Photo Blog Day 10: Last Day in Ireland

Lunch at Cronin's in Killarney. 

Dr. Quillin is loving the horse pulling the carriage.

Views of the river and Lough Leane (the Lake of Knowledge) from the carriage.

Xander enjoying the view.

Arriving at Ross Castle.

Joseph cracking some serious jokes.

The group shot at Ross Castle, our last site of the trip. 

Ilan examines a cannon at Ross Castle.

On the way out of Killarney National Park, we saw invasive Japanese Deer. 

Day 10: Back to Dublin

Contrary to some of our previous days in Killarney, today's morning was much more laid back due to our more casual itinerary we had planned. Because we were accustomed to an abrupt 7:30 wake up call each morning, it was refreshing getting the chance to get up and eat breakfast at whatever time we wanted so long as it was before 12:00. After a community breakfast we took a pleasant carriage ride through one of Ireland's national parks which happened to be one of two in Killarney, and one of six in Ireland. From the beautiful crystal blue water, to the elegant trees and indigenous animals, the scenery of this park was absolutely breathtaking. All of the tour guides that we've experienced so far have been very engaging and very funny, and today was no different. The tour guide combined with the soothing trot of the horse leading our carriage, ultimately lead to a very pleasant experience in the park.  Our final destination inside the park was Ross Castle, which was absolutely magnificent, as well as a significant part of Killarney's history. Though the exact date of it's construction is unknown, Ross Castle is estimated to have been built around the 15th century. And something this trip has proven to show time and time again is that the Irish very much value their history, which is an interesting conversation as someone coming from the United States, and considering the difference in age between Ireland's historic sights in proportion to that of our own. It was absolutely fascinating to see something from the 15th century still preserved by it's country and still available for the viewing of those that adore it.

When we finished our tour of the castle, we had established that we were all pretty hungry.  We then had a nice walk back into town through the park and chose to have dinner at a pizza place called Milano's. Once dinner had ended it was time to say goodbye to Killarney as we had concluded our stay there, and it was time to prepare for our departure back to Dublin. Unfortunately today was our final day of activities which means this will be the final blog of our trip. Overall the experience here has been incredible, through learning about history, experiencing culture, and even getting the chance to meet with a local politician, I think we'd all agree we couldn't have asked for a better trip. For a first time A-term that was almost entirely student lead, we exceeded all of our academic goals through participating in engaging seminars, successful site reports prior to the trip, and our soon to be completed artistic responses. We also had a ton of fun experiencing a foreign culture, seeing beautiful landscapes, and interacting with the locals. Overall I would deem this a successful A-term which I would like to see continued in future years to come.

Killarney Exclusive: Last Days in Ireland!

The landscape is breathtaking...and our students are too! For your viewing pleasure, more adventures of Post Oak Students in Killarney, The Ring of Dingle, and The Ring of Kerry!

Student photographers are Joseph and Morgann.


Francesco tries on some Irish menswear in Killarney.






















The group poses in front of the Bay of Kerry.


Jordan and Maya stand atop the 1400 year old ring fort.


Francesco, Daniel, and Ilan explore the ring fort.


Students stop to admire a gorgeous view on the Ring of Kerry.

                           
Harry and Andrew serve windy hair fierceness at an scenic point on the Ring of Kerry

Day 9 Photo Blog: A day in the Ring of Kerry

The donkey and the dog were at our first landscape picture stop. We made it to the view right before some rain (a drizzle) came in and made the area foggy. The man who these animals belong to was making crosses out of grass to help raise awareness for a charity.

 

This is an overlook on the side of the road that had an amazing view of the Kerry Bay and the mountains beyond it. 

The photos above are of our exploring a ring fort and leaving it to see more of the Ring of Kerry. The fort was for defense and is dated back to the year 600!

This was the windiest stop but it was spectacular! Many students and other tours were stopped here for the picture opportunity. We even met some people from New Jersey here.

This view may have just been for a bathroom break but nearby there where many interesting stores and even a goat that you could pet.

