Ireland welcomed spring with a wild rainstorm. All of Thursday we had whipping winds that were strong enough for the residence administration to ask residents not to open windows. In late afternoon the rain started coming down and it lasted all evening. The next morning it was still drizzling as I ran to the gym and I was not surprised to see that the University banners attached to the lampposts had been ripped from their frames. Ireland came out somewhat lucky in this storm however. Apparently Northern Ireland and most of the United Kingdom have had snowstorms or are still under the risk of flooding.
I suppose this weather is rather predictable by now, but remarkably we did have a relatively dry stretch for four weeks during February and March. I was somehow hoping this trend would continue, but alas as the temperature warms, the rain falls. The last few weeks have seen the sprouting of Daffodils on the sides of Irish roads. I've been very tempted to pick some, but am not sure if that is allowed and haven't risked it because I'm always walking along busy roads. I've had my eyes open for budding leaves on the trees, but no sign yet.
I'm hoping the weather clears up quickly because tomorrow I am heading off to Scotland for a week as it is Easter holidays at the University. I am thrilled that I'll be joined by my parents who have taken the trip overseas to visit me as well as other relatives. It's now been seven months since I last saw them in person so I cannot think of a nicer way to spend my Easter. As an additional bonus, the three of us will be returning to Ireland in time to pick up my sister who will be flying in from Australia. We will be having a intimate Darby family reunion in Limerick for a few days!
Unfortunately after this special break, I will really have to crack down on my schoolwork until the end of the semester. Similar to last term, all my assignments are due on one day in May. Currently I am all wrapped up in community music ideas for several business assignments, and soon I'll be crunching numbers to see if I'll ever make any money. Concurrently, I am managing my work placements, preparing for the research paper I need to write over summer and still working away at fiddle. Of course I am always planning my next adventure as well! Last month I purchased a ticket to Glastonbury Festival in June and am in discussions with a friend about a trip to Spain.
Wishing everyone a happy Easter!
Shannon
Saturday, 23 March 2013
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
St Paddy's Day!
St Patrick's Day was an event I had been looking forward to since arriving in Ireland. What an amazing opportunity to celebrate the Irish holiday by being in its birthplace. Since St Paddy's is the national holiday we were granted a nice long weekend, which in hindsight is probably to recuperate from the notorious merriment that takes place.
St Paddy's for me was indeed memorable because I managed to jam my day full of activities far beyond sitting in a pub (though I will admit I spent several hours in one in the evening). Two classmates and I had the great opportunity to participate in Limerick's parade with a group representing the Learning Hub where we all teach classes. We were recruited to play percussion and my inner child was pleased to be given a big bass drum. Our music had a Middle Eastern flair with the lyrics: "Snake in the grass, it will bite you in the..." Just a taste of typical Irish humour, which I think may be burned into my memory for all time.
.
Hauling a big bass drum across town is not super easy, but the experience was incredible regardless. The streets were packed with spectators and I took the opportunity to offer kids along the edge a chance to play my drum. Every little face lit up when I handed over a mallet. The only downside was that I did not really get a chance to see the rest of the parade. As the floats were setting up I did manage to sneak a few pictures as I passed on my way to our 69th starting position. It was a big parade!
After the parade wrapped up, my classmate Adam and I headed to the local Hunt Museum to lead a Brazilian Samba drumming workshop. Running a drumming workshop was a new experience for me, one which was very noisy and required much patience. It is virtually impossible to place a drum in front of a child without them immediately wailing away on it. Adam and I pulled things together though, and within 45 minutes we had whipped together a short performance for expectant parents. It was a fun learning experience for both us and the children.
As I mentioned, I did manage to squeeze in some time in a pub and toast Sláinte (health) with some friends, of whom humorously none were Irish. After playing drums all afternoon I was so thankful to sit back and enjoy my pint of Guinness.
Hope you enjoyed your St Paddy's day!
Shannon
St Paddy's for me was indeed memorable because I managed to jam my day full of activities far beyond sitting in a pub (though I will admit I spent several hours in one in the evening). Two classmates and I had the great opportunity to participate in Limerick's parade with a group representing the Learning Hub where we all teach classes. We were recruited to play percussion and my inner child was pleased to be given a big bass drum. Our music had a Middle Eastern flair with the lyrics: "Snake in the grass, it will bite you in the..." Just a taste of typical Irish humour, which I think may be burned into my memory for all time.
