderately rough climb for non-hikers.  The view was incredible the entire way up.  And once we were at the top it was a wonder to behold.  It really felt like you were on the top of the world and could just look our forever.  

The way down was the interesting part.  Brooke and Caitlin decided to go down the way we came.  Katie and I decided upon "the road less taken" except by the sheep.  The other side of the mountain was so gorgeous with the heather and all we decided to go that way.  There was a trail to a point.  But then it fizzled out and we were kind of stuck.  We managed along the heather above the sheer cliff faces.  But it was so slippery from the rain earlier today that it was really hard to get a foot hold.  At one point I slid and only had the heather to hold me on the side of the mountain.  It really got my adrenaline pumping!  We managed the long way round but it was much more beautiful than coming down the way we went up!  (If you decide to go....definitely bring a picnic lunch for the top.)

Tomorrow's schedule:  I'm not sure where on the site but they should be broadcasting our trip end concert/presentation at 2:30PM EST somewhere on the Centre website http://www.saintpatrickcentre.com  Please feel free to visit.  The Ulster-Scots group will be talking about the things we've done while we were here and also singing a song in Ulster-Scotch called Braes o' Balquhidder.  (Those of you who've been to Celtic Classic may recognize it as a song that is done by Charlie Zahm.)

Slemish Mountain in the distance

About halfway up the mountain.

And the conquerers at the top!

Fuse FM, Silent Valley, Dancing, Summer School and African Drumming.....oh my

Sorry folks, I was too exhausted to post when I got home last night!  Here's the run down of the last 2 days.

Monday: We met Maynard in their new offices.  The building is really coming together and I could see myself working there.  That would really be great!  Anyway, after scooping up some books in Ulster-Scotch we headed to Rathfriland to talk on Fuse FM 106.2.  We were interviewed by "Wee Young Lass", in fact, we were her very first interview!  Again, we sang on the radio, as well.  After hanging out at the radio we headed to Silent Valley.  There is a reservoir there and it is absolutely gorgeous.  They also have a wonderful little museum about water and the Silent Valley area.

When we got back from that we got changed and laid down for a little bit.  Then we headed to see "Magic of the Dance" at the Belfast Opera House.  The Opera House was lovely!  The show was nice, but it paled in comparison to a Bill Whelan or Michael Flatley production.

Tuesday:  This morning we took the bus to Newry and we checked out a summer school there.  We were there when the kids came in from playing (most of the boys were out playing football, while the girls were inside chatting and dancing.)  Mark Anderson and George Holmes were there to do their presentation on the lambeg and fife.  After the presentation we went down the street to the Masonic Hall that Michael "Bud" belongs to.  We received a tour of the hall (of course they really couldn't tell us anything and in fact they told us more than I thought they were allowed.)  It was an interesting thing to see because it isn't every day you're invited into one.  After a pint we headed back to the summer school.

When we got back the kids were finishing lunch.  We got sandwiches and then Gary did a presentation about Ulster-Scots words.  The kids went over the body parts and then played "Gary Says" and some of the little ones were excellent.  All of us Americans were out pretty quickly...LOL

New Ulster-Scotch Words for the Day:

blither-talk too much

wilass-small girl

weefla-small boy

weechal-child

heid-head

neb-nose

lugs-ears

ee-eye

een-eyes

muth-mouth

thrapple-throat

shillers-shoulders

aerm-arm

cheist-chest

shanks-legs

fet-foot

After our short history and vocabulary lesson we got a ride home from Gary and Mark and then worked up our song 

for Thursday's performance.  We then stopped at a chip shop on the way to City Hall to meet up with the group and go to an African drumming session.

Now, I'm not really a huge fan of African drumming, at least the way I've been exposed to it so far.  There were good points and bad points to the night.  Running the session were two gentlemen from Zimbabwe and one from South Africa.  The guys from Zimbabwe were amazing.  They really knew what they were talking about and worked well together.  But the gentleman from South Africa kept improvising and throwing everyone off.  As a music teacher, it was absolutely killing me.  Then another gentleman came out and danced some hip hop and got some of our group involved.  That was neat too.  Unfortunately, the experience was rather stressful for me because of the group not working together as one.  It was a neat experience but I didn't feel it had much of a tie-in to what we're doing here.

Wednesday!....

