On Stef's last night here, my wonderful flatmate, Catherine, made her famously delicious risotto while my Scottish history-loving buddy, Chloe, brought over scrumptious Halloween cookies. Stef really hit it off with my friends! The four of us had a lovely evening together before Stef and I had to pack up and get to bed. We had a very early flight the next morning.
We were going to IRELAND!!!
We arrived at our hostel in Dublin around 10:30. After dropping off our stuff, we had the rest of the day to explore Dublin. Honestly, we had never intended to visit commercial, modern Dublin. We had scheduled a day trip to the Cliffs of Moher that was leaving from Dublin the following morning. But the earliest flight of that day was by far the cheapest, so we ended up having a day to explore Dublin. We decided to do a Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour of the city. Once on the bus, we quickly realized that we were two history buffs that knew nothing about Irish history. And that really bugged both of us.
Trinity College
Millenium Monument
Cool Norse (Viking) Church
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Guinness Factory (no, we did not stop there haha)
On the advice of Katie, who had visited Dublin a few weeks prior, Stef and I did stop at Kilmainham Gaol. Let me start by saying how fascinated I was by this place. It amazed me that you can basically learn about all key events in Irish history from this gaol (common word for 'jail' a couple centuries ago; just want to make that clear since I prefer to call it by its actual name rather than the modern term). But yes, Kilmainham Gaol played key roles in the Irish Potato Famine and in the many rebellions fought for Irish independence. Before I tell you about some of this history, here is a glimpse into this horribly sinister structure that, let me tell you, reeked with the ghosts of the guilty, the desperate, the starving, and the martyrs.
The oldest parts of the gaol date back to 1796. But it was in the mid-1800s that its claim as a backdrop for pertinent Irish history really began. Between 1845 and 1852, a disease called potato blight ruined the potato crop ,which was the main source of food for the middle and lower classes of Ireland. One million people died of starvation or disease and another million migrated from Ireland. In all, Ireland's population decreased by 20-25% due to death and migration. During the famine, the starving citizens would commit crimes because they wanted to get thrown into Kilmainham Gaol. Gaol provided shelter and at least some food. In the museum portion of the gaol, there was a section devoted to explaining the history of the famine and its strong links to the gaol. Most importantly, it explained how the famine was a key factor inspiring the subsequent nationalist rebellions. During the famine, the Irish looked to their government, the British government, for help. But help did not come. The Irish were basically left for dead by their own government. Obviously, this inspired a great deal of Irish nationalism and a passion for independence from Britain that would result in several rebellions, peaceful and violent, in the following 70 years.
The museum took us over two floors of history concerning the rebellions. During the tour of the gaol, our guide pointed out various cells in which the leaders of these multiple rebellions were imprisoned. These rebellious men (and some women!) were put in this hell hole for being passionate about their people, their land, their culture, passionate about Home Rule, about getting out from under the discriminating, careless hands of the British government. Sure, some of them led rebellions that resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians. But, many of those innocents were killed by the British forces that came into Ireland to put down the rebellions. And were those soldiers punished? Of course not. After learning in both my Celtic Civilizations course and in my Medieval Scottish History course about the atrocities done to the Irish and Scottish by the British government, the imprisonment and executions of these passionate Irish men just really made my blood boil. I knew that the Irish rebel forces and the British forces fought each other resulting in casualties on both sides. I just hate war. I hate fighting. I hate killing. No one, no side is ever innocent in war. But for the British government forces to get no reprimands or punishments for their many, many horrific actions over the centuries just makes me so, so angry (obviously, I can't help but think of Culloden, when all those Highlanders were killed by the British government soldiers and how the government subsequently stripped the Highlanders of culture, shelter, and sometimes their lives).