This was the "Snake in the Grass" which was mysteriously made out of shopping carts.
.
Katie and I excited for our bass drum premiere.
Adam was even more excited to play the snare.
Hauling a big bass drum across town is not super easy, but the experience was incredible regardless. The streets were packed with spectators and I took the opportunity to offer kids along the edge a chance to play my drum. Every little face lit up when I handed over a mallet. The only downside was that I did not really get a chance to see the rest of the parade. As the floats were setting up I did manage to sneak a few pictures as I passed on my way to our 69th starting position. It was a big parade!
A gigantic version of St Patrick led the parade.
After the parade wrapped up, my classmate Adam and I headed to the local Hunt Museum to lead a Brazilian Samba drumming workshop. Running a drumming workshop was a new experience for me, one which was very noisy and required much patience. It is virtually impossible to place a drum in front of a child without them immediately wailing away on it. Adam and I pulled things together though, and within 45 minutes we had whipped together a short performance for expectant parents. It was a fun learning experience for both us and the children.
As I mentioned, I did manage to squeeze in some time in a pub and toast Sláinte (health) with some friends, of whom humorously none were Irish. After playing drums all afternoon I was so thankful to sit back and enjoy my pint of Guinness.
Hope you enjoyed your St Paddy's day!
Shannon
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Bobby McFerrin live in Dublin
Last week I had the amazing opportunity to see world-famous vocal improviser, Bobby McFerrin, live in concert at the National Concert Hall in Dublin. If you are unfamiliar with Bobby McFerrin, drop everything you are doing right now and check him out on Youtube! He does some incredible techniques with his voice and his creativity is awe-inspiring. Here is a link to his rendition of "My Favourite Things": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wqplKtzWpI
I went with two classmates and as we readily expected the concert was spectacular. Bobby was joined on stage by a dancer and two Irish music groups: one a traditional Irish music band, and the other a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavoured quartet. The concert lasted for an uninterrupted hour and a half, and when it ended it felt like it should have been intermission. The entire performance was improvised, save for a few tunes from the Irish bands' own repertoire, which Bobby then improvised overtop. Highlights included the call and response duet sang between Bobby and a member of the audience, and Bobby's "tap-dancing" which involved making the tap sounds with his mouth as he moved his feet.
I have a couple photos to share which are unfortunately poor quality, but at least prove I was there. We had been sitting in the choir balcony, so the first photo looks out over the stage towards the audience of the National Concert Hall. In the second photo you can see Bobby sitting near the edge of the stage.
Our evening in Dublin would not have been complete without going out for a few drinks after the concert. As things turned out I was lucky enough to see another show that evening: a Drag Queen Show! I had never seen a drag queen show before and I was amazed at the artistry and skill put into costumes and choreography. The ladies were dancing all over the stage just like Beyoncé or Lady Gaga. There was also a Drag King (female dressed as male) who would join the Queens to rap. As an embarrassingly noticeable tourist I of course took pictures.
I would like to introduce you to:
I went with two classmates and as we readily expected the concert was spectacular. Bobby was joined on stage by a dancer and two Irish music groups: one a traditional Irish music band, and the other a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern flavoured quartet. The concert lasted for an uninterrupted hour and a half, and when it ended it felt like it should have been intermission. The entire performance was improvised, save for a few tunes from the Irish bands' own repertoire, which Bobby then improvised overtop. Highlights included the call and response duet sang between Bobby and a member of the audience, and Bobby's "tap-dancing" which involved making the tap sounds with his mouth as he moved his feet.
I have a couple photos to share which are unfortunately poor quality, but at least prove I was there. We had been sitting in the choir balcony, so the first photo looks out over the stage towards the audience of the National Concert Hall. In the second photo you can see Bobby sitting near the edge of the stage.
Our evening in Dublin would not have been complete without going out for a few drinks after the concert. As things turned out I was lucky enough to see another show that evening: a Drag Queen Show! I had never seen a drag queen show before and I was amazed at the artistry and skill put into costumes and choreography. The ladies were dancing all over the stage just like Beyoncé or Lady Gaga. There was also a Drag King (female dressed as male) who would join the Queens to rap. As an embarrassingly noticeable tourist I of course took pictures.
