Clonmacnoise and Trim Castle were on the agenda for the day. After a bus ride across half of Ireland, we finally made it to Clonmacnoise. It is an old monastery and church of some sort with high crosses which date back to about 600 and 800. It is amazing to realize how old some of the things we see on these trips are and I certainly did not expect it coming to Ireland. We did not stay long at Clonmacnoise, but we were able to see where the river Shannon backs up to the ruins and where Pope John Paul II came on his tour of Ireland. From there, we went to lunch which again was wonderful and greatly appreciated after a week of eating things that are microwavable. We then raced to Trim Castle to make it for our tour and there we went in to a preserved castle which was used in the film Braveheart. I have a feeling that all of Ireland was used for this film because I feel as though everywhere we go has some shot or scene that was in Braveheart. Anyways, it was interesting to see, but also nauseating as we climbed down several steps down a winding staircase that never seemed to end.
The next day, Sunday, was relaxing as I spent it again with my friends going to mass and then to a local cafe for lunch. We then finally made some plans for our study week and are going to Munich, Germany and other places in Germany for the latter half of our break from Thursday to Sunday. The rest of my study week is going to be spent in Ireland visiting three friends of mine in Clonmel and then possibly somewhere else before going to Dublin for St. Patrick's Day. Later in the day, I headed down the road for dinner with my relatives in Kilcock. It is always nice knowing that I have family nearby who can help me out.
Monday then started what is known as RAG week. RAG stands for Raise and Give with money being raised throughout the week going to charity. From what I learned from girls who have previously gone to Ireland and my family over here, RAG week is more of a giant party than anything else. In order to downplay the bad reputation that comes with RAG week, NUIM decided to have a single day for RAG week in which there was a music festival of sorts. All lectures were cancelled after noon on Wednesday and people filled in to the car park next to the Student Union where various bands played in a tent, along with food and rides. Before I came here, I had been listening to a band by the name of the Coronas, who I also was able to hear perform at the Irish Music Awards. However, that time they were further away and only played one song. At "The Gathering", I was front row and center with only a metal gate standing between me and the lead singer. It was an incredible experience and the closest I have ever been to a band. I was on cloud nine. The whole day was great craic and was fun to spend with my friends and housemates, despite the cold. The whole week was a lot of fun and the weather was brilliant with lots of sun!
On Friday, my friend from home Elizabeth came to Ireland! She along with her friend, Allison are currently spending their spring break in Ireland and Paris. So when they got here on Friday, I showed them around Maynooth and NUIM. My friends made dinner for them and then we just hung out a bit before the jetlag dragged them to their makeshift beds, I feel awful for, in the hallway.
On Saturday, I had a SMC trip to the Bog of Allen and Donadea. The girls went to the West Coast to see the Cliffs of Moher. My trip was good, but cold. We first went to an exhibit about bogs and as fascinating as they were for the maybe the first twenty minutes, I was not so amused another hour later as we were in an old barn in which the temperature was easily ten degrees colder than outside where the sun was shining. Once we were able to get outside I was feeling better. However, I do find it interesting how bogs have preserved bodies for thousands of years and the preservation of butter..bog butter, however, is not something I want to try anytime soon. We then were taken out to the local bog on which we were able to take a stroll on. When I mean stroll, I mean more of successive leaps. As soon as you take a step on a bog, water squirts up as though you are walking on a sponge. Being 90% water, I guess this makes sense. However, for someone like me who doesn't have wellies, I was walking in only my runners and I ended up with wet socks and shoes for the rest of the day. The most interesting part of the bog is when our guide had half of us jump up and down while the other half stood a few feet away and you could feel the ground shaking. It was as though you were standing on an old wooden bridge that is not supported in the middle, but just on both ends. It was quite the experience. From there, we crossed the road and went to make St. Brigid crosses out of reeds from the bog. A bit complicated, but I was able to make a suitable cross to take home. We then headed back to the bus, but before we could we had to cross an area of mud. Needless to say I was antsy to get out of there and was not minding my step and ended up in mud that felt like I was stepping into quicksand. Eventually I made it to the bus and then we headed to lunch, which once again was wonderful. From there, we headed to Donadea which is a nature park near Maynooth. Here we saw an old castle and then walked through paths in the forest to the oldest road in Ireland and a church that Saint Patrick had built. Absolutely incredible to be standing in the midst of history. There was also a memorial to 9-11 for all of the firefighters, the worldwide connection to those events were completely evident through the memorial. We headed back to Maynooth and I waited for the girls to get back from the Cliffs of Moher. When they got back, they wanted to experience a night out in Maynooth. So we went to a local pub, Brady's, where there is a dance floor upstairs. After a fun night out, it was time for bed before a day in Dublin.
On Sunday, we made our way to Dublin so Elizabeth and Allison could see the city. We went to their hostel and dropped their bags off and then went started on O'Connell St. to see the Spire and Penney's. From there we crossed the Liffey and went to Trinity College and walked around a bit and caught the end of a rugby game. From there we went to Grafton St and saw bands playing up and down the street. Everytime I go into Dublin, I fall more and more in love with the people and everything the city has to offer. We then headed to St. Stephen's Green to look around for a bit before I headed back with Audrey for a friend's birthday dinner. Saying good-bye to friends is hard, but I certainly hope Elizabeth and Allison enjoy the rest of their spring break in Europe! On the way back, Audrey and I were walking down Grafton St. and came across this band that was playing their own music combined with traditional instruments, we were in one of those moments were we just enjoyed everything that Ireland was offering us. The more I see and love, the harder it is going to be to leave.. Once we got back to Maynooth, we had a birthday dinner for our friend Kelly who made gyros. The food was amazing and it was great to sit around with friends and enjoy each other's company.
Now, I am settling into this week by working on essays due after study week..
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