The most famous of the rebellions was the Easter Rising of 1916. Irish Republicans hoped to stage a successful rebellion to get Home Rule while the British were heavily occupied with WWI. It didn't quite work. The British army came into Dublin, crushed the rebellion, and just plain crushed the city of Dublin, reducing the heart of Ireland to fire, rubble, and corpses. Sure the Irish Republicans started it. Maybe they were over ambitious. Maybe they should have gone about getting Home Rule more peacefully. But, the British government should have recognized their peaceful calls for Home Rule long ago! Peaceful pushes had not worked previously. Honestly, by that point, the British government was asking for it. (Hey! The British government today allowed Scotland to vote for their independence! Go modern Britain for coming this far in the past 100 years and actually being rational and fair for once.)
Many of the rebels were taken to Kilmainham Gaol to await execution. We got to read the last letters they wrote to their loved ones. We got to see their cells where they spent the last moments of their lives. We got to see where the firing squad shoot them dead. The saddest story told to us was that of the rebel Joseph Plunkett. After being sentenced to death for his crimes in the Easter Rising, Plunkett made one last request: to marry his love, Grace Gifford. They allowed it. Hours before his execution, Joseph and Grace were married in the gaol's chapel. While they said their vows, Joseph's hands were bound and three guards with guns stood in a half circle around him. Afterwards they were both taken back to Joseph's cell where they were allowed to speak only with the armed guards present in the cell. Another guard eventually came in and said it was time. Joseph Plunkett was taken from the cell. Grace Gifford never saw her husband again.
The cross marks the spot where the rebels were shot.
But the East Rising was not a complete failure. It was put down and its leaders executed, but it had lit a fire in the hearts of the Irish. From 1919 to 1921 Ireland had its own War of Independence which ultimately resulted in the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The Treaty made Ireland a "Free State" (except for 6 of its 32 counties which still remained in Britain (Northern Ireland today)). The problem was "Free State" didn't quite mean "independent state". Some of the Irish were pleased with the progress that was made with this Treaty while others were not satisfied that Ireland had settled for anything less than full independence, complete Home Rule. Thus, a civil war broke out in Ireland from 1922 to 1923 during which time Irish men executed more Irish men at Kilmainham than the British ever had. It's just so sad. Such a waste of lives. Such misdirected passion and determination. Such stupidity. Even though the brother on brother fighting stopped in 1923, Ireland remained the Irish Free State until 1937 when, finally, the 1922 constitution was officially voted out of use and the Repbulic of Ireland, a truly independent state, was put in place. Needless to say, this place, this gaol, got me really invested in Irish history!
That afternoon, Stef and I completed the entire circular route of the HOHO bus. We were going to check out a free Irish writers museum for a bit, but were really just going there because we had nothing else to do and the other, further away, free museums were all closing soon. So we figured, why not! As we got off the bus and turned in the direction of the writers museum, we saw the big lit sign: CINEMA. We both looked at each other, laughed, and ran towards it to see what was playing. Long story short (okay, this could've been much shorter but anyway), we saw "The Maze Runner" in an Irish movie theatre, and it was SO GOOD!! I don't know what it was, but I guess we were both in need of some sort of classic American experience. This definitely satisfied our need. Such a great movie! Highly recommend!
That evening, we ate at a traditional Irish pub before returning to our hostel for the night. It had been a long day, getting up at 3:45, and the concept of having to get up at 5 the next morning was particularly daunting. We did stay up longer than expected though because we met a really sweet 23-year-old Irish guy named Andrew who we talked to for like 2 hours. We learned a lot about how the Irish school system is different from ours as well as what their favorite candies are and where they like to go "on holiday." I also changed Andrew's life by giving him some candy corn.
Stef and I at dinner in the Irish pub that was all decked out for Halloween (you can see a hint of the decorations over Stef's head)
Early the next morning, we headed to catch our bus that would be taking us all over the western coast of Ireland for the day. Before we left, I made sure to get a picture of the old Post Office. This was where the Easter Rising of 1916 began. We had walked past it multiple times the previous day, walked right past it like it was nothing (this was when we were still ignorant of Irish history). In the darkness of that early morning, it looked sad and forgotten situated there among modernized buildings and passing buses and taxis. I had to take a picture. I assure you, I won't be forgetting the importance that Post Office anytime soon.
