This trip has gone by so fast; I really can’t believe we still have almost half of our summer left to enjoy. On Wednesday morning of my internship, I attended the Connecting Artists 2024 Exhibition with my supervisor. The Connections Arts Centre of Ireland aims to help those with intellectual disabilities by providing accessible programs such as art, training programs, and mentorship. The exhibition showcases the work of those who participated in a ten-week mentorship and professional development program for artists with intellectual disabilities.
This weekend, our Bucknell group traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Our first stop was the Titanic museum, which was where the Titanic was built and set sail.
A few friends and I walked around the city searching for a place to stop for lunch. We decided to go to a seafood restaurant, “Fish City,” where Kayla and I split a seafood platter with shell crab, calamari, cod, scampi, and tiger prawn. The city was beautiful, and I noticed a change of atmosphere in another country. I felt like I was in the United Kingdom because of the architecture (and not just because I had to use pounds).
Next, our Bucknell tour visited the peace walls via a black taxi ride, where we learned about the thirty-year conflict known as the Troubles. The town is split into two by the Peace Wall built in 1969, with Protestants living on one side and Catholics on the other. The Protestants are pro-union under the United Kingdom, while the Catholics are the opposite (nationalists). During the troubles, there was extreme violence between the two groups, and the Peace Wall was built in hopes of mitigating the violence. The wall still stands to this day, and its gates are closed each night due to the ongoing tensions between the two groups.
We traveled along the northern coast to the Carrick-a-Rope Bridge in Ballintoy on Monday. The views were stunning. We learned a lot about the geography of the land, which used to be a limestone quarry.
Next, we traveled to the Giant’s Causeway, where we took a walking tour and learned about the history of the land. We discovered that the area once played a significant role in Ireland’s bustling linen, fishing, and now current tourism industry. The most fascinating part of its geography was the 40,000 black basalt columns, which were formed by a volcanic eruption millions of years ago.
So very beautiful and interesting.
Dear Aliyah,
Thank you for sharing such fascinating details about the history and culture of Northern Ireland. I had no idea about much of the information that you provided.
The British flavor and Basalt rocks associated with this country were among my favorite facts. Lastly, the talent displayed at the art exhibition is inspiring and magnificent.
Thank you for sharing!!
Aliyah! Such great photos (and commentary) to document a fun, busy week. I love that you were able to visit The Connections Art Centre with your supervisor. And I had no idea that the land in Ballintoy used to be a limestone quarry — so cool! Thanks for the update, looking forward to next week’s post!
Super insightful! I’m glad you got to explore the various aspects of this wonderful country!
Aliyah your photos are amazing! I never knew about the Connections Arts Centre of Ireland, but after seeing your pictures I will definitely make time to go visit it! So glad that you are able to visit it with your supervisor! All the other photos are also amazing! So glad that you had a great week 6!