Talk of preserving the Irish language

            During my stay in Dublin, as I wandered around UCD’s campus and the many tourist sites downtown, I always found myself paying close attention to the Irish translations of street signs, as if I could understand what they say without translation or possibly pronounce them. As with any country that has been colonized, whether it be African countries colonized by the British or Ireland, one thing is common among these countries even till this day.

            The commonality is the fact that these countries’ languages have become second class. One of the things that I admired about our Irish language teacher was the fact that she could not only speak such a hard language fluently, but more importantly I admired her passion for the language and preserving it in her everyday life. As someone who cannot speak their native tongue, I applaud those that not only can but are so in love with their language that they choose to make it a part of their life and the life of their children.

When we were driving through Galway, Paul, our tour guide, talked about how he grew up and was apathetic to the Irish language. It was not until he was older that he also learned to appreciate the language. However, despite the fact that Irish is required in the school system, few people actually graduate knowing how to speak Irish fluently. Also, many people feel like the government is not doing enough to preserve the language and governmental services do not comply with the law that recorded announcements on telephones should make sense in Irish.

            The street signs that have Irish translations are the beginning of fixing a larger problem. I believe that a country’s language is the most important aspect of their culture. Language is particular to a country’s borders and it can teach the history of a place, like the religiosity in the Irish language. I just hope that if I were to visit again, Irish would be more prevalent, instead of just on street signs.

Talk of the Marketplace: Grafton Street

The marketplace. While it is often known as a chief shopping center for locals and tourists alike, an outsider can also glean into what makes the city's inhabitants tick. What exactly is there to buy? How do the people determine which products are more important than others? And how do they amuse themselves as they attempt to decide on which store or bazaar to go to next? Many cities' marketplaces answer these questions, and Dublin is no exception. One can know how people behave in this center just by assessing the mass of people conglomerating and moving through Grafton Street--Dublin's marketplace.

One must wonder what every individual in this sea of people must be thinking as they hustle and bustle through the street, wondering where certain stores are at. It is so easy for us as humans to think of these people as part of the ocean we have to navigate in order to get to our desired destination. But if we can think of every person in that ocean as individual people with drastically different stories and with real wants, needs, and desires, we can come to appreciate such seas of people as part of our new experiences--even if they may have strange reasons to support Donald Trump (of course, to each his own). Some of these people may be wondering what the latest fashion trend is and how they can afford to buy it (not that most people, myself included, would care). Guys may be asking themselves which gifts would be good to give to their special woman--a tradition that can yield great pleasure or immense heartbreak. As for others and myself, they may just be thinking where is a good place to eat. In essence, such thoughts contribute to the artfulness we can appreciate in the ocean of people when we encounter it.

When one is wanting to rest from trying to figure out what to buy, street performers are there to entertain them. As one would expect, there are a plethora of street performers that perform different talents. One such performer rode on a tall unicycle while perilously juggling knives to the delight of the crowd. Other street performers are more benign, with most just showcasing their skill with a musical instrument like a guitar or a saxophone (as pictured above). Other performers may show their dance moves to a certain tune. Other people may also talk to total strangers about certain beliefs. As an example, a Christian evangelist may pass out tracts showing them the Gospel of Jesus Christ and asking them to make a decision for Him. People usually rebuff them, but some are willing to hear them out as they explain the Gospel to them--which are usually interesting conversations to listen to. All in all, Dublin's Grafton Street is a place where one can learn much about the city--and possibly all of Ireland. It is a beautiful place, and a person visiting there will not be disappointed with what this has to offer.

Talk of all that Irish Nature

     While a city has architectural grandeur and industrial wonders, there is something to be said for the simplistic beauty of nature. I had heard that Ireland had some breath-taking sights, but I never ever thought I would see such a variety when it came to the plants and animals that called Ireland home. Ask anyone of my hiking partners and they will tell you that every new sight fascinated me (and caused a few choice words to escape from my mouth). However, the real fascination lay in the different species I found whilst exploring this island, both in the city and in the country.

     The city has several creatures running around that are both familiar and new. Mangled, slightly deformed pigeons were the norm and could always be spotted scavenging for that last bit of crumb from a recently eaten pastry. Swans and ducks gathered in the ponds of the parks and happily devoured whatever morsels of bread were thrown their way. Magpies and Rooks made several guest appearances in kitchens and bus terminals. It was amazing to me how adaptable these birds were to their environment around humans. Most of them were all too happy to eat from the palm of your hand. They breezily navigated the streets of Dublin better than any of us certainly did. The people of Dublin and especially Howth were also adapted to life with the birds as they shared their crumbs and easily dodged the birds in flight. It was cohabitation at its finest!