Tomorrow is our fun day.  We're getting picked up by Maynard and I think we're going to Ballymena.  Mark mentioned something about meeting the Mayor there.  Bushmills Distillery is in here somewhere.  Then we're heading up the Antrim Coast to the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge.  

This is a bridge spanning 20 metres 

and 30 metres above the rocks/ocean!  Yeah....see how I do with this one tomorrow!  Some of you know how I feel about heights, check out this pic of it online...

Yep....over 80 feet down.  And once you're over the bridge, there's only one way to get back!!!  Guess what that is.  Yep, you've got it--going back over the same little rope bridge!

I feel like we're at the cliffhanger at the end of a Rocky and Bullwinkle episode.  Tune in tomorrow folks to see if she makes it!

Bangor, Northern Ireland

We started the morning off with Maynard.  We went to a Presbyterian church service where we learned some new words, such as:

thran - stubborn

fernenst - next to

gadgee - someone not from your own community

cowped - to hit or fall

The service was nice.  There was a great deal of singing.  And the minister spoke quite a bit.

After church we headed to Alfie G's for a spot of lunch.  Mmmm....lamb!

Then we met up with the rest of the group in Rostrevor.  There was a Fiddler on the Green festival and we listened to some bands and saw the memorial for Officer Ross (famous for burning down the White House.)  Then we headed back to drop Tim at Queens to get his vehicle and through Bangor.

Bangor, NI is much larger than the "center city" portion of Bangor, PA.  And the view is incredible--it looks out over the ocean.  We only stopped briefly by the lighthouse before heading to Millisle to meet up for a BBQ with a group from Palestine.  While there we saw a comparison of an Irish wedding to a Palestinian one.  It was very interesting.  After the BBQ we spoke with the Minister from Palestine about what it is like to live there.  Hearing the things that people go through on a daily basis makes me so very happy that I live in America where we're free to practice our own religion and the like.  They sound like they have a very nice program which they're looking to expand this coming year by bringing some Israeli students along on the trip.

Tomorrow we're headed out with Maynard again.  We're going to meet him at the office and then head to a radio station somewhere.  In the evening we're going to see "Magic of the Dance", a show about Irish dance at the Belfast Opera House.

Tuesday we head to a summer school in Newry and Gary is supposed to meet us there.

Wednesday we're hoping to go with Mark to the rope bridge up by the Causeway, Bushmills Distillery and Slemish Mountain.

Thursday is our farewell day.  We'll be at St. Patrick Centre most of the day.

Friday....plane home.  (Tim may very well have to drag me kicking and screaming out of Belfast. LOL)

Two Late Nights

Wow...two late nights in a row!

Friday we went with Maynard into Newtownards (pronounced Newton, as in Sir Isaac, and arrrrds.)  While there we saw a summer school.  We came in time to see them playing some games, mostly football (soccer.)  After that we went inside to see the school and get a demonstration from Mark Anderson and George Holmes on Lambeg drums and Fifes.  We even got to play a Lambeg drum it was awesome and they definitely are the loudest drums in the world!  To finish out the last day of summer school the kids watched a video of clips taken of them throughout the week.  They got to do all kinds of cool things.  There was a piper brought in, they learned some Scottish Country Dancing, did crafts, worked on a workbook and played different games.  They also learned about traditional foods.

After the summer school we headed to Alfie G's, Maynard's wife's restaurant.  It was excellent!  From there we headed to the Northern Ireland vs. Belarus Women's Senior Football game.  Now, I'm no fan of soccer but this game was AMAZING!  It must lose something in translation to America...I don't know.  Maynard arranged for us to meet the coach and we even got practice shirts like the girls would wear.  That was late night number 1.

Late night number 2: Saturday.  I got up Saturday morning and walked into the city center to do some shopping.  (There is really no free time on this trip for me to get any souvenirs any other time.)  I took the bus back and then we headed out to Ballymoney for the Dunloy Accordion Band Festival.  After grabbing a bite to eat at the Peppercorn and meeting up with Gary we headed down to the festival area.  There were highland dancers there that worked up a song just for us with an American theme and a bunch of other highland dances.  It was excellent.  Then the Dunloy Accordion Band came on and they called us up to present us with cds.  I'm always amazed at accordion bands that aren't playing polka music...LOL.  After Dunloy, Ian's band played with small comic interludes between groups.  After Ian was the Imperial Fife Band from Liverpool.  Then to end things they brought out some lambeg drums.