Stef and I slept for about 3 hours as we drove from Dublin to Galway, basically across the entire country. It was in Galway where our actual guide/driver for the day took over our bus and began telling us about Ireland. Our first stop was at a beautiful ruined castle just outside Galway. We only stopped for 20 minutes. But 20 minutes was all it took for me to get a bit injured. Yup. Good job Nikki. We were walking around the outside of the ruin, on a path that was kinda a path, and I ended up slipping on mud. When I fell, I reached out to catch myself, and ending up catching myself on a bush of thorns. Yup. Haha well I still have a physical reminder of my time in Ireland: light scars on my hands. Props Nik, props.
The path that turned into a mudslide
We then entered the Burren, an area of Ireland akin to the Scottish Highlands, with beautiful landscapes, tiny villages, and very few, narrow roads.
Our next stop was at Poulnabrone dolmen, a portal tomb dating back to the Neolithic period (between 4200 and 2900 BC). Excavations in 1985 uncovered about 30 bodies of men, women, and children who had been buried beneath the monument along with burial goods that could give a great deal of insight into the lifestyle and beliefs of those buried in the tomb.
We next stopped to see the Celtic High Crosses. Normally these would mean very little to me. But having learned so much about the artistic nature of these crosses in my History of Art class here, I was very intrigued. The detail taken in creating these ancient religious monuments was so intricate. Each carved image is so meaningful on so many levels. The placement of these crosses in relation to the sun and elevation of the land were such aspects taken into the consideration when these were created centuries ago. Today, to preserve these works of art, they have been moved into a glass-covered portion of a ruined church. Therefore the sun can still effect the appearance of the carvings on the crosses as the sun originally did when the crosses were first erected.
Then it was time for lunch. We ate at O'Connor's Inn in the adorable teeny tiny village of Doolin.
It was finally time for the highlight of the day and the real reason we had chosen this tour: The Cliffs of Moher. We had an hour and half to spend at the Cliffs. The weather had gotten pretty crappy by the time we got there, rainy and 50-60 mph winds. I wasn't sure I would enjoy an hour and a half outside with those conditions. But, ultimately, we found that it wasn't enough time! We very quickly got past the weather when we saw the Cliffs.
Seriously. So ridiculously stunning. Seriously. JUST LOOK!!
These pics just seriously don't do the Cliffs justice. So here are a lot more pics that will try to make the splendor, the majesty, the thrillingly unsettling nature of this world wonder somewhat understandable.
The sun came out!!!
Our drive back from the Cliffs of Moher to Galway was so beautiful. We drove right along the coast (a bit too close to the coast at times if you ask me) all the way back while our guide gave us some more history. He basically told us about everything Stef and I had learned the previous day at Kilmainham, specifically the famine and then the multiple rebellions. While I listened to the history that had claimed by newfound fascination, I starred out the bus window. I felt so peaceful, listening to Irish history while starring out the window watching the stunning Irish countryside and coastline go by. It was pretty cool to say the least.
From the bus on the road. Yup, a little close for comfort. (that is a cliff, a pretty straight drop)
We eventually reached Galway where we had to board another bus to get back to Dublin. While driving back, I listened to the soundtrack of Once, one of my favorite musicals. The musical takes places in Ireland, Dublin to be more specific, and I just thought it was so cool listening to the great Irish music of this great Irish musical while actually in Ireland. :)
The next morning, Stef flew back to Florence and I flew back to Edinburgh. We had such an amazing 9 days together, exploring Scotland and Ireland and just being together again after be apart since June. I was so grateful that she had decided to spend her entire fall break with me! It made these trips even more special sharing it with such a huge history-lover like myself and a longtime best friend.
Stay tuned for my next post where I will finally be completely caught up on the past three weeks. My goal is to be completely caught up before I leave for Paris this Friday...Wish me luck! haha :)
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