St Brigid

St Brigid, whose feast day falls tomorrow, was a negotiator, peacemaker and early community activist. Just the kind of person we need now, writes MARY CONDREN. Irish Times, 31January 2011 

‘BRIGID, WITH her white wand, is said to breathe life into the mouth of the dead Winter and to bring him to open his eyes to the tears and the smiles, the sighs and the laughter of Spring,” wrote Alexander Carmichael. This weekend marks a turning point in the Celtic year. February 1st is the festival of Imbolc, announcing the arrival of new life: never more needed, and never more welcome. The whole month of February is also called Mí na Féile Bríde (Month of the Festival of Brigid). In Celtic myth, Brigid was goddess of poetry, healing and smithwork: in Christian history she was an abbess and saint. Her traditions are preserved today in ritual, story, artefacts and her Christian Lives stories.

However, one aspect of Brigid seldom receives attention: Brigid the Weaver. Her cross was made of newly plucked rushes; her crios (girdle or belt), of new straw; and her cloak was of woven material. Now the opening up of Eastern Europe expands our understanding of the importance of this connection Before mass media and travel, and great political rallies, societies were held together by fragile threads, and weaving tools signified a key responsibility: that of weaving the precious webs of life and tending the bonds of community.

Throughout European mythology and folklore, the wise women were spinners whose advice was ignored at one’s peril. Images abound of European women leaders holding distaffs, spindles, weaving swords or spears which were not used for war making but for practical and ritual purposes. Some of the few surviving relics of Saint Brigid are thought to be her weaving or embroidery tools, held in Glastonbury, England. During Brigid’s festival, on February 1st, weaving or turning wheels was strictly forbidden in an honouring of Brigit the Weaver’s holy day.

Brigd was also a “peace weaver”, the name given to distinguished women in Old European times. Peace weavers sometimes married into their enemy’s tribe, and their daughters carried gifts to weave peace. Such women had great negotiating skills and authority. As with such peace weavers, St Brigid caused mists to appear between opposing sides in order to prevent bloodshed. With her nuns she accompanied protesting warriors to the battlefield, rendering them unable to fight.

In historical times, the Abbesses of Kildare, who succeeded the historical 5th century Brigid, could pardon criminals encountered on their way to execution. They were revered figures of authority who were known as “Those Who Turned Back the Streams of War”. In the 12th century, however, ominous events took place. Two abbesses of Kildare were raped, symbolically rendering them unfit for office. Twelfth-century church reform councils restricted sacramental offices to male priesthoods. The offices of weaver would be entirely superseded by the offices of sacrifiers, with wide-ranging social and political implications. European grave excavations show that, whereas priestesses were buried with their spindles and distaffs, priests were buried with their knives. Subsequent European history, with its numerous wars, colonisations, and constant threat of violence, speaks loudly of the consequences.

Today, weavers and nurturers – community activists, parents, carers, and educators – continue to weave webs of empowerment. Their authority is fragile, rather than heroic. Their work is often unpaid, their views are unrepresented and their perspectives are silenced in the corridors of political or religious power. This weekend, those in search of a new Irish spring, will celebrate the festival of Brigid and Imbolc at their holy wells, in their homes and communities.

Like community activists and nurturers, Brigid wove the fragile threads of life into webs of community. She invented a shriek alarm for vulnerable women travelling alone, she secured women’s property rights when Sencha, the judge, threatened to abolish them and she freed a slave-trafficked woman. Above all, her bountiful nature (23 out of 32 stories in one of her Lives concern generosity) ensured that the neart (life force) was kept moving for the benefit of all and was not stagnated by greed. Today, the old religious and political structures have crashed all around us. In any new arrangements weavers and nurturers must be represented and their voices heard, loud and clear. No better woman than Brigit to inspire their efforts.

Mary Condren ThD teaches at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity College Dublin, and is director of the Institute for Feminism and Religion: instituteforfeminismandreligion.org

Steelers for Dublin? Croke Park looking into American football plan:

The prospect has emerged of staging a competitive American football match at Croke Park. Emphasising that the idea is still at the “concept” stage, stadium director Peter McKenna said that a proposal had yet to go to the NFL. 
 Pittsburgh Steelers, who take on the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl and who are owned by the family of US Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney, might be one of the teams involved. The NFL has staged regulation matches overseas in recent years, with Wembley in London the venue for the past four seasons. “We have discussed the potential of hosting a seasonal game in Ireland and at Croke Park in particular,” McKenna told The Irish Times . We’ve spoken to Ambassador Rooney, who has also given generously of his time. We still have to pitch our case to the NFL and even then it would be a difficult task. We would be competing with Wembley, Frankfurt, Mexico and Canada, but we would be selling the idea of a country, a city and Croke Park as the stadium.”

The Irish Echo newspaper in New York, which reported that the match could take place as early as next autumn, contacted the Department of Sport, who said: “There would be a great welcome for visiting fans travelling with the teams to Ireland as well as huge interest locally and a knock-on boost for Ireland from a tourism perspective.”

The idea originated in Croke Park, as the stadium faces into the future without the lucrative prospect of rugby and soccer internationals now that the new stadium in Lansdowne Road has been completed. McKenna is cautious. “There was speculation that the game could take place this autumn, but that’s ambitious as things stand. It’s a concept at the moment and there’s work to be done. It would establish Ireland as a destination for global international sports events. We’ve already had the Tall Ships, the Ryder Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Tour de France. Staging an NFL game would be another feather in our cap.”

Already a college match between Notre Dame and the Navy is planned for Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in 2012.. Irish Times 28 January 2011

A Little Crash Course in Ireland

by Chris Kratschmer

Galway Getaway

Since we're still pretty new here, and most of us have a knowledge of Irish geography wavering somewhere between "slim" and "none", se've been relying on guide books and our Irish roommates to fill us in on places to go. When we first heard about Galway, our Irish fellows informed us it was "good craic" and "brilliant". When we asked what there was to see in the town they looked slightly confused; they thought their answer was self-explanatory.

"Pubs" they said. "Lots of pubs."

A query for more infor brought more puzzled looks and shaking heads. "You Americans... You just want to ride around and look at [stuff]..."

But regardless, everyone we talked to gave Galway good reviews (I'm not quite sure which is a more rousing endorsement: good craic, or 3 triangles ...

All our sources turned out to be well-informed, and Galway had the makings of a great first weekend away. Plenty of scenery, plenty of pubs, and a 20 Euro round trip train made it pretty ideal.

The first 7 of our group of 11 took the early train on Friday, arriving on what our street-performing co-passenger informed us was "a cold day" Indeed, he wasnt lying through his tooth; it may actually have been "the coldest day in 60 years" as he suggested.

