Graney- Week 6 in Ireland « Management in a Global, Societal and Cultural Context

I just had to double-check because I couldn’t believe that this past week was my sixth in Ireland! Like all of the others, I had an incredible time seeing new parts of the country and learning about the Emerald Isle’s rich history.

This week was highlighted by the weekend trip to Belfast in Northern Ireland. Our first stop was one of my favorites of the trip so far: the Titanic Museum. Back in 6th grade, I was required to read Walter Lord’s “A Night to Remember,” a historically accurate account of the Titanic’s sinking written by one of the school’s alumni. While I regret not rereading the book before visiting the museum, I was able to recall a lot of what I remember reading while walking through the different exhibits. The second half of the museum was what I found the most engaging and interesting, beginning with the room where you hear the Morse code distress signals the ship sent out after colliding with the iceberg. It was fascinating to have the visual aids that showed how isolated the Titanic truly was from all of the other ships in the area and chilling to see the wall with all of the passengers’ names divided into survivors and victims. Some of the demographic information given in this area was also really interesting to see, such as only 20% of men on the voyage surviving. The final main room displaying recovered artifacts also gave a haunting feeling, especially when seeing Malcolm Johnson’s pocket watch which has had a frozen clock face since he fell into the frigid ocean.

Our next excursion was the black cab ride which gave me a very clear understanding of the divide throughout Belfast’s history and how it still exists in a smaller capacity today. Riding around the Protestant side of Belfast, I was amazed to see how much UDA propaganda remained in the neighborhood we visited. The wall with the gunmen who follow passer-byes was enough to make me feel uncomfortable and led me to envision how stressful it would have been to live in the region during the Troubles. The Catholic side, while feeling slightly nicer in my opinion, still had unsettling elements keeping the conflict’s memory fresh in the minds of all who visited the area. I was amazed to see that the houses closest to the peace walls still had large metal structures protecting the homes from being hit by pipe bomb shrapnel. While I know the area still is working toward full peace, it was great to be able to pass through the gates and experience not only both neighborhoods but also the viewpoints of both communities.

Sunday brought us to the country where we began the day hiking to the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. As we walked along the path, there were many stunning views of the Irish coastline, leading to some beautiful photos of the sapphire blue ocean. The bridge itself was very fun to walk over for me though I know others on the trip did not enjoy its springiness as much. I took a second to look down from the middle of the bridge and found it strangely peaceful to be suspended so high above the ocean. I think the experience reminded me of my trip to New Zealand where I stood at a bridge looking down at a large river below before bungee jumping at twelve years old. All of our weekend trips have reminded me of how much I enjoy seeking adventure and exploring places unlike any back home.

Our final stop was at the Giant’s Causeway. Our tour guide added quite a lot to the experience, explaining both the history of the people who had settled in the region and the mythological creatures said to have inhabited the area. He also shared how he was involved in the local music scenes, leading him to tie in as many music references into his tour as he could. Seeing the causeway in person was far more shocking than I expected and I had trouble prioritizing what to look at. Walking along the pillars to the ocean was the right choice but I look forward to seeing more of the molten-rock region when I come back with my family at the end of the program.

While it was an eventful few days, I really enjoyed a lot of the downtime time spent talking with people on these excursions. At some point or another in the two days we spent in Northern Ireland, I feel I had the opportunity to talk with everyone which was a nice way to connect with the people I was not as close with on the trip, and grew even closer to those I have been hanging out with regularly. I cannot believe how little time is left and while there is still a handful of things left on the itinerary, I want to make the most of each and every day.