Vikings and greyhounds

Back in Dublin, we were off Thursday to dig into our two nations' common past. Why would we see a Viking museum in Dublin when we can see the ships at home? Well, the Norwegian Vikings founded Dublin, along with many other towns on the Irish coast. And it is interesting to see history from another perspective. What do they write about us here?

It turns out they write about the same things. But Dublinia was activating and very hands-on, with things to touch, buttons to push etc.

Before lunch we also had time to visit the greatest wit in the English language. Oscar Wilde, languising on a solid rock in Merrion Square. He said for instance: "A man can be happy with any woman as long as he does not love her." And "always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much."

In the evening it was time for the cultural event that was the highlight for many of the boys. At Shelbourne Park, the whole family goes to bet on greyhound dogs racing around the track. It is a stylish arena with plush carpets, restaurant and excitement. Some of us even won a euro or two.

Planning the strategy.

What about taking the Dart, the local train?

And today we are heading home.

That's all, folks.

Breezing through Belfast

When we woke up this morning, we were in Dublin. When we went to bed, we were in Dublin. But the rest of the day we spent in another country.

Apart from the 5 hours spent on the bus today, we have used the day learning the ins and outs of the current situation in Northern Ireland. Thankfully, we only had time for two guided tours today, since we needed to fill up the tank with energy from the local taverna. Pub food around here basically consits of one color: yellow fries, chicken and heaps of custard for dessert. It does the trick, though.

The first stop of the day was visiting the republican (Catholic) graveyard in Belfast to put some flowers on the graves of people unjustly imprisoned during the troubles (70s and 80s). Giueseppe Conlon (from the movie IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER) and Bobby Sands, who starved himself to death in a hunger strike in 1981 along with 9 others.

The republican street "the Falls" is lined with murals depicing injustice and important historical events (from their point of view.) He was elected to the parliament while in jail! Here is Bobby Sands commemorated:

What made this tour memorable were the guides, who were all former IRA-members. They had all served time in jail, and now, thanks the the Good Friday Peace Agreement in 1998, they were here telling us their side of the story. You listen to someone who has spent 16 years in jail. They were not too optimistic about the future of Northern Ireland, but things have certainly come a long way since the troubles.

Yours truly and one of our guides.

Our guide also showed us a primary school where the first gunfight broke out between British soldiers and IRA men. You can see the bullet holes in the wall. The aftermath was that many of the surrounding houses were burnt down by angry protestants, according to my guide.

Next on the agenda was Stormont, an enormous castle on a grassy hill outside the city. This is where Parliament is located when it is not closed because of a hostile atmosphere. Now it has been functioning since 2007. We learned a lot about how Stormont and its politicians fit into the big picture in a surprisingly captivating tour and lecture.

Inside Stormont.

A massive castle...


...with a great view.

(Stormont was even used by the RAF during WWII).

More pictures

Everyone upon touching Irish soil.

Happy campers before the first of the guided tours.

Eager students at the start of the first guided tour.

Guided tours galore

We all arrived in Dublin yesterday, safe and with lots of sound. Equiped with a ukulele, our musical needs were met, and in the light drizzle our rented bus took us to our hotel in downtown Dublin, a stone's throw from river Liffey, which runs through the city and divides the residential North from the touristic South (guess which side we spend our days.)

Today we will attempt quite a feat: Three guided tours in the course of one day! At the time of writing we have completed two, with one to go. It started this morning with a bus ride through the city out to the prison of Kilmanhaim gaol (old spelling of "jail"), a prison that closed down in the 1920s, but nevertheless played a large part in the history of Ireland. During the gruesome famine in 1847-48, people preferred the jail because at least there they would get a meal. At that time, the prison built to house 200 people held 7000 prisoners! Shocking. " We also witnessed the spot in the courtyard where 14 leaders of the Easter rising in 1916 were executed. A terrible beauty is born!" (From the poem EASTER 1916 by Yeats that we studied in class.)

Our second guided tour did perhaps not conjure up quite such evocative images, but we wandered around Dublin and learned about history - from Trinity college to City Hall and Dublin castle.

The third (and voluntary) tour today will be a musical tour where two musicians guide us through the Irish musical heritage and show us traditional instruments. Maybe we'll surprise them with a little ukulele.

Tomorrow we are going to Belfast in Northern Ireland to continue our attempt of making the world record in guided tours...

Everyone is on their best behavior and things are running smoothly!

Feel free to comment and send greetings and questions here on the blog!

Is Mikkel paying attention or is he practising for the "cartoon face of the year"-award?

In the main hall of the prison, which we also recognize from the movie IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER.

DUBLIN 26/10-30/10

32 English students and 2 teachers from Stabekk high school are leaving for Dublin on Monday 26. October.

We are going to visit Belfast one day, and spend 2 whole days in Dublin where we will learn about Irish history, culture and people.

You can read all about our experiences here.


Picture: The famous ha'penny brigde crossing the river Liffey in Dublin.