I would like to introduce you to:
Miss Victoria Secret!
Devina Divine and her two identical twin dancers, who were incredibly well coordinated. I took a picture with one of them and discovered they were covered in body oil to appear glistening.
Lady of the hour, Devina Divine, after yet another costume change (she had at least four).
The best thing about life is that you never know what is around the corner. I went to Dublin expecting one great show and came away with two! I wonder what new thing I'll experience next.
Enjoy St Patty's this weekend! I'll be blogging about mine next week.
Shannon
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Roads with Grass in the Middle
If I were to impart one bit of advice about experiencing the 'true' Ireland, it would be "travel the roads with grass in the middle." We did just that when driving the Ring of Kerry and our path of about 250 km took us eight hours to complete because of all of our scenic stops and back-road detours. Our day was a hilarious adventure of memorable discovery.
The great thing about touring a new region is that you never quite know what sight will greet you around the next corner. Such was the case on the Ring of Kerry, which boasted everything from fertile fields to steep coastal cliffs, marshy bogs to expansive beaches. For instance we passed this surfing paradise. Now if only the water were warm...
When driving the scenic Ring of Kerry there is the option of lengthening the route by also touring the Ring of Skellig and Valencia Island, both of which we were keen to see. From the top of Valencia Island we had this fabulous view of a coastguard lighthouse.
We could not help but investigate this lighthouse further so we ventured onto our first "grass in the middle" road. It was a small path that weaved back and forth down a steep hill with 180 degree turns. Getting down it was relatively simple, but returning up was a bit like a roller-coaster ride. Between managing the steep incline and driving a standard vehicle Rebecca had to take the sharp turns at an alarming pace. I'm sure glad I wasn't the driver! Down by the lighthouse we caught the water at the end of low tide and got to investigate the rocky shores. We also came across an old pier, or perhaps break-wall, and a house in ruins which was humorously listed as "For Sale" on a nearby real estate sign.
On the Ring of Skellig, we were able to look towards the sea and spy the two dark shadows of the Skellig Islands. The bigger island, Skellig Michael, is a UNESCO world heritage site as it boasts an early Christian monastery from the sixth century. It is possible to visit the site by boat from the town of Portmagee. It confounds me to think that someone once thought it would be a good idea to row out and live on a tiny island at sea.
By this point in our drive we were fairly confident in our 'off-road' abilities, and therefore jumped at the opportunity to follow signs to the "Bolus Head". At first I doubted our direction, stating that this new road looked like someone's driveway, but we were following signs so what could go wrong? Well, first we had to pull off the road to allow a tractor past. Then when we were precariously perched along a cliff, an Irish Post vehicle miraculously squeezed past us on a road designed for one. He greeted all of our shocked faces with a jolly "Hello" through his open window. Despite a waning confidence in our choice of path we continued on until we stopped behind an old farmer who was opening gates beside the road. He kept looking at us strangely before getting back into his vehicle and driving around the corner. We followed him on his way.... only to end up in his farmyard at the end of the road! We were killing ourselves laughing, and only Kelsey was brave enough to face the embarrassment and explain that we had got lost looking for the Bolus Head. The farmer had to explain that the Bolus Head was a walking loop! He said some other things too but his accent was so thick that no one could understand.
If you look carefully at the picture below you will see a small shack roof set apart in the middle of the picture. That would be the farmyard we ended up in. Also look carefully at the signs below. While the big sign clearly points to Bolus Head, the top sign advertises the national looped walk. Always read the small print, unless of course you want a hilarious travel story!
We ended our drive by passing through Killarney National Park, a place I would highly consider returning to for hiking or other outdoor activities. Once again the landscape changes as you move away from the sea into the interior. The hills are dominated by exposed rock and there are more trees. We were pleased to find sheep on the road; a true Irish experience. Since there aren't always fences, sheep are painted on their rear with a colour to distinguish what flock they come from.
We stopped near a lake to take some pictures. This landscape surprisingly reminded me of the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario.
Nearby was the Torc waterfall a short hike off the main road. The waterfall was nice, but what I found really neat was the moss which scaled the entire length of the trees. I touched some moss, expecting it to be wet, but it was all entirely bone dry.