Our small pack checked into our hostel (run by a man that looked like an odd take on a modern-day Jesus... that is, if Jesus were overweight and a probable DeadHead.) Next we took a lap of the city to get the lay of the land, and stopped at McDonnagh's for some fish and chips; it was my first of the trip, and as good as advertised. After stuffing ourselves we quickly realized why pubs are so popular in Ireland; it's the perfect way to take refuge from thet weather...

The rest of the day was pretty low key, and once the rest of our crew arrived, included a little shopping and some traditional Irish music at another pub.

The next day we hopped on a tour bus to take us down the coast; we stopped at a few castles, ancient burial sites (you know, the usual), a tourist trap "pub" and a cave that most likely would have left Mark Twain uninspired. Most importantly, though, we made it to the cliffs of Moher.

Everyone talks about the cliffs, and I always took it with a grain of salt, assuming it was blown way out of proportion. Turns out I've been acquiring too much sodium, because the cliffs were as unblievably proportioned as people said.

After some photo sessions, we loaded up and headed home. The night included some fish and chips (fileted, breaded, fried right in front of us.. and may have surpassed McDonnaghs... whoops... sorry, Eimear), stops at a few more pubs, one of which (The Kingshead) has been around since the 1600s. An 80s rock cover band had us rocking out, and an encounter with a young ND alum got us free drinks [Thank you to my Notre Dame sweatshirt].
The next morning we wasted a little time before loading the trains back home to Dublin.

All in all it was a [thankfully] uneventful weekend, the cold weather and a large hostel-roommate with much-too-small- underwear couldn't dampen our trip, even if much of it only involved riding around and looking at stuff...

Irish soda bread

For centuries people around Ireland have been baking the finest Irish soda bread in the world. For many Irish people the thought of soda bread conjures up images of their grandmother baking in a floury apron for the evening tea. The quick healthy recipe which includes flour, bread soda, salt, egg and buttermilk or for variation you can add raisins or caraway seeds. In contrast to American bread, Irish soda bread is not sweet and rather dry. It doesn't contain an abundance of salt as soda bread is usually loaded with rich Irish butter or cheese. Soda bread is so easy to bake and the end result will prove delicious. Many stockists of Irish products around the world carry Irish bread products such as soda bread, brown bread (a variation of soda bread) and scones.

 
Soda Bread Recipe
 
Ingredients
 
100% Wholemeal Flour ­ 3 cups
Plain White Flour ­ 1/2 cup
Bread Soda ­ 1 level teaspoon
Baking Powder ­ 1 level teaspoon
Pinch of Salt
1 Egg
Pint of Buttermilk
Greased Baking Tin
 
To make traditional Irish brown soda bread place all the dry ingredients in
a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your fingers allowing the air to
pass through the mixture.
 
Mix for a couple of minutes and make a well in the middle of the mixture.
Break egg into bowl, add buttermilk and whisk. Then pour mixture into well
of dry ingredients, holding back a small amount. Mix until all combines,
(the mixture should be quite wet).
 
Pour mixture or dough into a greased baking tin and if you like sprinkle
with some sesame seeds or poppy seeds, which brings a lovely appearance to
the loaf when cooked. Place in a pre-heated oven, 150/160 for 55-60 minutes.
 
Check if loaf is cooked by inserting a skewer into the loaf, if the skewer
is completely dry when removed the bread is cooked. Remove loaf from tin,
(should sound hollow when tapped), and allow to cool.
 
Top Tips:
A little drop of Guinness can be added to the buttermilk/egg mixture, which
darkens the bread and introduces a yeast flavour, a small bit of brown sugar
can also be added. Try sultanas and walnuts, try pumpkin seeds, sunflower
seeds or any seeds. Try some chopped apricots or your own favourite dried
fruits. The combinations are endless...but most importantly, enjoy and have
fun baking.

Kevin Whelan's best (and worst) movies of all time

BEST MOVIES OF ALL TIME

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)

Battle of Algiers (1966)

The Birds (1963)

Chinatown (1974)

The Godfather I, II, (1972, 1974)

The Lord of the Rings (2001)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Jean de Florette (1986)

WORST MOVIES OF ALL TIME

Titanic (1997)

King Kong (2005)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Angela’s Ashes (1999)

Sex and the City (2008)

BEST IRISH MOVIES

Man of Aran (1934)

The Dead (1987)

The Commitments (1991)

The Crying Game (1992)

Michael Collins (1996)

Intermission (2003)

Once (2006)

ND Professor leads study into Beaver Island's Irish heritage

A ND Professor is leading a team of research students in a quest to unearth the historical links between the Donegal Island of Arranmore and Beaver Island in Michigan. If you really want to understand Irish America, you should look at Beaver Island according to archaeology Professor, Deb Rotman. She first learnt about the significance of the island four years ago and she carried out her first dig there this past summer. Beaver Island, situated 30 miles off the Michigan coast, was twinned with Arranmore Island, off the coast of Donegal, in 2000. Arranmore is home to a beaver monument, which represents the link between the two.


During the 19th century, several Donegal emigrants made Beaver Island their home, transforming it into a stateside Donegal at the turn of the 20th century. Charlie O’Donnell and his family were the first emigrants to travel to Beaver Island after they were evicted in 1851. Several families followed and by 1880, there were more than 250 families with connections to the Donegal Island. After conducting research on Beaver Island, the ND professor decided to travel to Donegal to investigate the links. "When I was there in May it was very quiet, but it was just starkly beautiful". Initially she imagined that the Donegal island would have similar aesthetics to Beaver Island, so that for the emigrants it "would be like being home". The emigrants were drawn to the island by the remoteness and because the coastline of Beaver Island provides excellent fishing, a draw for the Irish newcomers.

The summer archaeological dig on Beaver Island unearthed several items such as glassware, toys, and buckles. "We are finding everything you would expect in terms of the kind of household items that people would use. We are still processing the artifacts". The items the dig uncovered are clearly stratified: "as you dig deeper into the ground, the further back in time you go”. ND students are planning a trip to Arranmore island, to continue their research. They will interact with locals and older residents to learn more about the history of the island. They will also examine derelict cottages on the island and conduct research in the National Archives and National Library in Dublin. Deb, who heads the undergraduate archaeology study program at Notre Dame, said that while many of her students are Irish-American, the project has also drawn students from a diverse range of backgrounds.

"If there is a story they want to tell, if they want to contribute to the project in terms of their knowledge and history, we would love for them to be involved. We would like this to be a community endeavour, both Beaver Island and Árainn Mór." The Beaver Island Historical Society is an official partner of the ND project.
"There are so many interesting variables and chapters in this story that really anyone could find something that piques their interest".

Missing the Dining Hall already? Try this!