After the show was over we headed to Kelly's for dinner.  The food was excellent.  After our meal we went out to the clock tower to watch the parade.  Now the parade wasn't like those you'd see at home.  The people parading were only fife bands and accordion bands.  I could not believe the number of people that came out just to hear bands play.  (As a music teacher it was very reassuring.)

Then we left there early to go to a Ceili back in Belfast.  When we got there they were still doing presentations.  And then finally they got to the dancing.  But they didn't explain anything before doing it and you just kind of muddled through.  I danced one dance which was really fun.  We then headed home and got back around 1AM.

Now I'm up and ready to go.  Today we're headed to a Presbyterian Church service.  And then to meet Maynard's family.  After that we will probably be meeting up with the rest of the group for a BBQ and then hopefully home relatively early.

Armagh to Dublin

Yesterday we were in Armagh.  We spent the morning checking out St. Patrick's both the Catholic and the Protestant.  The cathedrals were gorgeous!  (Pictures to follow.)  We also got to see the Public Library.  I was in absolute heaven.  All of the volumes there were ancient, and they even had a first edition of Gulliver's Travels that had been edited by hand.  After the morning tours we headed to a hotel to meet with the North South Ministerial Council.  They talked to us more about what they do and how they are helping to bridge the gap between the North remaining under British control and the South being self-governed.  We also had an incredible lunch there.

Next we left Armagh and headed for Dublin.  Once in Dublin we went to the Dail.  There we got the tour and saw where both houses sit.  It was really incredible.  After our tour we met with Eamonn O Cuiv (grandson of Eamonn De Valera).  He was very interesting and was really interested in what we're doing.  Finally we headed to the Ginger Man pub for a pint and some fish and chips.  I had a pretty good time considering I was in Dublin.

Today was our big day--meeting the President.  We headed out this morning for Collins Barracks where there is a branch of the National Museum.  We went through the military history exhibit with Colonel Harvey Bicker.  He was very interesting and knowledgeable about the exhibit.  We also walked over to Arbour Church to see the graves of those involved in the Easter Rising.  There is a very nice memorial set up for them there.  After the museum we headed back onto the President's coach and drove into Phoenix Park and the Presidential Residence.  I've seen it from afar before but it was absolutely amazing up close.

President Mary McAleese was wonderful.  She was so genuine and really seemed interested in what we were saying.  She asked questions and was very easy to talk to.  We got some pictures with her as well.  After she retired, we were given a tour of the residence.  It was amazing and our tour guide was captivating.  I cannot imagine getting that kind of reception anywhere else.

After meeting with the President we headed to Nassau Street and went shopping and then headed back to Belfast.  I'm definitely happy to be out of Dublin, but meeting with the President was absolutely extraordinary!

Newry/Drogheda

So, today we got up and got the bus to Newry.  There Maynard picked us up and we headed down to Drogheda (yes, the one that they talk about in the book/movie, The Thornbirds) to meet up with the former Lord Mayor Sean Collins.  On the way we made a pit stop at the Boyne where Maynard explained the Battle of the Boyne and the movements of both the Williamite and Jacobite armies.  We also drove down to Mellifont Abbey where William had ridden through.

Sean was really interesting and is also an historian.  We went to St. Mary's church and learned about Oliver Cromwell.  Apparently, people and books at the time really embellished his slaughter in the town.  We saw the old medieval walls of the town both in the cemetery and at the St. Lawrence Arch.  We saw the graves of an IRA man who hated Michael Collins and a man killed in the Great War.

After St. Mary's we went to see the St. Lawrence Arch.  The arch is amazing and is said to be the best example of architecture of that style.  It is believed that the builder went to Wales and also built Harlech Castle (which I had the pleasure of seeing last year.)  I can definitely see the similarities between the two and wouldn't doubt the connection.

From the St. Lawrence Arch we headed to St. Paul's.  There we saw a number of graves.  The grave of a military family (that continues to this day), a member of the ill-fated Light Brigade, a cadaver headstone from the bubonic plague (1 of 11 in all of Europe), the family grave of Jonathan Swift's girlfriend--Vanessa, and one that held the remains of a woman said to have been buried alive and when grave robbers came to steal her jewelry cut into her finger waking her from her coma...(you get the picture.)

