I don’t know why I have
such a problem with goodbyes. I’ve only noticed this about myself in the past
few years. That urge to push the thought out of your mind until the last
possible moment when it sneaks up on you. You feel it slowly bubbling in your
stomach then all of a sudden it smacks you hard in the face when you begin to
realize that you are not only saying goodbye to people, but also an experience.
I knew my experience of studying abroad
would be amazing wherever I ended up. But I ended up in Ireland and for four
months, that was my world. I saw incredible sites from the cliffs of the Aryan
Islands to forests of Glendalough to the beaches of Donegal. I learned more
than I could ever imagine about Irish history, the Northern Ireland conflict,
and myself. I met some amazing people along the way: my Dublin host mother
Carmel, the Lyttles – my host family in Derry, my academic director Aeveen, and
many experts and lecturers who challenged us to look deeper into everything we
studied.
But this is not just MY experience. I
shared it with seven other students and this will forever be OUR experience. As
John Donne said, “No man is an island, entire of itself. Each is a piece of the
continent, a part of the main.” In my mind, it is impossible to separate these
people from Ireland because it was with them that I experienced it. When I
think of Ireland, I will always think of each and every one of them and
remember how we all progressed through this journey together. So Arnela, Katie,
Sean, Tyler, Holden, Danny, and Mike, I want to thank you for some of the best
few months of my life. I hope that our group hug in the streets of Galway was
not our last. We must remember, “Every goodbye makes the next hello closer.”
The group the day before we went our separate ways.
Picture was taken on Innismore, Aran Islands in front
of a fort built in 2nd century BC
Again, I have been horrible at blogging over
these past few weeks, but I’m sure you can understand that the end of the
semester is always a whirlwind. Especially when you are writing a 45-page paper
in one week!
After spending three weeks in Derry~Londonderry,
and one week in Dublin to write, I have officially completed my Independent
Study Project. As I said in my last post, I researched the Peace Bridge in Derry~Londonderry.
I was skeptical of the bridge at first because it has been advertised as a
physical facilitator of peace within the city. I didn’t believe that a bridge
could unite a city divided by decades of political turmoil. However, I was
pleasantly surprised to find that the bridge has indeed helped to increase
interactions between members of both groups within the city.
Peace Bridge
I’ll leave you with a small excerpt from my
conclusion:
With the weight of history and memory upon the city that has lasted for
generations, it may be difficult to understand how a bridge could help a
community overcome an inherited historical memory. The success of the Peace
Bridge in overcoming the hindrance of history rests with the creation of a new
historical narrative for the city and the introduction of shared space. The new
bridge is free of the symbols that so often mark the territory of one group or
another throughout the city. The bridge also connects the city center to
Ebrington Barracks, a space that had been closed to the public previously. The
story of Ebrington as a base for the British Army during the Troubles is
quickly fading as the lost history of Ebrington’s role during World War I and World
War II, reemerges; this is a history that the city as a whole can share and
embrace together.Because of the
creation of this new historical narrative, the city of Derry~Londonderry has
been able to redefine its identity and project a message of a forward progress
that acknowledges a fresh start. At the center of this new identity is the
Peace Bridge and its symbolic bridging between not only two groups, but also
the past and the present.
Sometimes it’s
hard to believe what is going on in this world. This week in particular has
been difficult. Back home we’ve had the tragedy at the Boston Marathon,
attempted attacks on elected officials, and the explosion of a plant in Texas.
Here in Derry, we’ve experienced heightened violence and protests in response
to Margaret Thatcher’s death. It’s so easy for us to get bogged down in what
seems to be a world of overwhelming tragedy and hate.
Northern Ireland
has experienced its fair share of tragedies. Not too soon after we heard about
the Boston bombings, my host mother told me about her experience in the Omagh
bombing in 1998. She was taking her children to the park in Omagh that Saturday
afternoon and happened to pick up a hitchhiker on the road. Instead of dropping
him off in the city center like they agreed, she offered to take him all the
way home. On their way back through the city, they were diverted by police
officers. The bomb had gone off roughly a half an hour before they arrived
killing 29 people and injuring 220. By some stroke of luck, or perhaps fate,
the detour to bring the hitchhiker home saved their lives. It is terrifying to
think how close we are to events such as this.
But one of the
things that I’ve learned in the past few years is that a bit of good, no matter
how small can shine its way through the darkness. A picture I heard about in a
podcast I was listening to reminded me of this. It was a projection on a wall
in NYC of a famous MLK quote: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light
can do that.” The words alone are moving, but below the quote, the universal NY
font was connected the Boston Red Sox “B” with a heart, uniting the symbols of rivalry.