Chicken Fried Rice 

by Becky Sees

(A lot of this was guesswork on my part so there are no specific measurements. You can add as much of each ingredient as you want.)

What you need: rice (white or brown), chicken, vegetable oil, onions, carrots, peas, eggs, pepper, soy sauce

1) Cook some rice the night before. (To cook the rice, follow the directions on the package.) Put the rice in the fridge overnight to let it dry.

2) The next day, get a large frying pan or a wok if you have one. Put some oil in the bottom to keep the rice from sticking and dump the rice in. Keep the hob at about medium heat and stir occasionally.

3) Cut up some chicken into small pieces and fry it in a separate frying pan (after oiling to keep it from sticking). Season with pepper as desired.

4) Cut up the onion and throw it in the frying pan with the chicken. Stir occasionally.

5) Heat up some peas and dump them in with the rice. Stir it up.

6) Cut up some carrots and throw them in with the rice too. Stir that up.

7) Once the chicken and onion mix has browned, throw it in with the rice. Stir it to mix it in.

8) In the frying pan you just emptied of chicken and onions, scramble a few eggs. Once they're cooked, mix them in with the rice.

9) Keep stirring the whole rice concoction until everything is slightly browned.

10) Add some soy sauce as desired: it can be mixed in with everything else or it can be added after serving.

Which is the most Irish town in America?

Scituate 30 miles from Boston is home to the highest population density of Irish Americans in the U.S.  In the latest census data almost 50 percent of residents there are of Irish decent. It is one of a cluster of towns on Boston’s South Shore that Irish have colonized. 


At least 44 percent of the population in Braintree, Hull, Marshfield, Avon, Pembroke, and Milton claim Irish ancestry also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Breezy Point, New York and Spring Lake, New Jersey begged to differ -- both claiming the title. 


Breezy Point has the highest numbers of Irish according to the census, at 60.3. But the problem is the beautiful area on the outskirts of Rockaway in Queens is not a proper incorporated town. It is actually a massive co-operative combining three smaller areas. In 1962 the residents purchased 500 acres of land from the government at below value cost and the community became a co-operative. The Census Bureau says only that it has the highest number of Irish per zip code, not that it is the largest town with Irish population. 


Spring Lake New Jersey is also claiming the prize. Spring Lake is an ocean community that swells with vacationers during the summer. It is famous for the shark attacks in 1916 that killed four victims and inspired Jaws. The census in 2000 said that 39 per cent of the population was of Irish extraction. 


Scituate, a much larger town, at 17,000 residents as against 3,500, has almost 50 per cent. So Scituate keeps its title as most Irish town in America. New York and New Jersey six other towns in Massachusetts have a larger Irish population. 

Getting on a flight to Paris that ends up landing in Belgium isn’t exactly what I’d call a promising start to a trip.

Getting on a flight to Paris that ends up landing in Belgium isn’t exactly what I’d call a promising start to a trip.

Little did Lauren and I know that the 17 hours of traveling it took to get to Paris was nothing in comparison to the adventure that awaited us when we tried to get home. 

We were supposed to fly out of Beauvais on Tuesday night, but started to worry when Kolin’s afternoon flight was cancelled due to snow in Dublin. We hoped for the best (and that Dublin might have purchased another snow plow in the few days we’d been in France) and headed to the metro stop where the Ryanair shuttle left for Beauvais airport. 

Our flight was in fact cancelled, which is shocking because of the dependability and quality of service Ryanair is renowned for. We headed back to our hostel to stay there another night, although unfortunately the only room that still had openings seemed to lack any kind of heating unit.

The next morning, we were up at 6:00am to catch our 8:30am bus to London, the best option that over three hours of frantic searching on the Internet and strategizing with Joe and our parents had produced. We ordered croissants at a bakery on our way to the Metro station and the woman behind the counter glared at us, presumably for ordering in English, and then literally threw the croissants at us over the counter. I just can’t understand why the French are stereotyped as snobby…

We arrived at the bus station just after 8:00am but unfortunately the line to check in didn’t seem to be moving, and as 8:30 got closer and closer, we begged the two remaining people in front of us to let us go ahead of them. The English girl agreed, and the French man in front of her nodded his consent, and then proceeded to step in front of his when the window opened up. If I’d still had my croissant I would have thrown it at him.

We finally checked in and got our boarding pass for the bus, then sprinted to the bus with only a few minutes to spare. The eight-hour bus ride went fairly quickly, despite my battery-dead Ipod and inability to fall asleep on any kind of transportation. 

Once our bus arrived in London, we made our way to the Notre Dame Center, stopping to take pictures of Buckingham Palace along the way (not exactly something I expected to see on my trip to France). The directors of the Notre Dame Center were expecting us, thanks to Joe, and gave us pound sterling to get dinner. 

While we were there, we also crashed a reception for the ND kids stuck in London. The people we knew from the London program were a little confused to see us there, but they’d had enough of their own crazy travel experiences that nothing would have fazed them at that point. I debated trying to convince someone that I’d actually been in London all semester. 

Lauren and I took a taxi to the train station, where we waited for our 7:10 train to Holyhead, which, I’d found out only moments before we left the Notre Dame Center, is actually in Wales. We arrived at the train station only to find out that the earlier train to Holyhead was delayed. We immediately sent a panicked text to Joe, probably around the 43^rd panicked text we’d sent to him that day. Luckily, however, we boarded our train and it left right on time. 

“Train left!” I texted Joe.

Seconds later, Joe was on the phone. “Please tell me you’re on the train that left…” In my three months in Dublin I still hadn’t quite adjusted to my Irish phone and tried to use words sparingly. 

Our train landed in Holyhead just before midnight, so we sat around the ferry station before boarding the boat around 1:00am. I was expected a smallish vessel similar to the one we took to Inis Oirr, but the Ulysses was more like a cruise ship, complete with its own movie theatre, restaurant and bar (the Leopold Bloom).

Our ferry left Holyhead at 2:40am, and Lauren and I mostly slept during the three-hour tour. Joe was there to meet us when we arrived at the Dublin port just after 6:00, and we were so glad to see him and to be back in Dublin that even our abrasive cab driver who took us to the O’Connell House (who called us brats and told me I was a bum for being an English major) didn’t get to us.

We met the rest of the ND students on the bus heading to the airport. I wish I could say our adventure ended there, but our flight to O’Hare was delayed by three hours and for awhile seemed like it might not leave at all. I’d joked to Lauren that her seat would definitely be late (39A), to which she responded that meant the whole plane would be late. Touché. 

So we sat on the plane as snow swirled outside the window, praying for it to take off as workers repeatedly de-iced the wings, and finally it did. I think the worst moment of the whole long journey came during our descent into Chicago, when the pilot actually reversed direction and went back up into the clouds. We finally landed, thank goodness, but he never did explain what had happened (“O’Hare?! Funny, someone told me Midway. Whoops.”)