As we left the park, we passed a Red Deer farm and got to see the animals (which are closely related to elk). The Red Deer is a symbol of the National Park, but I am not sure if there are many left in the wild anymore. Our arrival in Killarney marked the end of our day's drive. Killarney is a lovely tourist town, but we did not have much time to investigate it as we arrived in the evening and left again early the next day. Sadly I was dropped off by my visitors in Limerick as they returned to Dublin to catch a flight home.
A huge thank you goes out to Rebecca, Garnet, Carley and Kelsey for coming to visit me. I was so thrilled to be able to experience this important segment of Ireland with you!
Cheers,
Shannon
The great thing about touring a new region is that you never quite know what sight will greet you around the next corner. Such was the case on the Ring of Kerry, which boasted everything from fertile fields to steep coastal cliffs, marshy bogs to expansive beaches. For instance we passed this surfing paradise. Now if only the water were warm...
When driving the scenic Ring of Kerry there is the option of lengthening the route by also touring the Ring of Skellig and Valencia Island, both of which we were keen to see. From the top of Valencia Island we had this fabulous view of a coastguard lighthouse.
We could not help but investigate this lighthouse further so we ventured onto our first "grass in the middle" road. It was a small path that weaved back and forth down a steep hill with 180 degree turns. Getting down it was relatively simple, but returning up was a bit like a roller-coaster ride. Between managing the steep incline and driving a standard vehicle Rebecca had to take the sharp turns at an alarming pace. I'm sure glad I wasn't the driver! Down by the lighthouse we caught the water at the end of low tide and got to investigate the rocky shores. We also came across an old pier, or perhaps break-wall, and a house in ruins which was humorously listed as "For Sale" on a nearby real estate sign.
On the Ring of Skellig, we were able to look towards the sea and spy the two dark shadows of the Skellig Islands. The bigger island, Skellig Michael, is a UNESCO world heritage site as it boasts an early Christian monastery from the sixth century. It is possible to visit the site by boat from the town of Portmagee. It confounds me to think that someone once thought it would be a good idea to row out and live on a tiny island at sea.
By this point in our drive we were fairly confident in our 'off-road' abilities, and therefore jumped at the opportunity to follow signs to the "Bolus Head". At first I doubted our direction, stating that this new road looked like someone's driveway, but we were following signs so what could go wrong? Well, first we had to pull off the road to allow a tractor past. Then when we were precariously perched along a cliff, an Irish Post vehicle miraculously squeezed past us on a road designed for one. He greeted all of our shocked faces with a jolly "Hello" through his open window. Despite a waning confidence in our choice of path we continued on until we stopped behind an old farmer who was opening gates beside the road. He kept looking at us strangely before getting back into his vehicle and driving around the corner. We followed him on his way.... only to end up in his farmyard at the end of the road! We were killing ourselves laughing, and only Kelsey was brave enough to face the embarrassment and explain that we had got lost looking for the Bolus Head. The farmer had to explain that the Bolus Head was a walking loop! He said some other things too but his accent was so thick that no one could understand.
If you look carefully at the picture below you will see a small shack roof set apart in the middle of the picture. That would be the farmyard we ended up in. Also look carefully at the signs below. While the big sign clearly points to Bolus Head, the top sign advertises the national looped walk. Always read the small print, unless of course you want a hilarious travel story!
We ended our drive by passing through Killarney National Park, a place I would highly consider returning to for hiking or other outdoor activities. Once again the landscape changes as you move away from the sea into the interior. The hills are dominated by exposed rock and there are more trees. We were pleased to find sheep on the road; a true Irish experience. Since there aren't always fences, sheep are painted on their rear with a colour to distinguish what flock they come from.
We stopped near a lake to take some pictures. This landscape surprisingly reminded me of the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario.
Nearby was the Torc waterfall a short hike off the main road. The waterfall was nice, but what I found really neat was the moss which scaled the entire length of the trees. I touched some moss, expecting it to be wet, but it was all entirely bone dry.
As we left the park, we passed a Red Deer farm and got to see the animals (which are closely related to elk). The Red Deer is a symbol of the National Park, but I am not sure if there are many left in the wild anymore. Our arrival in Killarney marked the end of our day's drive. Killarney is a lovely tourist town, but we did not have much time to investigate it as we arrived in the evening and left again early the next day. Sadly I was dropped off by my visitors in Limerick as they returned to Dublin to catch a flight home.