It is small
gestures like that keep me going. We saw that in the aftermath of the Boston
Marathon: runners rushing to hospitals to donate blood, locals opening up their
homes for complete strangers, and even just messages of support from across the
whole country.
Sometimes all
you need is a small example of hope to keep you going. I was privileged enough
to hear the Dalai Lama speak today (you can read more about it here) and I don’t think it could have come at a
better time. The Dalai Lama was invited by Derry’s own, Richard Moore, who has
developed a special relationship with His Holiness over many years. A British
Army Officer shot Richard in the face with a rubber bullet when he was a child
and was blinded as a result. Despite this, Richard has met the officer who shot
him and given his forgiveness. The Dalai Lama said that Richard is his hero for
his ability to live a compassionate life.
The Dali spoke
today about the importance of living a peaceful life. I could tell you about
the inspiring things he said or the jokes he told, but I know that these are
things that will fade from my memory with time. What I will always remember is
the feeling I had, sitting with 2,500 other people, many from the city of
Derry, listening to one of the most prominent symbols of peace in the world
today, and applauding his every word. It did not matter if we were Protestant
or Catholic. We were all experiencing the event together.
Peace flags on the Peace Bridge welcoming the Dalai Lama to Derry
Dalai Lama speaking in Derry
Here in Derry,
things are looking up. Yes, there have been petrol bombs thrown into the
Fountain (a small Protestant community on the cityside) this past week, but
this is a small minority of people behind such actions. The Dalai Lama called
upon us to take action, and I certainly think that the city of
Derry-Londonderry is headed in the right direction. In the words of His
Holiness himself: “The last century was the
century of violence. This must be the century of peace. My generation's century
is now gone, but the future is still in your hands.”
Let us all work towards creating a century of peace. We have seen the affects of war and violence. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to make this idea a reality. I think Eleanor Roosevelt said it best: "It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." Time to roll up your sleeves, people.
The death of Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has sparked quote a controversy over these past few days. Here in Derry, people took to the streets in celebration, graffitiing walls with slogans such as: "Ding dong the witch is dead," and "Rot in Hell Maggie Thatcher." Petrol bombs were thrown as people waved the Irish tri-color. Check out the video below containing some pictures of the celebrations in Derry: Here is a statement released by Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin politician and alleged IRA member, who holds a seat in the Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Irish Parliament): April 8th 2013 Death of Margaret Thatcher Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams commenting on the death today of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: Margaret Thatcher did great hurt to the Irish and British people during her time as British Prime Minister. Working class communities were devastated in Britain because of her policies. Her role in international affairs was equally belligerent whether in support of the Chilean dictator Pinochet, her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa; and her support for the Khmer Rouge. Here in Ireland her espousal of old draconian militaristic policies prolonged the war and caused great suffering. She embraced censorship, collusion and the killing of citizens by covert operations, including the targeting of solicitors like Pat Finucane, alongside more open military operations and refused to recognise the rights of citizens to vote for parties of their choice. Her failed efforts to criminalise the republican struggle and the political prisoners is part of her legacy. It should be noted that in complete contradiction of her public posturing, she authorised a back channel of communications with the Sinn Féin leadership but failed to act on the logic of this. Unfortunately she was faced with weak Irish governments who failed to oppose her securocrat agenda or to enlist international support in defence of citizens in the north. Margaret Thatcher will be especially remembered for her shameful role during the epic hunger strikes of 1980 and 81. Her Irish policy failed miserably. It is an interesting time to be in Derry~Londonderry. We all have personal opinions about politicians and sometimes we tend to demonize them and confine them into polarized symbols. I can sympathize with the people who disagreed with her overly-forceful actions throughout the world. Perhaps it's the idealistic American college student in me, but I would hope we could have these discussions in a respectful way that recognizes that she was an individual who had her own virtues and vices. Many Northern Ireland politicians have publicly condemned the celebrations of Thatcher's death including the deputy First Minister or Northern Ireland, and I hope others will follow.
Well it
certainly has been awhile since I have blogged! These past few weeks have been
intense in terms of workload. I wrote a politics paper, a reflection on my
Northern Ireland experience (totaling 12 pages), decided on the topic for my
final project, wrote a proposal for my final project, and organized the
logistics of my field study.
So now I am off
to Derry (I’m typing away on the bus) to complete my independent study project.