I’d complained before about the long layover that I had in Chicago, but that layover was my saving grace since our plane arrived so late into Chicago. I waited anxiously for my luggage before taking off running, shouting goodbyes as I sprinted. I threw my bags at the American Airlines worker and stood in the slowest-moving security line I’d ever seen before making it to the gate for my flight home to San Diego. Which, of course, was delayed. 

It took forty-nine hours, five countries, and five modes of transportation, but I finally made it home. Thanks to the hard work of everyone at the O’Connell house, the new Jodi Picoult book and a whole lot of caffeine, I had survived this crazy adventure and lived to tell the tale. If anyone asks me to go to Paris anytime soon, and by soon I mean as in the next fifty years, I think I’m going to have to pass… 

My Ireland

by Becky Sees

The phrase seems simple enough. It’s tossed around nonchalantly, this notion of an Ireland that belongs to me and me alone. I’ve been asked to keep a piece of it with me, not only by the people I’m leaving, but by those to whom I’m returning. But what are they really asking for? What does it really mean, MY Ireland?

This entire semester has been a journey and an adventure. I’ve scrambled over the blue-gray rocks of the Burren to the stone ring fort at the top. I’ve been tossed around in a small boat on the Atlantic as we tacked and rolled towards the Cliffs of Moher. I’ve explored the rich culture of Dublin, the gorgeous scenery on the Ring of Kerry, the religious ruins of west Cork, and the majestic terrain of Connemara. I’ve gazed at the stars on the beaches of Ballintoy, scaled cliff faces on Giant’s Causeway, walked along the Bogside in Derry, and reflected on the murals in Belfast. I’ve trekked through Yeats country on horseback, visited the ancient sacred sites at Newgrange and the Hill of Tara, and strolled down piers to the Irish Sea in Howth and Dun Laoghaire.

All these things I’ve done have been marvelous experiences in themselves. But when I think about coming back to Ireland (as, let’s face it, I’m bound to do), these aren’t the things I look forward to revisiting. Something in them will be different. Something in them will be missing.

The Burren will be missing the trailing line of students, with Kevin urging us to be more like the famed Macedonian phalanx. The Cliffs of Moher will lack the echo of our nervous laughter along the cliff’s edge, trying to get a group picture. Kerry and Connemara won’t provide me with partners with whom I can take a series of ridiculous pictures; Howth and Dun Laoghaire will be wanting for my fellow explorers who have no idea what there is to do or see. The beaches of Ballintoy will be empty without my collection of talented singers, and no pub in all of Dublin would be complete without a friend to share a story and a pint.

So what is my Ireland, then? My Ireland isn’t the landscape or the history or the culture. My Ireland is the very special group of people with whom I shared all of that. My Ireland is the family of students and staff that I’ve acquired, this group that has laughed and cried with me, that has stuck together through the brightest days and the darkest nights. This family is my most precious souvenir from my time here. This is MY Ireland. And this is something that I will keep with me always.

Closing remarks Fall 2010

by Professor Kevin Whelan

Thank you for your superb commitment: We asked you when you came to share your gifts as we walked this journey together. ‘Is ar scáth a cheile a mhaireann na daoine’. Together we were able to make a life-giving community: you came here as strangers to each other, but you return as friends. 

Book of Sirach: ‘A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure’.

At our initial orientation, I may have puzzled some of you when I said that the person that you would meet here in Dublin was yourself. I believe that all of you streteched yourselves here in Dublin and that as a result that you grew and matured in ways that will only become fully apparent to you when you are back on campus.

Here at O'Connell House, we strive to lay out a green carpet for you. We hope that anytime you came in our blue door, you were greeted by a welcoming word, a smile, an invitation to a cup of tea and a chat ... Joe, Eimear, Aoife, Denise, Bébhinn: I as Director and you as participants are lucky to have such a great staff who are so genuinely committed to your welfare here, just as we as a staff are lucky to be able to serve such a wonderful group of students.

Six comments

1 To make yourself interesting, you have to do interesting things and meet interesting people [Don Keough]

2 Do what you love doing. Work with the very best people you can find: be inspired: Don’t ever sell yourself short: Never stop trying to be the person that you want to be: Nelson Mandela quoting Marianne Williamson.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." 

3 Give until it hurts. Share your gifts. And always know that whatever you give, you will receive back so much more. And remember that no act of kindness, no matter how small or apparently unrecognised, is ever wasted.

4 Embrace an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’: the less entitled that you feel, the happier you will be. 

Remember that your parents, your family, your teachers, your friends, your community, your university, your country, your ancestors - made you who you are: your character and accomplishments are not uniquely your own, but the cumulation of many people’s efforts, time and commitment. Remember that you really know yourself best through the reactions of people around you:

Gils Scott-Heron: ‘The way you get to know yourself is by the expressions on other people’s faces, because that’s the only thing that you can see, unless you carry a mirror about. But if you keep saying ‘I’ and they’re saying ‘I’, you don’t get much out of it. They’re not really into ‘you’, or ‘we’, or ‘they’; they’re into ‘I’. That makes conversation slow. I am the person I see least of over the course of my life, and what I see is not accurate’. 

5 We are called, each of us, with our unique range of gifts and our unique limits, to share a common journey, and yet one that is distinct for each one of us else. Realising that frees us to rejoice in the gifts, graces and accomplishments of others. We are augmented by others’ talents rather than being diminished or threatened by them, each of us contributing to the common good at our points of strength, each of us drawing from that common good when we needed help, support, fellowship, guidance. Even as we experience our gifts as gracious, we should think of our limits as gracious, because they free us to recognize the gifts of others. And embracing that perspective can free us from anxiety - the curse of the 21st century. Seek only to do your best, but not to be perfect: seeking perfection promotes unhappiness: 

Leonard Cohen: Anthem [1992]: 

Ring the bells that still can ring,

forget your perfect offering,

there is a crack in everything

That’s how the light gets in.

The relationship between grace and gravity:

We as human beings are anchored between the physical and material world and the metaphysical or spiritual world. 

Gravity is necessity: grace is what is freely given to us. Gravity is our body, grace is our soul. Gravity is confinement, grace is freedom: Gravity is who we are, grace is what we aspire to be. Gravity is time, grace is the eternal. Gravity is history, grace is hope. Gravity is nature, grace is the divine. We are creatures of both gravity and of grace. And our life is the path we choose between gravity and grace. And the Cross is the intersection between the axes of gravity and grace. The dead Christ incarnated on the cross opens himself to share in our human gravity: the risen Christ opens us to share in his grace.

