#48 Monday, May 12th, 2008:Guiness Storehouse and Trinity College

My days are numbered : ( I don't like the feeling. When I see the O' Mathuna's or look at the River Liffey I think it will be the last time for a while.
The Guinness Storehouse houses the museum of the brewery at Saint James Gate, the original location of the factory. Tourists and locals can come to the Guinness Storehouse and have a self-guided tour. It was important that I visit the Guinness Storehouse because of its huge impact on the Irish society. It hard to imagine that beer and its owners could have such a huge influence over Ireland but it's true.
Arthur Guinness (1725-1803) grew up on the lands of the Archbishop of Cashel helping his father brew beer for the tenants. From a very young age Arthur Guinness was interested in the making of beer. In the 1750s Arthur went to establish a brewery in Leixlip, County Kildare, with his brother. After a few years he let his brother take control of the brewery and left for Dublin. In Dublin he signed a lease at the Saint James Gate Brewery for 9,000 years at 45 pounds a year. The amount of the land is massive! I can't imagine that their still leasing it for that amount.
Arthur wanted to create a beer that diverted the Irish from drinking whiskey. Whiskey is bad for the liver and increases the chance of getting cancer in the head or neck. From the start his intentions were good. To reverse this long accepted habit Arthur needed to make something unique and available for all classes.
In 1759 Arthur Guinness founded his own brewery at the already existing Saint James Gate Brewery. He first started brewing ale but had heard of a new type of beer called 'porter' in London. After learning of its success he started brewing porter in the 1770s. Arthur was the first person to bring porter to Ireland. The response to the porter from Irish was incredible and by 1799 he had stopped brewing ale altogether. Four years later he died leaving behind a thriving business and 21 kids (10 survived to adulthood). Since Arthur Guinness died it has become the largest brewery at 60 acres, a family business for 6 generations and sold in 150 different countries. The Guinness family and brewery has left its footprint all over Ireland and has brought wealth to the 'emerald island'.
For about a year now I have wanted to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is living history of the devotion and talents that ancient Irish monks had. The incredible amount of dedication to create this ancient scripture must have been immense. I have complete respect for the four unknown monks who created this piece art.
The History
The Book of Kells (called so after being found in a town called Kells) was created in 800 by 4 (maybe) monks off the coast of Scotland on a island called Iona. Today it has a huge population of 125. During the 8th century perhaps 25 Christian monks inhabited a monastery on the island of Iona. The island was a reputable oasis and had been the home of Columcille

hat amount.
Arthur wanted to create a beer that diverted the Irish from drinking whiskey. Whiskey is bad for the liver and increases the chance of getting cancer in the head or neck. From the start his intentions were good. To reverse this long accepted habit Arthur needed to make something unique and available for all classes.
In 1759 Arthur Guinness founded his own brewery at the already existing Saint James Gate Brewery. He first started brewing ale but had heard of a new type of beer called 'porter' in London. After learning of its success he started brewing porter in the 1770s. Arthur was the first person to bring porter to Ireland. The response to the porter from Irish was incredible and by 1799 he had stopped brewing ale altogether. Four years later he died leaving behind a thriving business and 21 kids (10 survived to adulthood). Since Arthur Guinness died it has become the largest brewery at 60 acres, a family business for 6 generations and sold in 150 different countries. The Guinness family and brewery has left its footprint all over Ireland and has brought wealth to the 'emerald island'.
For about a year now I have wanted to see the Book of Kells at Trinity College. The Book of Kells is living history of the devotion and talents that ancient Irish monks had. The incredible amount of dedication to create this ancient scripture must have been immense. I have complete respect for the four unknown monks who created this piece art.
The History
The Book of Kells (called so after being found in a town called Kells) was created in 800 by 4 (maybe) monks off the coast of Scotland on an island called Iona. Today it has a huge population of 125. During the 8th century perhaps 25 Christian monks inhabited a monastery on the island of Iona. The island was a reputable oasis and had been the home of Columcille [I have known it this way, the old Irish way. Others call him Saint Columba.], the man who brought Christianity to Scotland.
The secluded little island of Iona was invaded by the Vikings shortly after the monks started making the Book of Kells. Monks were killed and their churches were pillaged. The creators of the Book of Kells fled to Kells, County Meath, Ireland for refuge. The Book of Kells took many years to make. The parchment was vellum, researchers guess that 125 calves skins were used in the making.
I also saw the oldest harp in Ireland at the Long Room in Trinity College. The harp has long been a symbol of Ireland and also Guinness.