    Aside from the animals, Ireland was home to quite the assortment of plant life. I have never seen so much green in one place! The gardens of Coole may be intentionally diverse in plant life,  but Ireland as a whole is too. While on various excursions in the countryside and hiking along the cliffs, I came across so many types of wildflowers and grasses. They hugged the edges of rivers and streams which gave off the appearance of an Austen novel. Paige and I both felt like a Bennett sister as we walked along the little river at Coole. Up along the coastline, the hiking trail was wedged between various plants. Most were wildflowers, ferns, and grasses...but some were very unusual such as what we called the "lugie plants" which were tall grasses with what looked like mucus on the blades. Then, to my utter delight, I came across wild honeysuckle! Now, I'd make my ancestors roll in their graves if I didn't give Irish honkeysuckle a try. The taste was that familiar sweetness which put a little bit of home into Ireland for me. 

   Population wise, Ireland's cities are remarkably diverse in population. This is true for the nature of Ireland as well. With so much limestone in the ground, plants from all over the world can thrive in the Irish climate---from palm trees to honeysuckle. As a result of that diversity, all sorts of animals (especially the little birds) can thrive here as well. What does that prove for Ireland? It proves that this place has the perfect climate for diversity and I think, in time, that diversity will reach all over Ireland (and I'm not just talking about nature). It's an inspiring sight to see that really touched me and gave me hope for places like Belfast. Nature proves that there is certainly hope for cohabitation between diverse groups. 

Talk of the Museum

Talk of the Museum

    In touring many of the museums and monuments of Dublin, we see a common theme among them: The Easter Rising of 1916. We have spent the majority of our trip in Ireland, namely Dublin and Galway, and therefore have been learning about the Easter Rising from the side of the people who began it. The Easter Rising for Ireland was the start of a mind set to change the way that the people were being governed; it was also a start of a change in the way that people thought of women. This was the first time that women had stood up and decided that they were going to fight on the same level as a man, that they would be equals. I think that this stand made by the women allowed the men to see their position in society differently; I think it allowed the men to trust women more and to see them as on a more equal plane. When the women were jailed with the men after the Rising, it was clear that they were going to take just as much blame as the men. One woman, Countess Markievicz was set to be executed but it was later revoked because of the fact that she was a woman. This was the only place where the equality ended for the women, in the jails they could not be executed like the men. Instead, they were often released after not much more than a few months, or transferred to other prisons. Throughout our time in Dublin and Galway, we saw a strong and proud side of the Rising. A time when good things were able to begin happening for Ireland, they would eventually be able to gain their independence because of the fact that the Rising put in place a chain of events that was able to lead to the end goal. When we visited Belfast this story changed a little bit. In the Ulster Museum in Belfast we got to tour a 1916 exhibit but the feel in this one was different; we were quick to realize that it was because we were seeing it from the other side. We watched a video in the museum and we a bit shocked to hear the speaker say, “The Rising was a failure due to the lack of military strategy of the leaders.” She was also quick to point out how many people lost their lives, painting it was a ruthless and pointless uprising. She did not even say about how women were able to find equality, how much the other side did to make their point. She was harsh about the Irish side; I was taken aback. They thought it was a failure, but I don’t think it was. After going to both sides of the conflict and hearing about what both sides thought about it, I am on the Irish side of things. It was not a failure in that women were able to change the way that men thought about them, without the women of the Rising I don’t think that it would have lasted as long as it did and made as much of an impact on Irish culture as it did. I also think that it was able to spark the following conflicts that would lead to the independence of Ireland for good, it was truly a turning point in Irish history. 

Harley Engle

Talk of the Gardens

       While walking through the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin, I came across a beautiful flower called Irish Elegance. It is classified as a rose with salmon colored petals that fade into yellow at the center. I ended up buying a painting of this rose and on the back they had the history of Irish Elegance. It described how in 1905, a family by the name of Dickson in search of the perfect tea rose created the flower. I found this to be very interesting. I had never heard of selectively breeding in plants before. I was super intrigued and wanted to find out more.

       Selective breeding in plants is often referred to as hybridizing. It is very similar to selective breeding in animals. The makers of Irish Elegance wanted a beautiful flower that smelled nice and could be made into a delicious tea. It all starts by finding plants that have the “desired” characteristics. Then, they would have collected the pollen and cross-pollinated many times. Each cross-pollination would have been slightly different. It probably took many trial and error cups of tea before the family was satisfied with their creation! Once one of the desired traits is achieved, a rose breeder can build on that by cross-pollinating with more plants. Eventually, the perfect flower is created. It does not stop there though. Then, the Dickson’s would have had to breed their perfect roses together multiple times to ensure that they offspring were all pretty much identical. After all of this, the Irish Elegance officially became a new species of rose!