A huge thank you goes out to Rebecca, Garnet, Carley and Kelsey for coming to visit me. I was so thrilled to be able to experience this important segment of Ireland with you!
Cheers,
Shannon
Monday, 4 March 2013
A windy day in Dingle
My visitors, Rebecca, Garnet, Kelsey and Carley, arrived in Limerick on Tuesday evening in time for me to take them out to the campus pub, Scholar's for the weekly traditional music session. These sessions are great ones to see because many of the music students studying Trad at the Irish Academy come here to play. On this particular evening there must have been about 15 musicians. The next day my visitors traveled to the Cliffs of Moher and we reunited in the evening to have supper at one of my favourite Limerick pubs, Dolan's.
Come Thursday I was able to embark on a road trip with my visitors around the Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry in south-western Ireland. Our decision to rent a car was a wise one because it afforded us the liberty to stop for pictures whenever we liked, and there were many pictures to take! The landscape around this area is gorgeous and has some incredible variation in a relatively short distance.
Upon our arrival in Dingle we began by driving the 48km coastal loop around Dingle Peninsula. It was an incredibly windy day, and with big white-cap waves on the water. Just look at my hair in this picture!
Kelsey had a self-guided tour book which proved very informative on our drive. For instance, when we came across these small huts we knew that they were "Beehive Huts," stone-built dwellings used as far back as 2000BC.
Meanwhile on the other side of our drive we were granted some amazing coastal views. The road weaved along the coast providing an impressive look at the Blasket Islands. The picture below is of Dunmore Head, a finger of land amidst the islands which branches out into the sea marking the westernmost point of the European Continent. Again note the massive waves.
A special shout out now to my readers in Northern Ontario. Did you know that Ireland also has a Sleeping Giant Island like in Lake Superior near Thunder Bay? Well, here is photographic proof that it does exist, and is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands. It is also called "Dead Man" island, or Inis Tuaisceart (Inishtooskert) in Irish.
When we finished our drive we checked in at our evening accomodation at SouthBound Holiday Homes. Incredibly, we were given a generous free evening in a four bedroom/four bath home, arranged through a friend of Rebecca's. These holiday accommodations would be a great retreat for a long stay, or to be shared through a large group of 8 people. The town is within a few mintues walk so that you can complete your tourist shopping or try the local Crean's Beer in a pub.
Next we were off on a really "big" adventure... big as in "big, big waves." We had arranged to see Dingle's resident dolphin, Fungi, with a couple who takes onlookers out in their dingy boat. Due to the intense wind, we were pretty shocked when our guide began handing out raingear for us to put on (we were told after that they had expected us to cancel on them!). Carley, Garnet and I were to go out first, and I believe all our eyes widened when we realized a dingy was exactly what we thought: a small inflatable rubber boat which holds about four people. Apparently there is no difference between dingys used on a lake or on the sea.
Feeling a bit apprehensive, we set out into the bay (the blasts of a docked shipping boat not adding any confidence). Four foot waves greeted us around the corner and we rocked ominously up and down. Before you get too concerned, I'll let you know we did not get far before we turned back and returned in one piece. We could not get across the bay to where the dolphin resides, but the upside is that I still got to taste the salty sea water as it splashed on my face. Boy, was it COLD! We may not have got any pictures of the dolphin but I did come away with some lovely images of the harbour.
Dingle was a great craic and we were sad to move on early the next day. Little did we know what hilarious adventures and amazing sights we'd see around the Ring of Kerry.
My apologies for making you wait to learn more!
Shannon
Come Thursday I was able to embark on a road trip with my visitors around the Dingle Peninsula and Ring of Kerry in south-western Ireland. Our decision to rent a car was a wise one because it afforded us the liberty to stop for pictures whenever we liked, and there were many pictures to take! The landscape around this area is gorgeous and has some incredible variation in a relatively short distance.
Upon our arrival in Dingle we began by driving the 48km coastal loop around Dingle Peninsula. It was an incredibly windy day, and with big white-cap waves on the water. Just look at my hair in this picture!