After meeting with Sean we headed up the coast.  We stopped at Maynard's place just on the outskirts of Kilkeel.  He also took us past Green Castle and to see where the American air strips had been from the Great War when they were stationed in Ireland.  Many of the air strips were torn up and made into walls, while the others remain in use as paths.  We stopped for ice cream on the way back to Belfast.

Now I'm packing my things for 2 days in (ick....) Dublin.  Tomorrow we start the morning with a tour of Armagh and then head to Dublin.  While in Dublin we visit the Dail (pronounced Doil) and meet with Minister Eamonn O Cuiv (grandson of Eamon De Valera).  Thursday is our meeting with President Mary McAleese.

I won't be online until either late Thursday or early to mid morning Friday depending upon when we return to QUB on Thursday.

Stormont Day

Today we went to Stormont to check out the "Parliament Buildings" really it's just one building.  It was originally planned to be three buildings but money got tight and only one was built.  It mirrors Westminster on the inside.  It was gorgeous.

After Parliament, we walked down to Stormont Castle and met the First Deputy Minister and Deputy First Minister, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness (respectively).  It was so amazing to meet them because they are such important people and they get along really well together.  They seemed very interested in our projects and are really grateful for what we're doing.  We got pictures with them and a few of us sang.

Our last bit of business for the day was to meet with the Lord Mayor of Belfast.  (After Michael and Ferdy got us food...mmm...sausage and champ!)  The Mayor was very interesting.  He's only one of two Sinn Fein Mayors to hold office in Belfast.  He seems very hopeful about the peace but practical.  We all know it won't just happen over night.

Afterwards we headed home to have a meeting with Tim where we all expressed the views we've been getting from our small groups.  The meeting ended and I found out someone stole my dinner....so, I went out with some of the others to grab some food at a swanky pub, complete with gaslights.

Tomorrow we're off to the Boyne with Maynard.  I'm sure it'll be great!

Busy Weekend

Ah yes, while it's sweltering in the states, it's rather cold here.

Saturday was a LONG day.  We left QUB at 9AM and headed along the Coastal Road toward the Giant's Causeway.  On the way we stopped to check out the view and then had tea at the Londonderry Arms Hotel.  Apparently, the hotel was owned by Winston Churchill.  (Interestingly enough, Chruchill at one point was going to give Northern Ireland away during

 the war.)

After tea and scones we headed back on the coach to go to the Causeway.  When we got there we met up with Gary.  He took us around the Causeway we took the high road first and then came down the stairs onto the rocks.  Gary told us the story of Finn MacCool (various spellings) and the Giants.  The rocks are absolutely amazing (and it's said because of gl

obal warming that they will no longer be there in 12-15 years).

We left the Giants Causeway (sadly enough, if it weren't for the tourists I could've stayed there all day) and headed into Bushmills to grab some grub.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to tour Ireland's oldest whiskey distillery.

Finally we headed to Londonderry or the Derry City Walls.  The city is the only remaining

 walled city in the country and one of two in the UK.  Here, we also met the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure.  We took a tour of the walls and headed home.  We stopped on the way back and Tim bought us dinner.

Sunday

A day that could have been quiet and our last full day of "free time."  After sleeping in, a

 number of us headed into the city centre to grab a coach up to Carrickfergus.  While in Carrickfergus, we toured the gorgeous castle (on the way, our guide pointed out the remaining Belfast Castle, on the hillside--there was apparently one in the city proper but there is no trace of where it had been, and also the caves in the mountain just above the tree line.  This also happens to be the hill that influenced Jonathan Swift in Gulliver's Travels.)  After

 Carrickfergus Castle, we headed up the road a wee bit to the Jackson homestead.  This is where our 7th President's father grew up.  We also saw the US Army Rangers Museum and listened to Ian and his mates play the accordion and snare drum.  The Mayor of Carrickfergus came out and we met her and got a photo.

Once we returned to Belfast we decided to get a black cab tour.  These tours take you around

 the city to see a number of the murals from the troubles.  We first headed to

 Shankill Road to see the Loyalist (Protestant) murals.  Most of the murals were more like memorials and are trying to be positive.  There was one, though, that has a gunman and no matter where you stand the gun remains trained on you.  (It was very gripping.)  

After Shankill Road we drove along the Peace Wall.  It was original constructed in 1969 by the British Army to keep the two cultures apart.  