6 Embrace a commitment to life-long learning not just your university segment; great conversations, great journeys, great paintings, great books, great films, great architecture, great food nourish our lives. And there is an intellectual challenge too: to bring what you learned here in Europe back to the ND campus and to America. I trust too that you learned a good deal about America during your time here. What does she of America know who only America knows? And you more than any generation that has ever lived on our lovely plant live in a globalised world. 

Let me finish by sharing three final observations:

First, we are exceptionally proud of you,and we will follow your futures with a paternal solicitude.

Second, we will always carry warm memories of your time here with us. Thanks for the memories that you gifted to us: I will never forget as long as I live a magic moment that we shared on the beach in Ballintoy, nor your achingly beautiful rendition of ‘The Deer’s Cry’. 

Finally, this week is a sad one for us in O’Connell House. The worst part of our job is that you become so much part of our lives and then ond day you fly back home again, as you have to do, but you leave us lonely for you. We hope that a little corner of your heart will glow indelibly green. And we want to see you back here for the game in 2012.

Notre Dame is ranked No 1. Catholic university in the world

New ranking also rates business school very highly.

  By JAMES O'SHEA

While it may no longer have the No. 1 football team, Notre Dame has been ranked NO. 1. Catholic University in the world according to a new ranking. In addition the South Bend campus has many other achievements to report at this year's end. They include:

1: ND is the #1 ranked Catholic university in the world. (Times Higher Education’s 2010-2011 World University Rankings)

2: The Mendoza College of Business at ND is ranked as #1 undergraduate business program in the United States by Business Week/Bloomberg.

3: ND is the No. 1 undergraduate college for producing CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. financial firms, according to Bloomberg News.

4 Faculty in the College of Arts and Letters have earned 42 fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities during the past 11 years, more than for any other university in the nation.

5 ND’s network of 270 alumni clubs – including 52 international clubs – is the most extensive in higher education.

6: The Financial Times ranked ND as #1 in Corporate Social Responsibility among the top 100 global MBA Programs.

7: Of universities ranked in U. S. News and World Report’s top 20, ND has the second highest percentage of undergraduates who study abroad (58%).


8: In 2008, the Princeton Review ranked ND’s Career Center as the second best in the United States.

9: ND ranks 3rd nationally for its graduation rate (95%).

10: In alumni satisfaction surveys, ND ranks among the top three nationally, a testament to the strong education received at the University.

11: According to the National Science Foundation, ND is one of the top three U.S. universities in low-energy nuclear physics research.

 12: ND is ranked #4 by U.S News & World Report for Undergraduate Teaching at National Universities

13: The ND full-time MBA program was ranked #5 in a worldwide ranking in 2009 for leading the way in integrating issues of social and environmental stewardship.

14: The ND Executive MBA program at the Mendoza College of Business earned the No. 6 ranking in The Wall Street Journal’s “Best Executive MBA Programs 2010,” world-wide.

15: In a recent survey of parents conducted by the Princeton Review, ND ranked seventh in a list of “dream schools.”

 16: According to payscale.com, ND graduates without advanced degrees have a mid-  career median salary of $121,000, which ranks as the eighth highest of American colleges and universities.

17 ND annually ranks in the top 20 of U.S. News and World Report’s national universities rankings (ranked #19 in 2010).

18: Both the MBA program and the Executive MBA program ranked #20 according to BusinessWeek in 2008 and 2009.

Irish gift suggestions...

Here are the  inexpensive Irish gifts as compiled by Irish Central staff for
this year

1. A Christmas gift basket full of Irish goodies from Siopa.com. They will
deliver from Ireland and they are the  best in the business.

2. Susan Boyle's CD. The daughter of Irish immigrants to Glasgow has become
the hottest singer in the world with her new album at No.1. on both sides of
the Atlantic. 'Come all ye Faithful'. 'The First Noel' and other Christmas
favorites make this a must.  That older aunt or uncle will love these
sentimental tunes.

3. A ticket to Ireland at Aerlingus.com. Fares in January and February are
dirt cheap so take advantage. A wonderful opportunity for someone who has
never been to the "old sod" but longs to go.

4. "The Dead" on DVD. James Joyce's incredible short story about Christmas
in Dublin and a husband struggling with his mortality has finally made it to
DVD in the John Huston directed version. Read the short story too. Wonderful
and evocative of a time gone by.

5. An Irish breakfast gift basket. Nothing better than a hearty Irish
breakfast to start the day with real Irish bacon and sausage. You can order
online at tommymoloneys.com

6 Lily O'Brien's Irish chocolates are to die for and beautifully gift
wrapped. If you have never tasted the real thing form Ireland now is your
chance at www.lilyobriens.ie/

7 A Claddagh ring for your beloved. A very special gift that says I love you
and not just for lovers but increasingly for family members too. At any
reputable jewellers.

Christopher Rehagen - Dublin alum

Hello everyone, my name is Christopher Rehagen, and I am a 2009 graduate of the University of Notre Dame and a Spring 2008 participant in the Dublin Program.  Currently, I am a second year seminarian studying for the priesthood for the Congregation of Holy Cross (the religious order that founded and continues to run Notre Dame).  As a second year seminarian, I am spending my year in Cascade, Colorado at the Holy Cross Novitiate.  I live in the shadow of Pikes Peak in one of the most beautiful areas of the country.

The novitiate year is essentially an internship into religious life where one steps away from some of the distractions of daily life to focus on discerning God’s call.  It is a year of study, prayer, reflection and work.  Here at the Novitiate, my classmates and I take a break from regular access to internet, cell phones, and TV to focus more deeply on our relationship with God.  Fortunately, we do have some access to these things (usually on the weekends and Wednesday nights) or this blog entry wouldn’t be getting done!

As part of the Novitiate experience, my classmates and I don’t take formal classes but meet daily for conferences on topics such as the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience; the history and ministries of Holy Cross, human sexuality and so much more.  We also spend a good portion of our day in prayer and silence in addition to spending a period of three hours each day maintaining the Novitiate property. 

As part of the Novitiate experience, my classmates and I spend one day each week working as chaplains in a local Catholic Hospital.  Ministering to dying patients and their families is one of the most rewarding and hardest things I have ever had to do!  My classmates and I also minister in local parishes on Sunday.  For instance, I help with the RCIA program at one local parish.  I work with the candidates and catechumens in what is known as “Breaking Open the Word.”  Essentially, we meet as a group to discuss the readings of the day in order to dwell more deeply on the Word of God that we just heard at Mass.