Kelsey had a self-guided tour book which proved very informative on our drive. For instance, when we came across these small huts we knew that they were "Beehive Huts," stone-built dwellings used as far back as 2000BC.
As you can see in the picture above, this peninsula is composed of some very rocky land. In order to farm the land, residents actually created their own top soil by hauling up sand and seaweed from the coast. This area was largely abandonned during the famine because of infertility. My most favourite part of our drive was the discovery of crops remnants from the last year before the famine. On one hillside you can see lines in the dirt from the potato crops of 1845!!! The land has not been used since.
A special shout out now to my readers in Northern Ontario. Did you know that Ireland also has a Sleeping Giant Island like in Lake Superior near Thunder Bay? Well, here is photographic proof that it does exist, and is the northernmost of the Blasket Islands. It is also called "Dead Man" island, or Inis Tuaisceart (Inishtooskert) in Irish.
When we finished our drive we checked in at our evening accomodation at SouthBound Holiday Homes. Incredibly, we were given a generous free evening in a four bedroom/four bath home, arranged through a friend of Rebecca's. These holiday accommodations would be a great retreat for a long stay, or to be shared through a large group of 8 people. The town is within a few mintues walk so that you can complete your tourist shopping or try the local Crean's Beer in a pub.
Next we were off on a really "big" adventure... big as in "big, big waves." We had arranged to see Dingle's resident dolphin, Fungi, with a couple who takes onlookers out in their dingy boat. Due to the intense wind, we were pretty shocked when our guide began handing out raingear for us to put on (we were told after that they had expected us to cancel on them!). Carley, Garnet and I were to go out first, and I believe all our eyes widened when we realized a dingy was exactly what we thought: a small inflatable rubber boat which holds about four people. Apparently there is no difference between dingys used on a lake or on the sea.
Feeling a bit apprehensive, we set out into the bay (the blasts of a docked shipping boat not adding any confidence). Four foot waves greeted us around the corner and we rocked ominously up and down. Before you get too concerned, I'll let you know we did not get far before we turned back and returned in one piece. We could not get across the bay to where the dolphin resides, but the upside is that I still got to taste the salty sea water as it splashed on my face. Boy, was it COLD! We may not have got any pictures of the dolphin but I did come away with some lovely images of the harbour.
Dingle was a great craic and we were sad to move on early the next day. Little did we know what hilarious adventures and amazing sights we'd see around the Ring of Kerry.
My apologies for making you wait to learn more!
Shannon
Friday, 1 March 2013
My First Visitors!
Two weekends ago, I had the privilege of welcoming my first four visitors to the sloping green fields of Ireland. My cousins Rebecca and Garnet made the trip across the pond accompanied by friends Kelsey and Carley. Their visit in Ireland lasted just over a week, but was jam-packed with activities all over the country. And most amazingly it did not rain the ENTIRE week! I didn't realize that was even possible in Ireland.
The crew arrived early in Dublin on Saturday the 16th and I met them at Isaac's Hostel. Despite being grossly jet-lagged, the four travelers were keen to go out and see Dublin. We met up with Rebecca's friend Jen and Kelsey's friend Rachel, both of whom are studying in Dublin, and headed to lunch at a build-your-own burger joint called The Counter. Then it was quickly back to the hostel for cat-nap before our first Irish activity: a Rubgy game!
Rugby is really big in Ireland, especially in the Limerick area where it takes on Canadian hockey proportions. Sadly, we weren't seeing the Munster (Limerick) rugby team. Instead were we watching Leinster, the home Dublin team, versus a team from Treviso, Italy. The match was a bit anti-climatic as it was clear very early on that Leinster was dominating. The final score was something like 40 to 5. However it was very exciting to be surrounded by a crowd of cheering fans waving blue Leinster flags and dancing in celebration.
My knowledge of rugby play is limited to what I have learned watching matches on Irish television, so I was pretty lucky to be sitting by Kelsey because she had previously played. I still find the sport bewildering and completely brutal. We were joking that the medical trainers were getting as much action as the players as they ran all over the pitch checking injuries.