Day 9: Ring of Kerry

Today marked the second day of our backroads guided bus tours through County Kerry. The original plan was to tour the Ring of Kerry yesterday and the Ring of Dingle today, but due to the characteristically gloomy Irish weather yesterday, our lovely tour guide Anne called an audible and switched the itinerary. Thank God for Anne and her local intuition because today was almost unspeakably gorgeous. The Ring of Kerry is as scenic as the mountain roads are winding, and carsickness aside, it's safe to say no one had ever enjoyed a four hour bus ride so much. Not only did we have the pleasure of listening to Anne's Irish country lilt guide us through the history and culture of her hometown's greater area, but Kerry spoke for itself. The rolling hills and jagged, rocky mountains evoked a feeling much deeper than the physical nausea of the meandering, bumpy road, though that nausea did test the group's perseverance to stay on the sickening bus. I can't speak for the rest of the group, but I felt a poetic presence all around me, and was deeply moved. The last time I felt so small, I was looking up at the cloudless night sky of Big Bend National Park. I dare say that God outdid his work in West Texas when He created the Irish coast. After a stop at a breathtaking and alien-like ancient circular stone settlement (which was just another day on the job for Anne, who remained in the bus), the group made its way to St. Finian's Bay, the closest we ever came to the island where Disney filmed Luke Skywalker's secluded hideout. It looked to be about a half mile off shore, but the view was as clear as anyone could ask for. More striking than the island, however, was the beach underneath our feet. Jagged rocks, just like those at the tops of the mountains towering over us, jutted up from the sand, providing both a spectacular view and a tricky but dry path to the shore. Language fails in its description of a beauty so profound. Less profound but perhaps more indulgent was our subsequent walk to the nearby Skelligs Chocolate Factory. The kind employees there gave us all samples of just about everything they have to offer, ranging from strawberry and champagne flavored truffles to orange brittle. At first I thought the samples were a gesture of generosity, but after the tasting session, I felt my hand reaching for my wallet before I even had time to consider my purchase. The free samples were generous, but by golly if they didn't sell us a metric ton of chocolate. After our tasty treats and a lunch in town, Anne took us back to Killarney; to call it a scenic route would be an understatement. All in all, it's fair to call today an experience to remember, if not absolutely unforgettable.

Day 8: Irish Cultural Integrity and Luke Skywalker

Today was our eighth day in Ireland as well as our first full day in Killarney. As part of our stay in Killarney, we spent the day on a scenic bus tour around the surrounding area and went into the small town of Dingle. Although the weather was not in our favor, we were able to learn interesting information about the area in which we were traveling and even able to see where parts of the recent movies Star Wars VII: The Force Awaken and Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, were filmed.

While there we were able to see century-old stone huts which served as the model for Luke Skywalker's home in the movies. As fun and beautiful as all of today's activities were, the part which I found most interesting was the personal and collective integrity of the Irish people, specifically that of the man who oversaw "Luke's home."

When we arrived at the site, we were all extremely excited to be able to explore the hut. However, we were then surprised by the fact that the site accepted cash only. We did not have any cash with us, so we figured that we would not be able to enjoy the amazing structures. However, the kind gentlemen who maintained the area let us in for free anyways. He rejected our offer of mailing him payment a number of times, even though I would expect that he would want to be repaid following the trust he invested into our group by letting us in free. This is shocking to me because I would think that a business owner's main objective would be to gain revenue rather than to solely deliver on their service.

This made me start to think about the moral integrity of the Irish people and how that was translated into the interactions between the natives and the tourists. He could have jumped at the opportunity to take payment from us, but instead he denied us multiple times and kept his moral high ground. One may simply take this from an economic perspective, and say that he did it to be memorable to us and so that we would recommend visiting his establishment to potential customers, but it is more accurate to see it as an illustration of the moral integrity they have about their culture. For example, the Irish strongly emphasis the cultural significance and integrity of their native tongue of Gaelic in their youth, political system, and infrastructure. This is shown through how some of the youth of Ireland attend a two-week Easter vacation experience in rural Ireland to learn Gaelic and Irish tradition. It is also displayed in the way political positions are are named with Gaelic phrases such as the political parties and the Taoiseach (prime minister). It is also shown through the use of Gaelic translations on all the signs. This shows just how much Irish people value their native culture.

Photo Blog Day 8: Ring of Dingle Adventure!

This was our first stop on the drive. We had a breathtaking view of the lake, islands, and misty mountains in the distance.






A short walk from the lake, we walked through a large cemetery with many gravestones and statues. Some of these gravestones were so old that it was hard to read them.

After driving along the water and the side of a hill, we stopped at Inch Beach (which was a bit larger than an inch!) and got to walk along the sand and listen to the bubbling waves.


Then, we stopped at the edge of a hill to get a incredible view of the valley. The squares on the hillside almost makes it look like the hill is covered in a green quilt.

Then, we got to hold lambs! They were so soft and warm, and it was such a fun experience. We also got to walk close to the sheep.

At the same place where we held the lambs, we got to see the Beehive Huts. It was it was really cool because they were the same type of stone huts that are seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi on the planet where Luke lives.




Then, we drove to a place where we could get a view of the island where the ending scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens was filmed. It was so amazing getting to see this island in real life, as if we traveled to another galaxy!



While we were in the bus, we got to see sheep being herded by a man in a tractor and his dog. The drive was very scenic and it was cool how the colors of the mountains blended into the fog.



Then, we stopped in the town of Dingle for lunch. We had a reservation, and got to sit at a long table. After lunch we got to walk around the town before leaving back for Killarney.


The view from the windows on the drive back to Killarney was amazing!  We got to go past the cemetery again, and we drove past an old stone church. The green and silver landscapes felt so fresh alive, and everything was so beautiful. I hope to come back here again!