The wall began at 15 ft. high, it is now 30 ft. high in some areas.  The wall will hopefully be taken down eventually, but there are still trouble and the wall remains closed at night time and when trouble occurs.  (Many things are monitored over CCTV, closed circuit television, such as this.)  The Peace Wall has murals painted on it and on top of those murals people have signed their names and other words of wisdom and wishes that things remain to get better and people grow tolerant of each other.

The Peace Wall led us into Falls Road where we were 

able to see the Catholic side of things.  First we stopped at a Memorial Garden of the people killed from that area.  Some were civilians, while others were giving resistance.  The conditions that the people who live near the wall live in are incredible and to protect their houses they have metal cages around t

he parts facing the wall.  After the garden we visited the murals on the road.  The side of the Sinn Fein office sports a mural of Bobby Sands (of hunger strike infamy.)

While still on the Catholic side we visited the International Wall.  The things that they depict are the Catholic view of the world.  There were murals of Frederick Douglass, Spain, Cuba and they depict a certain President in a not very flattering way.

After our marvelous tour we headed back to Queens for some spaghetti and bed.  Tomorrow we head off to Stormont.  This was really our last day of free time.  The rest of the trip is packed solid with things to do and people to see!

I'm loving Ulster-Scots!

I just have to say what an awesome time I'm having on this trip!  We spent the whole day with Maynard Hanna.  He really had us meet with some great people.

After breakfast we headed out to the office of the Ulster-Scots Agency in Franklin House.  They are in the process of moving to a new location but we met there anyway.  In the morning we met with Michael and Ian who work with the Heritage Council.  They really helped us with the culture of Ireland and were eager to pick our brains about how things are perceived outside of Ulster.  We learned about the music and how it tends to be more organized with fife bands or accordion bands that rehearse weekly; as opposed to the Republic with their "sessiuns".  There was also an opinion expressed about where funding for integration should occur.  (Some people see the money being put into middle class areas where those children will meet each other in things such as sports organizations while the working class are left out and they won't have that opportunity to meet and be social.  It reminded me a great deal of "No Child Left Behind" and where the funding goes for that...instead of going to the schools that aren't doing well so they can improve, the money goes to the affluent schools that are doing well, that don't really need the help to improve.)  We also learned about the reevers and that the words "freelance", "blackmail", "bereaved" and "red 

handed" come from Ulster-Scots.

We then left the Agency to have a spot of lunch with Lord Laird, a Member of Parliament in Westminster at Schomberg House.  It was really interesting to see others talk about the Protestant side of things.  There are many many things I never understood about this side of "The Troubles".  I had a few very tasty prawn sandwiches for lunch....mmmmmm.... and we chatted and had the

 viewpoint put to us again.  There is no end to how amazed I am about how well people over here know our American history.  They are very proud of the Ulster-Scots that came to America.  And th

ey should be with all the great things they have accomplished.

A tour of the exhibit of the Grand Orange Lodge was given to us by Dr. David Humes.  He really knew what he was talking about and told us a rather unbiased history of the Order.  We also had the pleasure of speaking with Kevin Cahill.  Kevin had a rather interesting take on the conflict because he was actually born in the Republic and works with the Order.  He was very passionate about the fact that the IRA never met with the South to determine a course of action in the North and he considers their actions terrorism.

After this wonderful meeting with chatted more with Maynard.  They are really treating us well.  Our meals have been covered while we're with him and they gave us all kinds of promotional materials (a hat, backpack, jacket and a hat and portable radio from Fuse FM).  Maynard took us to a chipper called Ena's on Sandy Row right after showing us the new offices.

We have a group meeting tonight and tomorrow we head to the Giant's Causeway!!  

Ballymoney

Today we took the train into Ballymoney.  The train was REALLY nice.  Nothing like any train or subway/tube I've ever been in.  The floors were carpeted and there was a bathroom.  The ride was about an hour and 15 minutes.

We met Maynard Hanna at the train station and he took us through town.  We stopped at the memorial for Joey Dunlop a very popular motorcycle racer from the town.  And then headed to the radio station Fuse 106.2 FM where we met Gary Blair.

While at the radio station we got to pick songs and go live on the air.  Afterwards we went across the street for food.  Mmmmm...Shepherd's Pie!  Lunch was excellent and then we headed out on a tour of the town with Gary.  He showed us the Masonic Hall and Town Clock where Irishmen from the 1798 rebellion were hanged from the attached gallows and then were buried where their bodies fell.  After the clock we went down to Town Hall where we went through the museum and were told about Hiring Fairs (the people would come to the diamond to be hired to work in an Englishman's house for the year for 1 Pound.)