Next July, if my classmates and I discern that God is calling us to the religious life, we will profess the temporary vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for a period of one year.  We will then return to the University of Notre Dame to study theology in preparation for the priesthood.  At the conclusion of each school year, we would then choose either to renew our vows of poverty, chastity and obedience for another year or leave the seminary.  After a period of three to six years in temporary vows, we can petition to make the vows permanent through the profession of final vows.  At around the same time, we would likely be ordained to the diaconate.  The following year we would then be ordained to the priesthood.  It’s quite a process, but one that I’m quite comfortable with as I need the time and experience to grow in my relationship with God and make sure that God is indeed calling me to religious life.

Since this blog is about the Dublin Program, I thought it would be nice if I said a few words about my experience with the program and how it impacted my decision to enter the seminary following graduation.  Somewhat surprisingly, considering how much seemed to be going on while I was in Dublin, my time in Dublin was one of great spiritual growth for me.  I really enjoyed the Tuesday night Mass followed by the trips to Eddie Rocket’s.  I also enjoyed attending daily Mass at the parish in Blackrock (I lived at the dorms in Blackrock during my time abroad).  I attended the 10:00 AM daily Mass, which usually had around fifty people in the congregation.  I would venture to guess that 49 were over the age of sixty.  Despite this, I grew to love the Mass there.  I loved how the Irish people always made me feel welcome.  I didn’t know them well, but they still greeted me with a smile when I arrived.  I also was impressed by how the Irish people prayed for the dead in every single Mass I attended.  Their belief in the Resurrection was something I envied and learned from.

Most importantly, my time in Dublin helped me realize how important my faith was to me.  For the first time in my life, it wasn’t all that easy to attend Mass or set aside time to pray.  It wasn’t like at Notre Dame where Mass is being celebrated at seemingly all hours of the day.  And yet, I still had a deep desire to attend Mass and stay in the Church for a few minutes after Mass to sneak in a few prayers or pray the Rosary with the men and women of the parish.  It wasn’t always easy to roll out of bed after a long night the night before, but it was worth it.  In Dublin, I felt God in my life in a special way, and I will always be thankful for it.

As an aside, I want to thank Kevin for asking me to write an entry for the blog.  I can’t tell you how many old memories I recalled as I wrote this entry.  It made me remember just how much I loved my time in Dublin; how much I loved the Irish people and culture, the pubs and the museums, the chance to travel throughout both Ireland and Europe, and most importantly, the people I met, both from Notre Dame and from around the world.  It was a great experience and one I would do again in a heartbeat.  

Peace,

Christopher   

Rugby Match: Ireland Versus New Zealand, Aviva Stadium , Saturday, 5.30pm

Game at 5.30pm: meet at O’Connell House at 4.15 sharp.

Dress code: Dress as warmly as possible: It could be cold! Layer up! Gloves! Coats! More layers! If you have a hat, scarf or cap, wear it..

Background. The current Irish rugby team is considered to be the best we have ever had. It won the Grand Slam - defeating all five countries it normally plays each year- for the first time since 1949. Brian O’Driscoll at 13, the Irish captain, is widely regarded as the greatest ever Irish rugby player. Other stars include the workhorse No 8 Jimmy Heaslip,  the up-and-coming No. 10 Johnny Sexton from Rathmines, the No 12 Goron Darcy,  a Wexfordman and current UCD student, and the free running Full Back - No. 15 Rob Kearney. The No. 10, Jonathan Sexton is a celebrated kicker - the No 10 or Outhalf position is like being ‘a quarterback with a boot’. Another young Irish player Cian [pronounced Keen] Healy is a recent grad. of my sons’ school, Belvedere.

The current New Zealand team are uinversally regarded as the best team in the world. The match tomorrow stars some of the finest players ever to step on a rugby pitch- notably their No. 7 Richie McCaw, their teak tough 13 Mai’a Nonu, and their prodigiously gifted No 10 Dan Carter. There is huge interest in the game, and we are lucky to get tickets for it.

The New Zealand pre-match ritual the Haka is  justifiably considered the most famous – and brilliant - of pre-match rituals. It is an old Maori war dance complete with throat slitting and crotch-holding gestures which leave opponents in very little doubt that there is a tough time coming their way soon.

Rugby for Dummies By BILL RAYBURN [An American!!!][OK -I added some more detail too!!! [KW]

Most American know at least one very specific fact about rugby: We don't want to play it. But for the moment, move past the visceral fear of a cranial collision with another human, and you will gain an understanding of this ancient sport. Peter Winder writes, "Rugby provides a suitable outlet for the controlled release of any frustration or aggression within the structured framework of sport."

And legalized mayhem it is. There are no pads or helmets worn in rugby, and the collisions are often brutal collisions, of a high speed nature. Size is an advantage, but not as much as one might think. A quicker, smaller player can be invaluable. Injuries are accepted  as part of the game. One is expected to play on even if hurt if at all possible. Clearly rugby is a sport for the lion, not the faint-hearted.

The terminology and jargon is revealing: scrum, ruck, maul, hooker. It sounds rough and it is, although there is much more to it, and modern rugby is a highly sophisticated tactical game. Here are the basics:

The game involves 15 players per side. The 15 positions include 8 forwards [numbered 1-8], a scrumhalf [9], an out half [10] halfbacks, 2 centers [12-13], 2 wings- [11 & 14], and 1 fullback [15].

The field, called a "pitch," is much wider and longer than an American football pitch.

The object of the game is to score as many points as possible by carrying, passing or kicking a leather oval ball, about twice the size of a football, toward the scoring zone at the far end of the pitch called the in-goal area, akin to an end zone in football. Grounding the ball (literally touching it to the turf with downward pressure of the hands or hand in the in-goal area) results in a try (score), worth 5 points. Tries are the big momentum switchers in a game.

A conversion attempt follows, a kick off the ground from 25 yards out but exactly parallel with where the try was scored - that puts a lot more pressure on the kicker than in American football, as many tries are scored out wide to the touchline. If the ball is kicked through the uprights, 2 more points are awarded. The ball is then kicked back to the other team from the half way line and play resumes.

Points may also be scored from a drop kick during play - no easy feat with 30 guys swarming around - or a penalty kick, which is awarded after breaches of rules are spied by the single referee. Yes, believe it or not, there is only one referee on the field to monitor the actions of 30 players. If the drop or penalty kick is successful, it is worth 3 points.

Here are some basic rugby rules that might raise more questions than answers:

There are no "downs," as in football, nor is a "first down" required to maintain possession. In fact, possession can be exchanged often and quickly and turn-overs are frequent. There are few long, sustained "drives" toward the in-goal area- although the All-Blacks [guess why they are called that?] are masters at retaining possession, especially through their groundhog Richie McCaw who is unbelievably proficient at turning over opposition ball when it goes to the deck. Progress up and down the field is achieved grudgingly, usually in short chunks.