This is the unique uniting factor of all SIT programs: a one-month period to
conduct a field study and produce a paper analyzing your findings. I have
chosen to complete mine in the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. I have been
fascinated with the topic of commemoration and memory in terms of the Northern
Ireland conflict.
At first I
thought about doing a project on the murals in Belfast as a form of commemoration
that can provoke or hurt opposition groups, but this has been the focus of many
other SIT Ireland ISPs and I wanted to do something a bit different. Then, my Academic
Director, Aeveen, suggested I look into the Peace Bridge in Derry. The bridge
opened in 2011 and is a pedestrian and cycling bridge that connects one bank of
the River Foyle to the other. This might not seem significant, however, like
many communities in Northern Ireland, Derry is a divided city. The Catholic
majority stays on one side of the bank (with the exception of a small
protestant community referred to as “The Fountain”) and the Protestant
community lives on the other side. There has been very little interaction
between these two groups, but in the past few years Derry seems to be making
great strides in terms of the peace process. The bridge is meant to be a symbol
of peace, but also encourage cross-community interaction. My project will be to
examine if this bridge can overcome centuries of sectarian memory.
Peace Bridge in Derry
I have no idea
where this project will take me, so I’m just going along for the ride!
Last weekend was St. Patrick's Day and Dublin was transformed into one big party! We returned from Derry on Friday and the festivities had already begun. It was a weekend full of great craic and good friends. I'll let my pictures of the parade and other activities speak for themselves!
Kisses!
NYPD Bagpipers made the journey
across the Atlantic to celebrate!
As part of our "relaxation weekend" before we start planning our big end of the year projects, we took a trip to Giant's Causeway. We were walkin' on a bunch of sixty million year old basalt columns. Legend has it, the giant Finn McCool wanted to have a rumble with another giant across the North Channel in Scotland. Finn began building the path, placing each individual stone. Scientifically speaking, the causeway was formed from an ancient volcanic reaction.
Over the past
week we have toured Loyalist and Nationalist areas of Belfast. Both sides have
used murals to promote their ideas or messages. Some are messages of hope and
peace, some commemorate those who have died throughout the course of the
conflict, and some seem to incite more violence. Whether they were painted by
illegal paramilitary groups years ago who still refuse to take them down, or legitimate
organizations, these murals are on display for the public to see every day.
They are a constant reminder of the past, good or bad.
Murals are good indicators of the Loyalist and Nationalist divisions within the city. Check out this website to see how murals mark territory: http://www.belfast-murals.co.uk/
Click on the picture to enlarge! These murals are detailed so don't miss out!
Nationalist: Bobby Sands, IRA Member who died while
leading a hunger strike in prison, 1981
Nationalist: Marion Price, IRA Member arrested for the
Old Bailey Bombing in London. She has been arrested numerous
times since. Her current imprisonment remains controversial.
Loyalist: Mural painted by the Ulster Freedom Fighters (UFF)
also referred to as the Ulster Defense Association (UDA)
is a loyalist paramilitary group.
Close up of last picture. UFF/UDA officially ended its
armed campaign in 2007.
I’ve been
procrastinating this post for a few reasons. Firstly, we have had a jam-packed
schedule for the past few weeks. Secondly, I have been trying to draft this
post in my head but no words seem to do it justice. Thirdly, whenever I think
about trying to condense my past few days into a post, I’m overwhelmed.
Everything seems vitally important. What I’ve come to realize is that I cannot
begin to understand this deep seeded conflict with origins centuries old.
Northern Ireland is still a puzzle to me and anything I write here now is
merely a part of my thinking process. In my attempt to wrap my head around my
experiences here, I will share the stories about a few of the people we met
along the way.
Story #1:
Republican Majority View in South Armagh
Our first stop
was in South Armagh, also known as “Bandit Country” to all those outside of the
community. South Armagh is an unofficial division of the county of Armagh,
which borders the Republic of Ireland, but is part of Northern Ireland. Some
people in Armagh felt as if they were caught on the wrong side of the partition
and defended Irish nationalist ideas. Our guide was Thomas Marron, a former
member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. Thomas spent 16 years in
prison as a political prisoner. He was released early under the terms of the
Good Friday Agreement. As part of his job helping the community deal with the
conflict, he takes groups on tours through South Armagh in an effort to give
the Republican perspective and help to promote understanding of the conflict.
Thomas
We met Thomas in
his office: a room covered with artifacts of the Irish conflict: Maps of the
location of the military bases in the area, unexploded petrol bombs, photos and
lists upon lists of volunteers who had died. Thomas works directly with
families who are still recovering from the Troubles and many contributed to
this unofficial museum. Thomas is as cool as a cucumber and cares deeply for
his surroundings and heritage as well as his political beliefs, but also
recognizes the need for peace and healing.