At town hall we met Mervyn Storey, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for County Antrim.  He was really nice.  I'm absolutely amazed at how much everyone seems to know not only about the history of the UK but America, as well.  After we left town hall we headed to the Old Church Graveyard where we saw the graves of Judge George Hutchinson and Alexander Gamble.  

Next we headed to a summer school where the children were playing football (that'd be soccer for those of you stateside.)  In summer school the children learn about different aspects of the culture.  They have worked with music (tin whistles, accordions, lambeg) and poetry (in the language and spelling of Ulster-Scots).  The 3 poems that we heard were amazing!  We were able to understand most of what was being said...

After parting ways with the summer school folks we headed to see a mural painted on the side of a house by Gary's father.  (Picture to follow.)

Finally we headed back to the train station to head home, passing by the oldest Church in use (1st Presbyterian).

We actually get to sleep in tomorrow.  I don't have to get up until half 8 (stateside, that means 8:30.)  We're headed to the Ulster-Scots Agency in Belfast at Franklin House tomorrow.  What exactly is in store I have no idea.  I'm sure Maynard will keep us amused, though!

PIctures so far...

The Mill at Ballydugan, County Down

My gorgeous room at the Mill

Lexie and I on Saul hill in the distant background you can see the Isle of Mann

This is the hill that holds the largest statue of St. Patrick

Mmmmm...Guinness and Magner's at the Crown Saloon, Belfast

Slainte!

So much to tell....So little time....

Alright, so I'm currently in my room at Queens University where I finally have a dedicated internet access.  Some of you have received emails from me when I could get to a connection but I haven't had time to actually blog anything so far.  Here we go:

Sunday

17:15

Arrived at Philly airport.  I went through security with no problems (amazing considering my last name was spelled wrong on my ticket!)

20:30

I caught up with Lexie and we boarded our flight.  Let me just say, sitting there looking at the plane I was truly concerned.  It was a rather tiny plane for a trans-atlantic flight!  It ended up being a 3 & 3 seater (the same size mind you that I flew down to Florida the first time I flew.)  I was rather concerned.  The seats were tiny and I was stuck in the middle.  There was no internet at the airport so I was unable to blog at that point.  :(

21:05

We left the gate and sat on the tarmac...

22:00

We finally took off.  The flight was decent, although, I only slept for maybe an hour.

Monday

9:12 GMT

62 degrees Fahrenheit and a great landing.

The Dublin airport has changed since I went through it last year.  There was a lot more walking and the customs line was really long.  The customs officer I had was really nice and moved me through very quickly.

Lexie and I grabbed our bags (yes, they both arrived) and headed to the meeting point.

10:30

We notice some girls wearing Minnesota clothing and make a comment.  When they come back they connect us with the rest of the group.  And off we go.  Tim decided he'd drive us to the Scarva Sham Fight instead of us taking the bus because he wanted to get a chance to chat with us.  

12:00

We arrive at Scarva for the sham fight.  When we get there we see the morning parade with many fife and drum groups, accordion bands and pipers--not to mention all the banners and order members.

After the parade ended we walked up the street about 3/4 mile to the field where the reenactment was going on.  We snaked through all the people and just when we thought we'd made it they had reenactors with pikes to guard the way for the horses to come through.  We were squished and got awfully close to the pointy end of some of the pikes!  We finally made it through the 60,000 people and got to see the two groups shooting at two flags, one green, one red.  The red won as the green flag was shot off of the pole.

Next we went to have lunch with Maynard and George where we talked politics and music.  We had tea, sandwiches, biscuits and an assortment of desserts.  I learned quite a bit about Ulster-Scots while there and was even able to complete a joke they told:

Q:  What's the different between cutting up an onion and cutting up a set of bagpipes?

A:  No one cries when you cut up the bagpipes.

They were really interested in what we thought would happen with the election back home.  We told him that we thought Obama would win.  (At least the majority felt that way.)

Maynard explained to us how he considers himself British, Scottish not Irish (other than the fact that he was born here.)

Then we watched and dodged the afternoon parade.  Some groups decided they would march down the bridge that we were standing on and they don't play games, we had to practically dive out of the way a few times to avoid being trampled!

