Religious History

Family and Friends,

This past week, a small group of four of us decided to take a quick trip to the city of Cork. The journey was beautiful and the shopping was plentiful, but what’s really caught my attention this week is the religion aspect of Ireland. We stumbled upon this stunning cathedral as we were exploring Cork. It has the largest organ in Ireland, consisting of 4,000 pipes, and it also has the largest complete collection of stain glass windows in the world. It was a gorgeous church that I had the pleasure of taking in. In all of my classes, the history of Ireland’s religion has been one of the main topics of discussion. I’ve always viewed religion as more of a personal side of life, but that hasn’t always been the case here. In the part of Ireland that I’m housing, they identify strongly with the Catholic religion. When the locals say that they’re Irish, Catholicism is connected onto that statement. Coming from America, where there are so many different religions in all areas, it never occurred to me that religion and nationality could be one in the same. The Irish locals, especially of the older generation, are extremely passionate about their religion. So much so, that it has just now become a topic of discussion to take out the religion courses in all of their schools. In our history lecture, our professor discusses Northern Ireland and the segregation that is present between the Catholics and the Protestants. There are certain areas that are specifically for each religion, and if the lines are crossed, it has lead to violent crimes. I guess I’ve just always grouped segregation in with the topic of racism, because that’s what we learned about in our schools. It’s opened my eyes to the struggles of segregation within not only Ireland, but also other countries around the world. I admire the passion I’ve seen while my professors discuss religion, and how much it’s a part of who they are as an Irishman. 

Sending my love!

Regan

 

Meeting the Locals

Family and Friends,

I hope everyone is doing well! This past week has involved a few more activities than the last, as we're slowly easing into the Irish culture. A large portion of my group went to Spiddal last Thursday night to enjoy the company of the locals. We went all through town and even bombarded an intense dart tournament between a couple of pubs. Most of the locals that we met were of the older generation, and really the only question they cared to know the answer to was, "do ye have land or ponies?". Owning land is a big deal in rural Ireland. All of the farms are passed down from generation to generation. We showed them some pictures of Nebraska and their eyes widened with how much farmland and space there was. The old men chatted our ears off all night, sharing their family history and culture. It was amazing to hear it from their point of view and from someone first hand rather than through a history book. After the fun night in the local village, we decided to journey into the larger city, Galway, for Friday night. Galway reminds me a lot of a smaller town in England. It's lined with older buildings and cobblestone pathways. It's a lovely area, and the people in Galway sure like to have a good time! Everyone we've met has been unbelievably welcoming, in the vulgar Irish sort of way. The greatest part about the evening was by far the live music. It's loud, happy, and beautiful. The music is definitely something to appreciate, and I know it'll be one thing I'll miss the most about Ireland. Saturday and Sunday were pretty relaxed, featuring mainly homework and sleep. A large portion of my group did stay up to watch the SuperBowl which aired at midnight local time. Unfortunately, they didn't show any of the commercials and it was a bit strange listening to a British commentator, but either way, go Broncos! There was a big storm on Sunday night also, and the tide was so high that the local boards had to go clear the streets from all of the stones that washed ashore. It's a different life living right next to the sea, as opposed to a sea of corn fields. My classes are going well! Gaelic is still tough, but my history class is pretty interesting. We're learning a little about Ireland's fight for independence from England, which happened in 1916, so we'll be celebrating their 100 year anniversary coming up! Today was the first day that the sun has been out and it was wonderful. I finally got some good pictures and went all day without worrying about being drenched and cold! I leave for Cork tomorrow with a few of my group members, and I'm excited about the change in scenery. I can't believe I get to spend two and half more months here! I'm crazy blessed. 

Sending my love!

Regan 

P.S. instead of spiders, we get slugs in our cottage! 

house with a straw roof 

slug in our cottage

Upon Arrival

Family and Friends,

So far Ireland has treated us well! Aside from a few very windy days, the weather has been good and much warmer than back home. We landed early Sunday morning, got settled in and were served a traditional Irish breakfast that consisted of beans, sausage, tea and croissants. Most of Sunday consisted of my group going in all sorts of directions to explore our area. We're about a 20 minute walk to the nearest little village, Spiddal, but there are houses that line the main road all along the way. Monday morning we had our first Gaelic class, I can already tell this class is going to be very difficult most of the spellings are nothing like the pronunciations. For example, Dia Dhuit is pronounced like "djah hootch" and it means "hello" or the actual translation is "God be with you". The part of Ireland that we're staying in is very traditional. Gaelic is the primary language and they're very strong in their Catholic faith. But the locals have also been very open and welcoming to their new American residents! We also started our Irish Literature and Irish History classes. I think I'm going to enjoy Irish History the most, the style of the class is a lot more interactive and the professor tries to relate the material to America in some way. Everywhere we go, we learn about Ireland's history. We've taken a quick tour of Spiddal, and then went into Galway did the same thing. There's so much history and so many stories to share, but what I've enjoyed most is watching the Irish tell their stories. You can just see in their faces how proud they are of their country and its history and I love that. All in all, everything has been wonderful. The locals are very kind, my group is starting to really get to know each other, and Ireland is starting to feel more like a second home.

Sending my love!

Regan