Once we made our
introductions, we piled in the van and set off on our tour. Thomas pointed out
different landmarks, which were significant to the conflict. I felt as if every
100 feet there was another site. We saw O’Hanlon’s Pub which housed secret
meetings of the IRA, Donnelly’s Bar which was the site of a bombing (with
suspected British Army collusion), and granite monuments commemorating those
who were killed or died for their cause. As we drove through the countryside,
it was impossible to tell which side of the border we were on. There are no
checkpoints, no barriers, or signs designating your position. Mailboxes were my
only hint in orienting myself: green for the republic, red for Northern
Ireland. South Armagh is mostly farmland. I found it hard to believe that it
was once the most militarized area in Western Europe. During the Troubles, the
British Army constructed military bases on every hilltop and used only
helicopters to move from place to place as the region was so volatile.
Memorial of So. Armagh IRA Volunteers who died
as a result of the conflict
Memorial to those who died on hunger strike to obtain
political prisoner status
The group at the hunger strikers memorial
Thomas grew up
in this militarized culture. He endured raids and harassment by the British
Army on a daily basis. His family, friends, and neighbors were under constant
supervision and faced a severe lack of privacy. The feeling of occupation was
oppressive. This is what made him decide to join the IRA. During his service, he
carried out many bombings and attacks on the British Army. One of the stops we
made on the tour was to what the IRA called “The Street.” The Street is a
former IRA hideout. On one side of the street is a memorial to IRA Volunteer
Seamus Harvey who was shot by British soldiers in an ambush. Across the road is
an old run-down farmhouse. Thomas told us that a local IRA sympathizer allowed
them to use the building as a hideout. I can only imagine what it must have
felt like to lie awake on the rickety floor of the farmhouse in the blackness
of the Irish countryside; each snap of a twig or rustle of the grass evokes the
fear of an ambush.
Almost everyone I
talked to in Dublin described Mayo as “wild country.” Being close to the coast
and subject to any storm that crosses the Atlantic, the weather can be volatile.
We were lucky and only experienced a bit a rain during our visit. The main
purpose of going to Mayo was to study the conflict brought on by the pipeline
project implemented by Shell Oil Company. Before I came to Ireland, I was
completely oblivious to this issue, which is unbelievable to look back upon now
that I’ve seen the land, met some people involved, and heard their stories.
During the past
week, I have been on a rollercoaster ride of emotions listening to history,
“facts”, personal testimonies, walking the land, talking with Shell
representatives, touring the construction sites, and being physically present
in an area that will be a place of unrest for many years to come.
The parish we
stayed in is called Kilcommon, a predominantly rural and isolated area located
on the Erris peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. The
controversial Corrib gas field is located 80 kilometers off the coast. The
pipeline has been laid offshore from the wells to Glengad. Shell plans to run
the pipe from Glengad, beneath Sruwaddacon Bay, to the onshore refinery at
Bellanaboy Bridge. The construction directly affects the Kilcommon parish
community, but also impacts those who live outside the construction area.
Hostel we stayed in owned by Betty
Beauty of the Bay
During our first
full day in the area, Simon Sweeney, an environmentalist with a special
interest in marine life, took us on a walking tour along the coast of
Broadhaven Bay. Simon’s respect and knowledge for the land radiated through his
descriptions about the many ways in which the locals interact with the land
including the use of vegetation found in the bog and on the shore or special
sheep grazing tactics. He also told us stories about the delicate balance that
must be maintained in order to preserve the fragile area. Broadhaven and
Sruwaddacon Bays have been declared Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) by the
European Union in order to protect birds, fish, and reefs that can be found
just off the coast.
Hike with Simon
Sphagnum moss found in bogs was used during WWI
in place of gauze
Sheep, sheep, and more sheep.
The communities that
make up northern Mayo, like many other rural communities throughout the
country, are rich in history and heritage. Some families have been in the same
community for generations, while others are relatively new. Regardless of how
long they have lived in the area, many people we spoke to expressed the feeling
of having deep ties to the land. Farmer Willie Corduff was quoted as saying, “I was born and reared on this farm. It’s memories
that are making us do what we are doing…They’re the memories you have and the
memories you have to keep. To see someone coming in now and trying to destroy
it, as Shell is doing, it kills you. Our footsteps are around the place since
we were able to walk.” Willie was one of the Rossport 5, a group of men who
went to prison for defying a court order which permitted Shell to work on their
land. The motivation behind their protest goes much deeper than property
rights: it cuts to the core and deals with the ideas of identity and heritage.
