Day 6: Climbing and Diving

Day six was already off to a good start from the moment we woke up. The bus we chartered to drive us around didn't arrive until ten o'clock, so we were able to sleep in more than we had been previously. The addition of the bus to today's activities was welcome, as it meant that we would be able to cut down on the walking that we had done up until that point.

Our first stop was at Sandycove, where those of us who were brave enough dove into the Irish sea. Those who went in described their experiences vividly to the rest of the group after getting out of the water, saying such things as "it's really cold!" and "I can't feel my toes!" The fact that the day was sunny helped the situation, as students getting out of the water were able to warm up relatively quickly. While it was a shocking but unforgettable experience for those who went in, it was also a very entertaining experience for those of us who didn't, as we got to witness the reactions of the swimmers and judge who could spend the most time in the water.

As a change of pace, after diving into the sea, we climbed up the nearby James Joyce Tower. This tower, named after famed Irish writer James Joyce, was a spot in which he lived for some time and contained a view of the sea that Joyce wrote about in his work. The tower contained a staircase to a platform at its top, as well as a small museum dedicated to Joyce and his time living there. The small platform at the top of the tower gave a beautiful view of the Irish sea, as well as Dublin as a whole. We took a lot of pictures here. From the tower, you could look one way and see the vast forest of buildings of Dublin and turn around and get sense of the natural beauty of Ireland evident in the endless blue of the Irish sea.

After getting a full-scale, top-down view of the local area, we dove into its inner workings by visiting the seat of its local government, the Dún Laoghaire Council Hall. We were let in to the building and given a tour by Cormac Devlin, a member of the council who talked with us previously. Here, we were given a very clear picture of how politics in Ireland operated on a very local level, complementing the more national understanding of Irish politics we gained when visiting Leinster House. The last stop on our tour was in the actual council chambers, where we sat in the council members' seats while Mr. Devlin told us the nitty gritty about how the council operates, as well as some local issues faced by the Dún Laoghaire county. We walked out of the Hall with new insight into a point that Mr. Devlin had emphasized in our earlier conversation with him: that all politics are local.

For our final stop of the day, we climbed up to the top of a trail in Ticknock Forest. While the hike was exhausting for some, I think we all agreed that what was at the top was well worth the energy. From the top of the hill (it wasn't technically tall enough to be considered a mountain), we received an absolutely stunning view of the entirety of Dublin. There were several piles of rocks that we climbed up to get better views, including near the end of the hill that offered a large-scale view of the Irish sea. We took a lot of pictures here too. Either while walking down or after walking down, almost every student remarked about how gorgeous the scene at the hilltop was.