The ball may not be passed forward from the hands, though it may be kicked forward. Players cannot be tackled unless they possess the ball. Once in possession of the coveted leather oval, one is fair game, dead meat, or an endangered species. Rugby supporters like nothing better than a big hit on an opposing player.

Once the player is tackled to the ground, he is expected to release the ball. A common penalty is for ‘not releasing’ - ‘holding on to the ball after the tackle’ - usually for fear that the opposition will win it.

[The South African Number 7 Richie McCaw, is a famous exponent of winning the ball on the ground from a tackled player]. Players need to reach their teammate very quickly once he is tackled and drive the opposing players back off the ball. This contest, called a ruck, is where the dark arts of the game are most fiercely practiced. Players wear cups to protect their vital assets and eye-gouging and ear biting are not unknown - hence the leather scrumcaps that some wear. The ferocity of the ruck is almost primal, and the primary means of retaining and winning possession. “Turn-over Ball’- where you win possession in a ruck after the opposition carried the ball into in - is highly prized, and often supplies the most dangerous attacking opportunities. The All-Balcks are deadly when they get quick ball. You are not allowed to play the ball with your hands once you are on the ground, but you can if you are still on your feet. Players are not allowed to enter the ruck from the side - only from behind the last foot of the players in it.

A maul is the same as a ruck, except that all the players grappling for the ball are still on the feet. A ‘Rolling Maul’ is one where the team with the ball are advancing rapidly - the current Irish team are expert exponents of this tactic. The opposition is not allowed to deliberately pull down a rolling maul.

Play stops only when there is an infringement, or the ball is kicked out of bounds, or when a try is scored.

When the ball goes out over the sideline, a line-out results, where the opposing players line up perpendicular to the sideline and jump for the ball as it is thrown back in play (similar to a jump ball in basketball). The players are allowed to hoist a teammate high into the air to better reach the ball. The throw in to the lineout is by a player from the team who didn’t kick it out. The throw is meant to be straight but a clever thrower will always advantage his own team. Teams would expect to gain possession on their own throw. Usually a really tall player knocks the ball back with his hand to the small light agile scrumhalf, who then initiates the attacking plays.

Penalties, which range from tackling too high [no clothes lining] to being offsides (a player further downfield than the ball) can result in either a free kick for the other team or a scrum.

What, exactly, is a "scrum"? Each team's 8 forwards [the big burly bruisers on the team] link arms over their shoulders on opposite curves of a circle, like a huge round centipede at cannibalistic war with itself.

After the forwards are locked together, the No 9 - (Scrumhalf) - carefully rolls the ball into the center of the scrum: again it is meant  to be straight but it is 99% crooked so the team with the Put In to the scrum should always win it. Once in the scrum, the ball cannot be touched by hand. Each team has a "hooker" in the front of the scrum, a player positioned forward of his teammates, who tries to hook his foot around the ball and drag it behind him, where his teammates then caterpillar it with their feet until it squirts out the back of the scrum. Then the scrumhalf picks it up and initiates play. The scrumhalf is always the smallest, quickest and usually craftiest player. He is a major playmaker as he has to decide whether to run, kick or pass. At  times too, a team may elect to gain ground by pushing the opposition backwards in the scrum.

The game consists of two 40-minute halves, with a brief half-time break. There are no time-outs, save for an injury. Tactical substitutions are allowed, usually occurring after about 60 minutes when you need fresh impetus.

is maith an scéalaí an aimsir

Time is a great storyteller.

            I wish, then, that time could tell the story of the weekend trip to Northern Ireland for me, because capturing the intensity of all that I saw, heard, and felt over the course of those three days is going to be difficult.

Before my visit to Northern Ireland, my knowledge of its history and its politics was minimal. I knew that it rests within the realm of the United Kingdom because I had to exchange my euro for pounds, and I was vaguely aware of the bombings carried out by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). After listening to Professor Whelan lecture over the bus microphone for the entirety of the two-hour drive to Belfast last Friday morning, I gained a fairly solid understanding of the events leading up to the violence that swept through the region while my parents rocked out to Donny Osmond and the Jackson 5 back in the United States. The Irish Free State (present-day Republic of Ireland) emerged after the Irish War of Independence between Ireland and Britain from 1919 to 1921. The six counties of Northern Ireland, populated by Protestants, remained under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom as they are today. The partition caused the Irish Catholics living in Northern Ireland to feel dispossessed by both their fellow Irishmen and the British government that treated them as marginal citizens. The tensions swelled over the years until the late 1960s when young Catholics, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, began to protest their own lack of political and social rights.

Our first stop in Belfast was the new Ulster Museum, where the curator guided us through a new exhibit of gray, black, and white exhibit of walls, words, and video. The exhibit documented the years of violence the protests that began in 1968, the years known in Ireland as the Troubles. The Troubles lingered into the 1990s. Since the history is so recent and so fresh in the hearts of the citizens of Belfast, the exhibit faced a challenge of documenting the events without bias and with great emotional sensitivity. The bleak welcome to Belfast provided us with a perspective from which we would view the rest of our weekend. The tea and scones that followed the exhibit lifted our spirits and gave us the energy to withstand an intense encounter with a Sinn Féin representative at Stormont.

As we drove through the gates of Stormont, the bus filled with the oohs and aahs of the girls who found similarities between the majestic landscape surrounding Stormont and the scenery in Pride and Prejudice. Stormont (pictured below) is the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Parliamentary body of the region. The building only reopened in 2007 after years of devolvement. Since then the Assembly has provided an outstanding example of inefficiency, passing only 36 laws in three years. The United States passes an average of three hundred bills per year. Much of the inefficiency rests on the system of shared power between the First Minister and the deputy First Minister. The two ministers must agree on a ruling before it can be passed, but the ministers represent opposing parties – parties that represent the factions that fought during the years of the troubles. The First Minister stands for the Democratic Unionist Party, the conservative party that wishes to remain a part of the United Kingdom, while the deputy First Minister represents the radical Irish nationalist party Sinn Féin. If the combination of leaders was not inefficient enough for Stormont, then the voting process certainly seals the deal. The process reminds me of an icebreaker game we played with the fifth-graders at the camp where I worked last summer. When voting on a bill, the representatives in the Assembly cast their votes not by ballot but by yelling “aye” or “no.” The yelling game rarely results in a decision. The next step is to ring a bell that can be heard all around the building. At the sound of the bell, all the representatives have three minutes to get to the assembly room and file into a corner. The side with the most people in it wins the vote.

While we were in Stormont we had the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with the Sinn Féin advisor of the deputy First Minister. The discussion became more than heated when our dear professor began to ask accusatory questions regarding Sinn Féin’s violent past. The Sinn Féin representative became so agitated that we were all squirming uncomfortably in our chairs, ready to run if he stood up and started yelling. We learned later that Professor Whelan intentionally argued with him in order to get him to divulge more about the politics of Northern Ireland. We calmed him down with some less provocative questions about policy and language. At the end of the session, Professor Whelan thanked him graciously and, as a token of our gratitude, presented him with the Kelly green Notre Dame football t-shirt that boasts the slogan “We are the Fighting Irish.”

