The last days of the first session

Hello Americans, I'm Stephen Nimick. You know what the news is, in a minute, you're going to hear the rest of the story.

Things have gotten a bit quieter here at Dublin City University. Many of the friends who were enrolled in only the first summer session have departed for home or elsewhere. Four out of the six people staying for the second session are traveling in Scotland for a few days. So now it is just my buddies Andy, Ariel, and I being Dublin chums. Our only plans so far: shopping (go figure), eating at a burrito place, and finding the city's best Chinese food.

Last Sunday, some of us went to Croke Park stadium to watch a couple hurling matches. As far as I could tell, hurling is a sport played on a large field in a large arena. The players on the two teams each carry a wooden 'hurley' that resembles a field hockey stick, except a hurley is shorter and wider. The one game ball is spherical and is smaller than a baseball, but just as hard. Players can pass the ball to each other or carry it on their sticks or in their hand. The goals are made up of two components: a soccer-like goal at each end of the field, and attached to the upper corners of that goal are two upright poles, much like field goal posts in American football. Hitting the ball through the uprights earns 1 point, while getting the ball past the goalie into the net is 3 points. There are two 35-minute halves. Players where minimal padding besides soft helmets.

After Sunday, it is about at this time when people began focusing on the three essays that would be due Wednesday at midnight. ~Wait, you mean we're taking a class right now? ~ back to the academic reality of things.

We had a group farewell dinner on Monday evening, and not much has occurred since then, save for going out Wednesday for a last night in Dublin (for most people), and seeing some live music and Irish dancing Thursday night.

I will post again when......when it makes sense. Reporting from Dublin, Stephen Nimick. Good Day.

Field Trip - West of Ireland

Last Wednesday, our group departed Dublin and headed west. Along the way, we stopped at the Strokestown House, Museum, and Gardens - a complex dedicated to showing how the 19th century rich landowners lived and the famine's effect on the native Irish tenant farmers. We also stopped at the National Museum of Country Life near Castlebar, county Mayo. As the name implies, this museum displays how peasants lived from 1850-1950.

At long last, we arrived in Westport and checked in to the Mill Times Hotel, a very nice rustic-feeling place. After walking around the town and doing a little shopping, it was time for dinner. Allow me to give you a taste of what was on the menu:

Appetizers:

Soup de jour

Deep fried mushrooms with petite salad and a garlic & herb mayonnaise

Chicken Caesar salad

Main Courses:

Pan fried breast of chicken on a bed of stir fried vegetables with a garlic dressing

Stuffed leg of mayo lamb with pureed vegetables and a red wine & rosemary jus

Traditional deep fried fish & chips with salad and tartar sauce

Desserts:

Selection of ice creams with a brandy butterscotch sauce

sticky toffee pudding with creme anglaise

creme brulee with freshly whipped cream

are you hungry yet?

Breakfast on Thursday morning (and every morning) was a combination of a continental buffet and hot foods to order. We left the hotel at 9:45 to do some hiking and see some famine monuments and memorials. Our first stop was in the small town of Murrisk, near the Croagh Patrick mountain. St. Patrick supposedly built a chapel on top of Croagh Patrick in the fifth century. Every year in July, thousands of people gather at the base to make a pilgrimage to the top. Some of them climb barefoot.

Murrisk is also home to the National Famine Monument, a metal sculpture of an emigration boat, or 'coffin ship'. You can see why.

Later, we headed to Connemara National Park for some scenic hiking through a wide-open, hilly, grassy plains-like area and a chance to play on a playground for kids under 12. We were told to hike along the short loop path, about a 20 minute walk, but somehow we ended up on a longer loop. The beautiful views of the coastline made it worth it.

Then it was back to the hotel for some dinner. Please allow me to show you our menu:

Appetizers:

Soup de jour

Fresh water shrimp salad with marie rose sauce & seasonal leaves

Herterich's pan-fried bavarian sausage with savory mash & red wine jus

Main Courses:

Roast stuffed turkey & ham with a rich roast gravy & potato croquette

Poached supreme of salmon with stir fried vegetables & a white wine cream reduction

Pan fried pork cutlet on wholegrain mustard mash & a thyme & rosemary jus lie

Desserts:

Warm apple pie with lightly whipped cream

poached pears covered in a mulled wine syrup

sticky toffee pudding with fruit coulis

After dinner, we went to see a live traditional band - Captain Mackey's Goatskin and Stringband - over at Matt Molloy's pub. Any fans of the Chieftains should recognize that name. We met briefly and shook hands later in the night.

After breakfast on Friday, we headed to Hennigans Heritage Centre, a museum of sorts in a rural area of County Mayo. The Centre is made up of a house and farm on which the Hennigan family has lived for nearly 200 years. We were met there by Tom Hennigan, a man who grew up in the house and lived there until 1970. The 22 of us gathered in a small room of his 2-room house and listened to Tom tell stories of his family's history. A wonderful storyteller, Tom can give you an account of every artifact in the house, and can remember everything you say in an interview. In the words of one of our directors, Tom is keeping it real.

