Ireland: Dublin! Jail and Church

Tuesday! A Dublin day.
We first went on a tour of the Kilmainham Gaol jail (now museum) as a group, where numerous important political prisoners were held during the 1916 Uprising, or Easter Rising, as it was called. The Uprising also contributed to the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). Of course, the prison had quite a history before then: it was built in the late 1700s. It had its share of hangings, and executions in general, and kind-of chronicles the shift in humanistic viewpoints (what are the limits for ethical treatment of prisoners) over a few decades, not to mention the amount and caliber of people imprisoned. Some were simply kept in cells with open windows to the cold, others (with money) practically had their own suites. (fireplace and everything) Of course, the former were more numerous.
One of the famous stories was of one of the Easter Uprising leaders about to get married when he was imprisoned. The story got out before the execution, so they were allowed to get married before he was killed. Supposedly~

(I convinced Sashah not to try to climb any walls~ XD)
Then we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral! Got to look around at some gorgeous architecture~ <3 (And Jonathan Swift's tomb. Sort-of.)

There was a beautiful memorial for those affected by wars, as well. A metal tree, void of leaves. There was a basin beside it, at a more or less hand height, with paper leaves and pens. A plaque said "Leave a message for a loved one who has been affected by war." The paper leaves that were written on were then scattered beneath the tree. It was really poignant.

Also, a copy of Handel's 'The Messiah.' :3
Then we got to wander Dublin on our own, with friends or what-not~ It was fun! I will detail those adventures in the next post, though. More pictures! XD

Ireland: A Bit of Dublin

Day two~ A Sunday. We got to go to an LDS meeting across Dublin, and took a buss since it was a little ways away. On the bus ride, I saw Mario playing piano. <w< Turns out we showed up for stake conference! Unfortunately, we had to leave before the whole session was done, but it was great to be there~ Not many of the speakers had accents, but it wasn't like we weren't getting that everywhere else anyway. XD The sign is first in Gaelic, and then in English~

We left so we could attend Evensong at Christ's Church Cathedral, the one by our hostel. It was my first time attending anything religious in a real cathedral. It was... amazing. Here's some of my notes:
"Just... Wow. I love this. I... didn't realize all this echoing is real; it's... glorious. No other word for it, except perhaps heavenly. Truly."
Later, we went to Brazen Head for food, Ireland's oldest established pub! (1158)(yeah really)
They were going to have storytelling nights the following week. I was soooo tempted to just stick around for that, but I figured people might notice my absence on the plane. XD' But the food was great! As was the service. And the waitresses even complimented our group in general, it was really nice. (this is just the table I sat at, we filled three if I recall correctly)

 

The door was at one of the back portions of Christ's Church Cathedral, which we passed while walking back from the pub. Anna and I then went around and got some shwarma! Twas quite good, actually~

That was basically the entirety of Sunday. It was a lot of fun, and investigated Temple Bar/Square area. :3 Lots of stores, pubs, music, shopping of sorts. It's more a touristy area, but still fun~

Ireland!

So, this is my senior year as an undergraduate at college. There is a wonderful Travel Study program that my school offers, that goes fantastical places, within the US as well as internationally. I've thought about going on a few of them, but the most I have ever done was a day trip to D.C. for the Cherry Festival. I got to visit some of the Smithsonians and explore with friends, and had lots of fun! That was about two years ago, I believe.

As expected, though, the Travel Study opportunities cost money. The day-trip was probably about $50. Those are obscure enough that I haven't found them advertised on the main website, only on our special student-portals. And they are usually during school days, so I have not done more than the one.

But then there are the big trips: Ireland, England, New York City, Costa Rica, Italy... These are the trips that last from a few days to a few weeks. They offer the chance to explore a new culture, participate in a new tradition, see the beauty of a new world. And I plan on finally taking advantage of this chance.

There is a Travel Study trip to Dublin, Ireland during Spring Break 2015, lasting a total of about a week. (Two of those days will actually be plane travel, though, so more like 5 days; but that's still pretty awesome!) It is a chance I have to explore the wonders of Dublin with trusted friends, and see Ireland for myself. Plus, it is a chance to finally get to Europe! The only time I have left the continental U.S. was for the Puerto Rico Spanish trip at the end of high school. That was a fantastical experience, and I'd love to take the chance to do it again.

In Ireland, we will be traveling to a number of different locations: Trinity College (and seeing the Book of Kells), Blarney Castle & Cork, the Cliffs of Moher, Kilkenny Castle, and the Rock of Cashel. We'll also have some free time after the trips to explore around Dublin. There are so many things that I will be able to participate in while there!

Because I have at least 56 credit hours at SVU, I have a Travel Study voucher for $400. I have put that towards the $1850 this Ireland trip costs. However, I still have to come up with the other $1450.

Being a student, that is a bit difficult. So I am reaching out and asking for some help. I have started an online fundraiser at YouCaring.com for my trip here. I know that not everyone has the current ability to donate, but spreading the word is another way to help out. Please share this campaign with those around you, and encourage them to share as well! If it reaches enough people, I'm sure that the goal can be reached. Even a small donation would be truly, greatly appreciated!

Thank you~