After our visit to Stormont we drove through Belfast, past the most-bombed building in the world (the Europa Hotel), and onward toward the coast of the Irish Sea at Portrush in County Londonderry. There we stopped for a sunset and a delicious meal. The picture to the right is the sun setting over my friend Dan Strittmatter and the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. We spent the night in the village of Ballintoy, population 160. I do believe we met the majority of that population when we walked into the local pub and found that they were celebrating Paddy’s 75^th birthday. We danced and sang along as an older gentleman stood at the front of the pub playing covers of Johnny Cash, Elvis, and John Denver on his guitar. Shortly thereafter we stepped out into the crisp country night air to take a walk down to the harbor with Professor Whelan. The night was the kind of beautiful that makes you miss somebody. The stars were so clear that each time I blinked I could see even more of them. In that moment the concept of time seemed foreign; I have no idea how long we laid on the grass sharing conversation and song. No picture could possibly have done the night justice – if I could have bottled it up and mailed it to you, I would have done so in a heartbeat. Once we returned to the hostel, we were still so happy for the beautiful night that my roommates and I stayed up far too late giggling like fifth graders at a slumber party. Professor Whelan’s catchphrase is true: “the tiredness goes away, but the memories last forever.”

We were lucky to wake to a crisp, sunny Saturday morning on the day of our excursion to the Giant’s Causeway. The trail that led from the parking lot (“car park” in Ireland) to the Causeway also happens to be a coastal marathon route, and the race just happened to be that particular Saturday morning. After successfully dodging and then cheering on some runners we made it to the end of the trail. The scenery was breathtaking – from one side we could see hills and glittering sunshine, and, on another, the coast of Scotland. Professor Whelan seized the opportunity to share his infinite wisdom and gave a talk so inspiring that I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the nature and the people that surrounded me. He spoke of hundreds of years of people coming to the shore and wondering about the expanse of the sea and the height of the sky. He reminded us that we were all thinking of the ones we love at home and how important it is to take these experiences and use them to share with those who couldn’t be with us. And ten years from now, he said, when we look at a picture of the Giant’s Causeway, we’re going to think of all of the people who were with us while we were there. 

We slept our way to Derry after the hike. The historic town is called Derry (its original name) by those of Irish Catholic heritage and Londonderry by the British. The picture at the very top of this letter is the view from the walled part of the city looking into Donegal. We had been invited to attend a lecture by Seamus Deane about the influential theater company Field Day. I am under the firm conviction that Mr. Deane never sleeps. Not only has he published numerous books, taught at Notre Dame, founded Notre Dame’s Irish Studies program, and co-founded and co-produced every play presented by Field Day productions, but he also edited the Penguin editions of James Joyce’s novels, which can be a lifetime of work in itself. After the lecture we went to a reception with Mr. Deane and actor Stephen Rea (most recognized for his role as Detective in V for Vendetta). Both of the men interacted with Professor Whelan as if they were the best of friends; I do believe that Professor Whelan knows just about everybody in Ireland. We spoke extensively with Mr. Rea about the differences between acting on stage and acting in film. I was proud to say I’d met him when he appeared in the movie we watched the following week for my film studies course at UCD.

On Sunday morning we met Seamus Deane’s brother Eamonn for a tour of the Bogside in Derry. The name is deceptive; the bog has disappeared since the area of town was named. The Bogside is the Catholic section of Derry and the location of the Bloody Sunday massacre that started the real violence of the Troubles in 1972. A memorial to the innocent civilians who were killed listed thirteen names; two of those young men boasted the last name of McKinney. On a beautiful Sunday morning in 2010 imagining such a tragic incident seemed impossible until I saw those names and realized that I could have lost a brother, a father, a best friend. The political turmoil of the Troubles inspired Derry muralists to paint the edifices of houses with pictures of figures and events to preserve the memory of the civil rights struggle. Above I have pictured one of the most iconic murals in Derry. The gentleman in the brown sweater is Professor Whelan and the other man is Eamonn Deane. Mr. Deane took part in some of the protests and actually appears in one of the murals as part of a crowd. The city now enjoys peace, but the memorials serve as constant reminders of the violence that so recently affected the daily lives of the people living in Derry and in the Bogside.

After Mass in Derry we returned to Belfast for a similar tour of the neighborhoods that played a key role in the warfare of the Troubles. Despite all its grandiose architecture and green hills, Belfast remains scarred by years of violence. The Catholic section of town (Falls Road) and the Protestant section of town (Shankill Road) are separated by a structure of wall and fence tall enough to prevent even a star baseball pitcher from throwing a glass bottle over the top of it. The police force continues to block off certain roads when darkness falls. In the Catholic section we toured with one man who told us about growing up during the Troubles and spoke with another man who continues to fight for a united Ireland. Belfast also boasts murals of figures who took part in the fighting. My favorite mural depicted a group of old women in a kitchen with sandwiches and tea surrounded by soldiers; the painting is a token of remembrance for the women who aided in the struggle. The other side of the wall at Shankill Road was actually very scary. There were no murals of sweet old women; instead, the murals portrayed gangsters, barrels of guns, and bloody scenes of destruction. We were happy to leave that section of town. As we departed Belfast we distributed two more Fighting Irish t-shirts to our friends. As much as I love Notre Dame, I would never, ever wear that shirt in Belfast.

I embarked on the trip to Northern Ireland with little knowledge of its history and returned feeling almost as if I had experienced the Troubles with the men who shared their stories. I thought it would be difficult to verbalize my experience, but I can’t even imagine the courage it took for the men and women who lived through the Troubles to speak about those years. Time has built up their story all around them – in memorials, in murals, in people, in walls, in churches, and in inefficient political systems. Although they are now at peace, I hope that time will bring them just as much peace of heart and mind as it has brought peace to the streets of Northern Ireland.

            Receiving the history of Northern Ireland in firsthand accounts was incredible, but when I look back on the weekend my favorite parts were talking under the stars, giggling until the wee hours of the morning, experiencing the glory of creation, and discovering more about the friends I have made through the Notre Dame program while we shared all of these experiences together. I am surrounded by a truly wonderful group of people. I hope that when ten years pass and I look at pictures of Ireland I will think of these friends not just as pieces of memories but as friends to call any time for a meaningful conversation. I am grateful at least that we have two years left together at Notre Dame…but as for the future, time will tell.

beannacht leat go bhfeicfidh mé aris thú,

Meghan McKinney