The next morning we headed to the Kilmainham Gaol, which operated as a prison from 1787 to 1924. At the time of its construction, Kilmainham was considered an advancement in prison operation. It was originally built on a hill out of limestone blocks and had no glass in the windows. The idea was that the wind would blow through the prison and sweep away the disease which was so previously common in crowded communal prisons. The prison was designed to hold one inmate per cell to encourage repentance of sins through isolation and physical labour.
Kilmainhaim has gained prominence because of the important political executions which took place over its history. These prisoners played an key role in the development of Ireland as a free state. Five members of a group called the 'Invincibles,' associated with the Fenians, were executed in 1883 after the assassination of two British officials. After a brief rebellious uprising in 1916, 14 of the men involved were executed by firing squad in the prison yard, including one man who was already on his death bed. These executions were met by shock and dismay amongst the Irish people and would act as a catalyst for the War of Independence in 1919.
Unfortunately I had to end the evening early to catch a bus back to Limerick, but it would only be a couple days before my visitors joined me on campus for more adventures!
Stay tuned,
Shannon
Looking down the River Liffey in Dublin.
The crew arrived early in Dublin on Saturday the 16th and I met them at Isaac's Hostel. Despite being grossly jet-lagged, the four travelers were keen to go out and see Dublin. We met up with Rebecca's friend Jen and Kelsey's friend Rachel, both of whom are studying in Dublin, and headed to lunch at a build-your-own burger joint called The Counter. Then it was quickly back to the hostel for cat-nap before our first Irish activity: a Rubgy game!
Rugby is really big in Ireland, especially in the Limerick area where it takes on Canadian hockey proportions. Sadly, we weren't seeing the Munster (Limerick) rugby team. Instead were we watching Leinster, the home Dublin team, versus a team from Treviso, Italy. The match was a bit anti-climatic as it was clear very early on that Leinster was dominating. The final score was something like 40 to 5. However it was very exciting to be surrounded by a crowd of cheering fans waving blue Leinster flags and dancing in celebration.
My knowledge of rugby play is limited to what I have learned watching matches on Irish television, so I was pretty lucky to be sitting by Kelsey because she had previously played. I still find the sport bewildering and completely brutal. We were joking that the medical trainers were getting as much action as the players as they ran all over the pitch checking injuries.
The next morning we headed to the Kilmainham Gaol, which operated as a prison from 1787 to 1924. At the time of its construction, Kilmainham was considered an advancement in prison operation. It was originally built on a hill out of limestone blocks and had no glass in the windows. The idea was that the wind would blow through the prison and sweep away the disease which was so previously common in crowded communal prisons. The prison was designed to hold one inmate per cell to encourage repentance of sins through isolation and physical labour.
An inscription at the end of one hallway reads, "Beware of the Risen People, That have harried and held, Ye that have bullied and bribed." These lines were taken from Patrick Pearse's poem The Rebel.
Like the Cork Gaol, populations in Kilmainham exploded during the Famine because of a Vagrant Act which imprisoned all impoverished people caught begging on the streets. At the end of the famine, cells were occupied by five people instead of one, and the turnover rate of prisoners was about 24 hours. It was after this period that a new East wing was constructed in 1861. This wing had an open concept which enabled guards to view all prisoner doors with an "ever-seeing" eye. There was even carpet laid on walkways so guards' footsteps could not be heard approaching.
The East Wing
Kilmainhaim has gained prominence because of the important political executions which took place over its history. These prisoners played an key role in the development of Ireland as a free state. Five members of a group called the 'Invincibles,' associated with the Fenians, were executed in 1883 after the assassination of two British officials. After a brief rebellious uprising in 1916, 14 of the men involved were executed by firing squad in the prison yard, including one man who was already on his death bed. These executions were met by shock and dismay amongst the Irish people and would act as a catalyst for the War of Independence in 1919.
Our tour guide standing beside a plaque which commemorates the executions of fourteen men.
The Gaol is relatively close to the Guiness Storehouse, so my visitors stopped there next while I did some homework in a pub. Afterwards we headed to the Grafton Street area to eat a meal at O'Neills pub on Suffolk Street. Each night they offer a magnificent buffet for only 12€. It was delicious and I would highly recommend it. 
Out at O'Neill's!
Unfortunately I had to end the evening early to catch a bus back to Limerick, but it would only be a couple days before my visitors joined me on campus for more adventures!
Stay tuned,
Shannon
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