Green fence and yellow backhoes in the distance mark
site landfall site
Overlooking the bay where the pipeline runs
One of our lecturers, author
Michael McCaughan notes, “This is a community which takes pride in mapping out
local place names and restoring gravestones, maintaining a connection between
past, present, and future.” In
an area possessing so many layers of history, it is impossible to unravel the
past from present day. We spoke with retired school teacher Micheál (pronounced:
Mee-hawl) O’Seighin and he noted
that the echos of the past are important for daily life. The presence of the
past can be physical, with ancient ruins dotting the landscape or gravestones
placed a few years ago. But the past is also present in the retelling of
stories and in the mindset of the people and is often awakened in times of
struggle. Michael is a soft-spoken former teacher
who was one of the Rossport 5 and spent 94 days in jail. Remarkably, he didn’t
own any land affected by the pipeline, but he told us he went to jail because
for him it was the completely logical and rational thing to do. Michael is not
a radical, tree-hugging, granola-eating hippie (I know at some point reading
this you thought about it…). He is a man who has strong ties to his family, the
land, and has a deep sense of place.
To the people living
near the Shell project, the structures of society (police, judical system,
government representatives) which ideally were created to protect their rights
could no longer be trusted. Betty Schultz, a resident of Kilcommon wrote, “My
elected representative lies straight to my face...I experience hostile response
from all authorities. I witness the judge in court not batting an eyelid when
listening to blatant purjury by the police.” Micheál pointed out that with the
threat of the Shell project and the failure of the legal system to protect
their rights, arose the feeling:“The only thing we
could depend on was what stood the test of time before.”
At the dock area. The fishing industry was hit hard by the pipeline project
Protesting sign on a building in the middle of a field
Some people we spoke with believed that
out of this conflict arose a newfound sense of unity within the community. In
the initial stages of the project, many came out in protest, spent time
discussing the project with neighbors, and participated in community forums. One
could argue that this conflict has pulled Mayo into a much more global
community with a concern for social justice and environmental protection. The
creation of the solidarity camp is a perfect example of this global community. The
camp is currently composed of people from Ireland, England, France, and Germany
and has housed people from an even more diverse list of countries in recent
years. Each individual comes to the camp for different reasons, but their
purpose is to unite with the local community and work with them to make their
voices heard. Kate, a longtime member of the solidarity camp told us that
people throughout Ireland and the world have contacted local residents in
search of advice in creating protest campaigns. Mayo has become an example
(whether it be good or bad) for the world to reflect on.
I am a firm believer in
the idea that in order to truly understand a place, you must spend time there.
But after many experiences both home and abroad, I have found that sometimes
understanding cannot be reached until you have removed yourself from the
environment. This has been the case with my trip to Mayo. Now that I have had
the chance to reflect, I realize that I have taken so much away from our short
time in Mayo in terms of environmentalism, social justice, and conflict
studies: all of which I hope to apply in other areas throughout the program, especially
as I prepare to depart for Northern Ireland, as well as in other areas of my life. In a written piece by our
friend Betty, she identifies Shell’s presence within the community as
occupation, which I believe
to be a fitting description when I think of historical parallels. My first
thought went to the occupation of France during World War II and the
introduction of the Vichy regime. It is hard to believe that I am attempting to
compare WWII to a small rural town on the coast of Ireland, but the two
conflicts do share uncannily similar themes of confusion, lack of authority,
collaboration, resistance, feelings of defeat, and a strong sense of memory. Northern
Mayo may be a small area with a small conflict, but to the people in the midst
of it all, it is a continuous battle and it is anything but insignificant. I believe Patrick Kavanagh captures this sentiment
best in the last line of his poem titled Epic:
I
have lived in important places, times
When
great events were decided, who owned
That
half a rood of rock, a no-man's land
Surrounded
by our pitchfork-armed claims.
I
heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul!"
And
old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step
the plot defying blue cast-steel -
"Here
is the march along these iron stones."
That
was the year of the Munich bother.
Which Was
more important? I inclined
To
lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till
Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind.
He
said: I made the Iliad from such A local row.
Gods
make their own importance.
More information on the Shell project in Mayo:
Video produced by Shell provides the corporate perspective.
Documentary The Pipe uses real footage from protest and town meetings combined with interviews to depict the feelings of residents living near the pipeline project. If your interested, it's definitely worth a watch.