After grabbing some lunch, we went on a bus tour of the Atlantic coastline, then headed back to the hotel for dinner. This is the last dinner, I promise.

Appetizers:

Cream of vegetable soup

Atlantic seafood chowder

Deep fried brie with petite salad, orange reduction and mixed berry compote

Farmyard chicken and field mushroom vol au vent

Main Courses:

Blackened salmon fillet with ratatouille of vegetables and sweet chilli mayonnaise

Pan-fried supreme of chicken on stir-fry of vegetables, wholegrain mustard and wild mushroom cream sauce

Roast rump of mayo lamb with puree of vegetables, potato rosti and rosemary and garlic jus

Desserts:

Selection of ice creams with butterscotch sauce

strawberry cheesecake with whipped cream

poached pears with vanilla ice cream

sticky toffee pudding with whipped cream

After eating our last breakfast Saturday morning, we hopped on the bus for the last time and drove back to Dublin.

An update from the past few days

Thursday, June 10: I got the chance to play tennis for the first time with Steve - another student in my program. We started on clay courts (a new and difficult experience) and then moved inside to hardcourts once one opened up.

Friday, June 11: We visited Kilmainham Jail at 11:00. This old jail, now a tourist site, once held many famous Irish rebels and revolutionaries from 1796 until 1924.

Saturday, June 12: I traveled alone to the coastal villages of Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leary) and Howth. Both towns have pretty marinas and harbours, and since it was perfect weather, I saw many sailboats going out to sea. I found Howth to be just a smaller version of Dun Laoghaire.

Sunday, June 13: A few friends and I took the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) down to another seaside village of Greystones, from whence we went on a 6 km "cliff hike" north to the town of Bray. It is an easy and pretty hike, especially if the weather is good. It rained on us a little bit in the middle of the hike.

Monday, June 14: Most of the other guys and I visited the old Jameson (Irish whiskey) distillery. It was organized similar to the Guinness storehouse, except the Jameson tour was with a tour guide.

That's about it for now....Tomorrow (Wednesday), all of us are heading on a trip to the West of Ireland to look at some sites significant in the times of the Irish Famine.

The Guinness Brewery - Wed. June 9

Water, barley, yeast, and hops. Those are the four ingredients in each pint of Guinness, brewed to perfection. For 11 euro, you can take a self-guided tour through the 7 floors of the Guinness Storehouse, one of Ireland's biggest tourist attractions. The bottom floors feature information about the ingredients, the brewing process, and the founding of Guinness. Moving up, you learn about the history of the transportation of the beer and the various advertising campaigns. With the price of admission comes a voucher for a free pint, which you can exchange at the very top, the Gravity Bar, and enjoy a 360 degree view of the city of Dublin.

For your reference...

My phone that I use in the USA does not work here, so my local Irish phone number is 083 311 6854, or from the USA 011 353 83 311 6854, i believe. I can receive calls and texts for free.

Last weekend recap - Cliffs of Moher (June 7)

This has turned out to be a highlight of my trip thus far. At our hostel the morning of June 7, we purchased tickets for a Lally bus tour to the cliffs for 20 euro. By bus tour, I mean get on a bus and head to the cliffs, with the driver occasionally getting on the intercom to explain the significance of something that we were passing, and stopping once or twice for a chance to hop out and take a few pics. The bus dropped us off at the cliffs at 12:45, and we could do whatever we pleased until we had to get back on at 2:00 pm to head back to Galway. On the way to the cliffs, we stopped at a small town, Doolin, for lunch. Apparently Doolin is famous for its traditional Irish music.

Today was a cold and rainy day in western Ireland. The visibility was good, however, so the views were still fantastic. At the site, there is an old lookout castle that you can climb and look out at the 600-ft. cliffs from the top.

In the main area, a concrete wall dissuades anyone from going anywhere close to the edge of the cliffs. Walking further to the left, one finds a portion of the wall is unkempt and there is a sign reading something like 'go no further'. That's really too bad.

And then it was time to hop on the bus back to Galway, and then another bus back to Dublin. Thus ends my first weekend expedition.

Last weekend recap - Galway (June 6)

We boarded the 8:00 bus out of Tralee for Galway and arrived early afternoon to check in to Galway City hostel. In a couple hours, there were a total of 6 of us, and we were put up in a 12-bed room.

The city was packed. Busy place. Someone told me that there was almost always a festival of some sort going on, and this time it was a latin festival (latin meaning hispanic). There were also powerboat races happening, but we didn't go see those. We did spend some time by the water, however, both at the side of the canal that runs through the city and out at the shell-filled beach.