16:00

We finally headed to our hotel.

After some dozing off on the way...

17:30

We met up with Beth and Kathi finally and got our rooms at the Ballydugan Mill.  I got lucky and ended up with both a double and a single bed.  The room was AMAZING and so was the view.  The mill was exquisite with a bare wall and exposed beams!

19:00

BBQ reception at the St. Patrick's Centre

This was one of the most awesome experiences.  When we walked in we were sung to by Noreen and her group with a song she'd written called "Cead Mile Failte."  Next we were played up the stairs by a piper.  We were addressed by a number of speakers include a member of Down county council Colin McGraw.

I met a member of the Lion's Club, Seamus and Colin's friend, Spencer.  After much chatting about everything under the sun and some great craic (that's fun...not the hard drug) we gave our offering to the peace garden.

I gave some of the river stones used at the reception of my wedding.

After much red wine and chatting we headed back to the mill at Ballydugan and went to sleep.

Tuesday

After a smashing Irish breakfast or Fry as they call it here we headed back to the St. Patrick's Centre to meet with some different people.  First we went for a speed tour through the museum.  Then we heard from a local school teacher, Ken, about the history of Ireland and some of the conflict.  After him, Neville showed up and listened while we heard from a representative from the Education Department.  She discussed what the community relations section of the department are doing to encourage interaction between the two main groups of students, Protestants and Catholics.  We then broke for tea and we chatted with Neville.  After tea we met with a representative from Foras na Gailge (the group that supports the Irish language.)

Once our speakers were done we got on the bus and went to Noreen's for lunch.  After some wine and a good soup for lunch (and some session tunes thrown in) we headed up the mountain at Saul to see the largest statue of St. Patrick.  It was quite a hike!  But well worth it once you saw the view.  On a clear day you can see Scotland from the top of the hill.

After the statue we went to Saul Church where Patrick is said to have established the first church.  It was a barn first and the church is very quaint and picturesque.  After Saul Church we went to Down Cathedral to see where "St. Patrick is buried" in the cemetery there under a large stone slab (although, many say he is actually buried in Armagh--don't tell Tim that!)  It was as windy as could be!  We went into the Cathedral then and Tim explained the layout and the area.  After the Cathedral we went past the school and to the museum (between the judges quarters and the courthouse.)  The museum was interesting but we rushed through.  We got to see the jail cells and where people were hanged after we saw some of the relics of St. Patrick.  We had some time left over so we headed on to the ruins of Inch Abbey.  After that we headed to Swan Lodge for a marvelous dinner (more wine, colcannon, stew and garlic wheaten bread.)

After Swan Lodge we headed to the Celtic Fusion concert of the Valleley Brothers and Karan Kasey.  The concert was good but we were all exhausted.

We finally headed home and caught some shut eye.

Wednesday

The days are spinning by so quickly it is incredible!!!

Another wonderful breakfast.  The fry is remarkable.  The soda bread in this area is fried instead of just baked.  (Neville tells us the bread is called a "farle".)  It comes out flat and thicker than that which you'd find in the stores back home.

After breakfast we checked out of our rooms and headed to Queens University, Belfast.  When we arrived some people moved into their rooms while a few of us went on the bus for a quick jaunt to check out the City Centre area.  We then got back and had to rush to get our things in and have a chance to change before meeting with the US Consulate.

14:00

We finally managed to get through security at the US Consulate.  The building was gorgeous and was just as beautiful inside as it was outside.  We had tea and biscuits while we saw a PowerPoint presentation about Ireland and American relations and then spoke with the Consul about what the foreign services entail and what jobs they do in Belfast.  We got a lovely tour of the building and were able to see the original moldings and even original paintings on the door of her office!

After the meeting at the Consulate we headed back to QUB (Queens University Belfast) to quickly change and then head out to the City Centre.  We caught a bus into the city centre and went past the Europa (the most bombed hotel in the world).  We got off, gathered some funds from our ATM cards and headed out on the town.  First we visited Victoria Square, a new shopping area with a remarkable observation deck where you can see nearly all of Belfast.  After taking pictures and heading back down, we decided to eat at The Crown Saloon.  I got my usual pub fare--fish and chips.  (It was excellent but not quite as good as it is at The Quays in Dublin.)  After a nice pint o' Guinness (for strength, after all) we decided to walk the mile or two back to QUB.  It was a cheerful walk, even in the mist.  On the way we stopped at the Spar to pick up some munchies.  I tried a Diet Coke Plus Vitamins...it's alright but nothing special.  I also tried the Prawn Cocktail "crisps" (that's potato chips for those of you state-side.)  The prawn crisps are rather interesting but I'll just eat prawns, thank you very much!  I also picked up a juice box of Ribena...mmm....and Fruit Pastilles for later!

