This week, I got to explore new parts of Ireland! With the school, we drove through Cork to see the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and Cahir Castle. Cork looked similar to Dublin with the river flowing through the center of the city and the beautifully colored buildings lining the streets. I would definitely want to come back and actually go into the city next time!
My most memorable part of the weekend was Blarney Castle! The 90-minute wait from here sign made we want to turn around and leave, but there was no way I could come all the way to Ireland and not kiss the Blarney Stone. With a small fear of heights, the idea of kissing the Blarney Stone was initially intimidating. The 90-minute wait raised my confidence, and it was really nice to talk with my friends and look out over the castle walls on the hike up. The steps inside of the castle were small and extremely steep, so it was a bit scary. I also heard many bad rumors about the hygiene of the stone, but with wet wipes in hand, I did it. The Blarney Stone was extremely misleading to me because I assumed the stone was the entire wall, so I didn’t understand why we had to lay on our backs. The stone in reality is a small piece of the huge wall and you have to lean your head super far back in order to kiss it.
Due to time constraints, I could not shop at the Blarney Woollen Mills, so I am still in search for a wool sweater.
On Sunday, Clara and I went to the Herbert Park farmer’s market and the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). The weather was absolutely beautiful. We thought a big event was happening in the city, but it seems that the second it is sunny and 70 degrees, all the Dubliners come out of their houses and flood the streets and parks. The farmer’s market had great assortments of fresh produce, but I could not buy anything fresh because of our plans to go to the IMMA. I bought three jars of honey from a lovely old Irish man and had a steak sandwich while sitting in the shady part of the park. I loved having a relaxing morning, so I am super excited to go back on my next Sunday off and try other farmers’ markets around the city.
On Saturday, the IMMA had three galleries on exhibition. The exhibitions revolved around the female experience in Ireland during the 1900s and how that connects to Irish nationalism. In the late 1900s, women, specifically in media and the arts, suffered from censorship and criticism. We also learned about the forced strip searches of women in prisons that weren’t out of necessity but intended to break their spirit. After spending most of our trips learning about preindustrial Ireland, it was a touching experience to learn about more modern women’s history.
I will be headed to Greece and visiting the Guinness Storehouse, so I am super excited to share my experience next week!