Bringing The City To Life

Blog Assignment #3

The Talk of the Town: Dublin

Anna Collins

            Take a stroll through downtown Dublin, right through city center. As you walk you may notice the typical hustle and bustle of shop workers, tourist and evening strollers.  Busses screech in, and taxis race to varying destinations. These are all passer byes, en route to accomplish various tasks for the day.

            As you make your way along the winding streets there are a few that standout for not flowing with the currents of the crowd. They are even able to convince those around them to take a second and pause. People are drawn in for various reasons. The first ones may hear a note or two that their ear is fond of, or perhaps they recognize the lyrics from a song. Once a handful of individuals gather, the simple curiosity of the human mind starts to take effect. The interesting thing is that nothing may even be happening yet, but the simple excitement of what’s to come is enough to hold the crowd in place.

These are the street performers of Dublin. Singing, dancing, becoming temporary statues…all have been acts I’ve had the pleasure of seeing in my journey through the streets. Each of the performers seems to add a piece of themselves to Dublin. They bring the city to life so to speak. It’s a piece of the city that completely fascinates me. One evening in particular, as a group of us were making our way to the bus stop savoring our recent purchase of Gino’s Gelato, there was an especially talented group of teenagers singing and playing some music. By the time we walked up, a crowd had already surrounded them. One man was skipping and dancing around with such a free and light way about him. The group consisted of two guys-one on a beat box, the other singing and on the guitar, along with a female vocalist. The passion for music and joy of performing was written all over their faces. It made the crowd around them electric. Before you knew it the entire lot of us were joining in some way-be it swaying, clapping or humming along. Somehow, these three teenagers and their music had brought together at least fifty strangers for a few songs.

Then there were the dancers. It was about midday when we stumbled upon this group. It was their high energy level that demanded the attention of anyone in the general vicinity. Don’t get me wrong the dancing was good enough, but the twist they brought with them was the factor that held the audience around. Mocking the iconic titanic image and engaging those along the front row gave the street a giddy, daring feel.

It is very rare I suppose that we witness people with such a zest for life and passion for what they’re doing in this era. We get occupied with technology, meetings, and other serious matters. The performers I’ve witnessed here are a bold reminder that having a passion for whatever you’re doing is such a vital part to genuine happiness. Further more, sharing this elation with others provides everyone with the chance to make a positive impact on the world around them.

                                   Dancers providing a dramatic reenactment 

Talk of the Town: Q-Con in Belfast

OUR VISIT TO BELFAST COINCIDED WITH Q-CON XXIII AT QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, billed as the largest convention of gaming and anime in the UK or Ireland. Young people wearing lanyards with large registration placards were coming and going from the student center. Some were dressed casually, but many were in costume.

Who is this woman in a blue gown  walking
with Rey and the Question?

I recognized a few of the characters. Princess Peach in a pink hoop skirt, a tiny gold crown on her yellow wig is in a hurry to get to the bus stop. Rey from the new Star Wars in her sand-colored tunic and ivory sleeves carried BB-8 on her hip like a toddler. The Question, a faceless man in his blue fedora and trench coat looks right, and then left (yes, even without eyes) before crossing the street. 

A couple of young women in elaborate costumes stood at the top o the stairs, and I asked them about their experience at Q-Com. Both were characters from Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Shelly Turtle was the Queen of Hearts and Liffie Lynas was the Mad Hatter. This was their third year to visit, and they talked about the fun of cosplay, the dressing up as characters from books, games, or films.

Shelly Turtle and Liffie Lynas like cosplay the best.

They made their elaborate costumes themselves. The Red Queen wore a black velveteen dress with a red bodice and gold borders. Her skirt was made with tulle, and the playing cards caught up randomly in the netting were reminiscent of the scene in Alice in Wonderland (or was it Through the Looking Glass?) where the playing cards go flying. The Mad Hatter's fabulous hat was over a foot tall with a peacock feather and a card reading "10/6" (for ten shillings, sixpence) stuck in the broad purple band. Her short jacket had green lapels and ruffled cuffs. Over her shoulder was a many colored sash made of spools of thread. It looked a little like a jeweled ammunition belt. 
Shelly told me she feels at home amongst the cosplayers. "They feel normal to us. Normal people feel weird; weird people feel normal." These women clearly have a great time with the collective creativity of the Q-Con community. As we were talking, lots of others, most, but not all, in character, came up to praise the costumes. This community welcomes engagement. It strikes me that people have immense commitment to this festival. I used to do a fair amount of seamstress work, and I can tell you that those spools of thread are expensive, and the handiwork was not simple stuff. Mutton chop sleeves, a bodice with princess seems: these are not for beginners.
Q-Con is reasonably priced. £22.00 cash will get you in for a whole weekend of games, lectures, entertainment, and fellowship. But I think even more, Q-Con is a convergence of imagination and camaraderie in service to a wholehearted communion and creativity.