As for now, I'm just chillin' in my room and settling in before tomorrow.

The week to come:

Thursday's Itinerary:

7:30 Breakfast

7:55 Taxi to train station

Train to Ballymoney (I think) to go to a radio station to learn about Ulster-Scots

17:30 (or so) Home (evening free)

Friday's Itinerary:

Newry Heritage Summer School

Saturday:

Giant's Causeway

Derry Walls

Sunday:

Mourne Presbyterian Church Service, Rev. William Bingham

Grave of Alexander Chesne

Monday:

Stormont Castle (meeting and tour)

City Council Reception with the Lord Mayor of Belfast

Tuesday:

Glebeside Festival (planning workshops), Ballymena

Wednesday:

Armagh Tour by coach

Roman Catholic St. Patrick's Cathedral

Public Library

Church of Ireland, St. Patrick's Cathedral

North South Ministerial Council Presentation

Dublin

Meet Minister Eamon O Cuiv

Visit Dail (Parliament)

Tour Dublin City

Itinerary

Well, here's my itinerary as of now:

July 13th, Sunday

Fly US Airways out of Philly at 21:05.  

July 14th, Monday

Arrive in Dublin 9:00 (that would be 9AM in Ireland). There's a 5 hour difference, so whatever time it is at home add 5 hours.

BBQ at St. Patrick's Centre

Staying at Ballyduggan Mill in Downpatrick until Queens University reopens from the holiday.

July 15th, Tuesday

Orientation and induction

Recent history and politics

Walking tour of Downpatrick

Intro to work of funding agencies

Meet mentors

July 16th, Wednesday

Move to Queens University

Belfast-City Council Reception/USA Consul to NI (tentative)

July 17th, Thursday

Working with mentors

18th-19th....

July 20th, Sunday

Mourne Presbyterian Church Service

Giant's Causeway

July 21st, Monday

Tour of Stormont Parliament and meet with members there

22nd....

July 23rd, Wednesday

Armagh-North/South Ministerial Council presentations

Dublin-visit the Dail (Parliament) & meet Minister Eamon O Cuiv (grandson of Eamon de Valera)

July 24th, Thursday

Afternoon tea with President Mary McAleese at the Presidential Residence in Dublin (that would be the Republic of Ireland...Northern Ireland is still attached to England)

25th-30th....

July 31st, Thursday

Farewell reception

The reception will be televised live.  It starts at 19:30 in Dublin (that's 14:30 for all of you stateside on the East Coast).  The St. Patrick Centre will have a link to the streaming video ( http://www.stpatrickcentre.com )

August 1st, Friday

Fly US Airways home from Dublin at 14:35

Arrive in Philly 17:10 (EST)

Busy, busy, busy

And now to go finish packing....

T-1 Day

Well, I leave for Ireland tomorrow.  I'm mostly packed at this point.  I'm still working on my carry on.  This trip has really snuck up on me.  I knew that this past week was really my "last week of summer" since I'm gone for 3 weeks and when I get back I go into band camp right away.  So, I went out and golfed and went to the movies and the like.  I know I'll have a great time in Ireland, but I could use more rest this summer.

Got to get back to packing...I'm trying not to forget anything.  I think I'm good when it comes to clothing, it's just all that other stuff.  You know, chargers and converters and the like.  I'll post my itinerary so far later today and will try to update as I go along.

Slainte!

What this is all about...

I decided that since I'm going to Ireland for 3 weeks and know that it will be hard for people to get a hold of me I should probably do something so that people know what's going on.  Yes, I'll be writing a regular paper journal and yes, I could write an email every night and send it out.  But, no one would see the paper journal until I get back and email is always kind of wonky.  So, I figure, the best thing to do would be set up a blog...now I can tell everyone what happened during the day and even upload pictures, without bombarding your inboxes with messages.

Please check back here for updates.  I'll actually start blogging today and let you know about preparations for Ireland and all the other crazy stuff I do!