For dinner, we headed to McSwiggins, a bit classier and higher-end pub and restaurant. This place was chosen on the recommendation of our good traveling companion Rick Steves. Most of the main dishes were upwards of 15 euro, but one could get an excellent bowl of seafood chowder for 6.

After dinner and dessert, we all headed back to our room at the hostel, and I must have sat on my bed and twiddled my thumbs for at least an hour while my five female companions got ready for a night out. It is quite the process, let me tell you.

At last, around 10:30, we headed into town for a night that included a mechanical bull, a pole, and a drag show featuring Lady Gaga. That's all that needs to be said about that.

Headed to the Cliffs of Moher in the morning.

Last weekend recap - Tralee (June 5)

We headed out of Cork at 10:30 and got in to Tralee early afternoon and checked in to the Castle Hostel (recommended!). Tralee = smalltown Ireland with a decent night life (we didn't go out this night, however). We were more impressed with the number of pubs in little Tralee than we were in Cork. The centre of town is really just one stretch of road, about 8 blocks long. A nice building to see is the 19th Cent. Church of St. John the Baptist - a gothic revival style building. I really didn't do much else in Tralee besides see the church and go out late for a cheeseburger and ice cream.

On to Galway in the morning.

Last weekend recap - Blarney Castle (June 4)

The town of Blarney, home of the 15th century Blarney Castle and Stone, is a 20-minute bus ride from Cork for a round trip bus ticket of 6.20 Euro. It makes for a beautiful day trip on good-weather days. admission is 10 for adults, 8 for students. To reach the top, you have to ascend a narrow spiraling staircase that seems to get narrower as you get higher. It provides a great view of the countryside, and you can even lie on your back, hang on to two parallel bars, tilt your head back and kiss the stone. and don't forget to stare down at the ground 100 ft below.

Last weekend recap - Cork (June 4)

Hello everyone! My weekend trip was a big success, and I arrived back in Dublin Monday evening pretty exhausted. The highlights of the trip were the Blarney Castle, the city of Galway, and the Cliffs of Moher. More about those to follow. The number of my traveling companions started out at 2, and then we gained one in Tralee and two in Galway. 6 total by the end.

Cork: about a 4 hour bus ride from Dublin for 10 Euro. Arrived in Cork around 12:30 pm and checked into our hostel (Kinlay House). We were on the third floor in a 10-bed room with its own bathroom. Nice view from the window.

Like Dublin, the Cork downtown area is separated by a river. As we drove into town, I saw a few cargo ships and lots of boxes. Must be a shipping centre.

Unlike Dublin, there is an ocean smell when you stand on a bridge over the river. And unlike Dublin, the topography of Cork goes uphill from the river. We walked up a ways to get to our hostel, passing by rows of connected houses and businesses, with each tenement higher than the last and painted a different pastel color. Strangely enough, it was one of the first times that I actually felt like I was in Europe.

I have learned that many shops and restaurants close early - around 5 or 6 in the evening. Pubs also stop serving food at this time. So we're in Cork, having gotten back from the Blarney Castle and walking around and enjoying the town in the afternoon, and alas, we had to go to Subway for dinner.

Later that night, we found ourselves in a pub participating in a "general knowledge" trivia challenge. 6 rounds of 8 questions per round. General knowledge in the States is not the same as in Ireland. This challenge was biased towards Irish history and culture, and especially sports. The city known as the City of the Tribes? no way. Some question about the captain of the English world cup team 20 years ago.

In darts, the highest score attainable from three triples is 171, not 180.

The longest non-water sporting event? The Tour de France.

What sports object is limited to 38 in. long and 4 in. wide? A cricket bat, of course.

What is the sport with the biggest pitch (field)? We wrote down golf, but I guess the quiz author wasn't that creative of a person.

The maximum number of people on a tug-of-war team? 8

The fuel that airplanes use is what substance? Kerosene.

Muhammad Ali lost how many fights - 3, 4, or 5? A rare multiple choice question.

There were the occasional American questions - the bottom stripe of our flag is what color?

what is the distance of the the famous Indianapolis car race?

Route 66 connects what two cities?

Regardless, Team America scored 28/48, three points lower than the second-lowest.

Bus ride to Tralee in the morning.

weekend plans

Since there is no class tomorrow, a lot of people are 'going out' tonight. I, however, stayed in my little room and packed. Two friends and I are headed to Cork tomorrow morning, spending the night in a hostel there, and then moving on to Tralee on Saturday, spending the night, and then going up to Galway on Sunday and back to Dublin on Monday. I'm not taking my computer, so this will most likely by the last post until then.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

A historic day! My first pint of Guinness, shown here at O'Neill's Pub. with smoked salmon, cauliflower, carrots, and some parsley cream sauce. wish you could have been there.

In other news, morning classes began this morning, and we went on yet another tour of downtown, this time on foot. We walked through such places as Trinity College Dublin, the Arcade Mall on George's St., and the Powerscourt Townhouse Centre, a house-turned-mall.