Thursday, January 24, 2008

Give Ireland Back to the Irish

Almost as if on cue, my British History class has been discussing the role of the Irish with he story of England and the United Kingdom. What makes this discussion so timely is the fact I am going to the Emerald Isle this weekend to make my first appearance there. I'll be joined with some of my friends from Pepperdine's Florence program who are making the trek up via one of Europe's notoriously cheap airlines, Ryan Air (with whom I also have a booking). We plan on staying in Dublin the first night and moving out to the country on Saturday before returning to Dublin Sunday and making our way back to our respective programs. It should be a great time and I'll be sure to snap some pictures and share some stories. I'll be most interested in trying to glean any emotions the Irish have about Northern Ireland, whom I was always brought up to believe should be restored to Ireland proper. While I won't be heading up there, I'll be sure to ask around in any pubs where I feel confident I won't be run out of for mentioning my enthusiasm for London. Ah well, wish me luck and I'll be back soon!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow, we agree on something political! Will wonders never cease.

While you're in the UK, you really oughta check out the North of Ireland. The North Coast is spectacular - rivals anywhere else in the country for sheer beauty -- and is not nearly as tourist-y as the rest of the country.

The best little youth hostel on the whole island of Ireland is in the North -- in a tiny little town called Ballygally about an hour north of Belfast on the Coast Road. It's got huge windows facing the sea and is the most comfortable hostel you'll ever be lucky enough to visit. Plus there's a castle just a block away with a great pub in the ground floor...but it's NOT touristy! It's just locals. Absolutely priceless.

Seriously. As a die-hard Dem who agrees with nothing on your blog but this post, I'd be sinning against humanity if I didn't tell you not to waste your time in Dublin. Get up North!! You'll love it. (Just be careful talking politics up there. No joke. That shit can get you killed.)