#47 Sunday, May 11th, 2008:Hill of Tara

Cheri took me to the Hill of Tara today. The Hill of Tara is a series of earthworks in county Meath. Created by the Pagans as a residence and a place of worship when Ireland was split into kingdoms. The Hill of Tara is where the king of all kings and lands was. The site could use some more attention. Right now protesters have set of camp in petition about a new motorway called the M3. The M3 has been a highly controversial motorway that comes close to many ancient sites. The government didn't have to excavate the area where the M3 is going to be placed but they hired a large team of professional archaeologists to excavate the entire area. The archaeological project took a total of three years. That is the longest excavation project I have ever known for a motorway! Giving the location it did not surprise me that they found some amazing artifacts. Check them out.
The protesters set up tepees. One of them chained themselves underground and had to 'rescued' by Garda.

# 46 Saturday, May 10th, 2008:Kayaking in the Irish Sea

Not the greatest day. Would of had a amazing day if my digital camera had not broke. Just 3 days ago my Titanium Macbook Pro stopped working. This picture was taken before I broke my camera (dropped my bag and it was in there...)

#45 Friday, May 9th, 2008: Brú na Bóinne

Pronounced brew-nah-boyne-yah.
The ultimate reason why decided to have my 4th Quarter Walkabout in Ireland was because of the many Mesolithic archaeological sites still standing. More then 300 passage tombs, 2/3 of the worlds Megaliths, earthworks (mounds and other structures made from soil), dolmens, castles, abbeys, monasteries and stone/wood circles decorate the landscape.
One of the best examples of Neolithic passage tombs is in the world is the Brú na Bóinne complex in county Meath. I've known about this site for two years now and always wanted to go. Laura decided to take me to the Brú na Bóinne complex on my way back to Dunboyne. I packed up my belongings and made my way to the archaeological wonder.
Brú na Bóinne is a complex meaning there is a series of interconnected sites that are inside of the complex. Knowth, Dowth and the popular Newgrange are the complex. The sites interconnect by the fact that all three were inhabited by the Boyne Valley people. Dowth is currently under construction or excavation and cannot be accessed.
We bought are tickets and waited for the bus to take us to the complexes. Knowth, Dowth and Newgrange are not clustered in one area. First stop was the less famous but equally incredible Knowth. Knowths is a series of earthworks built 5,000 years ago and was only excavated in 1961. "Knowth has the largest collection of megalithic art in from neolithic western Europe, and accounts for some 50% of the total engraved megalithic stones in Ireland." says researcher Martin Byrne. It is remarkable that Knowth alone has nearly the greatest collection of megalithic art, overshadowing more than 13 countries.
Archaeology Terms
Passage Tombs/Graves: A passage leading through a mound to a taller and bigger chamber. Sometimes the chamber will have side chambers or a corbelled roof.
Kerbstones: Stones that outline an earthwork(s) or structure.
Megalith: A large stone used in a structure.
Our tour guide informed us that he was going to talk slow. He also said that he had a Dublin accent. I still can't differentiate a Dublin accent from suburb accent. The Belfast boys were making fun of Peter and calling him D4 (Dublin area 4). They mocked the Dublin accent.
Entering the grounds of Knowth we see the West Passage (passage inside mound) surrounded with satellites. Satellites are the smaller mounds containing tombs that encircle or are scattered around the main mound. The Western Passage has 127 kerbstones, also megaliths, around its perimeter. Only a few megaliths don't have artwork on them. There is one particular megalith that shows astroarchgaeological importance. The stone has half-moons in a variation of sizes. It is very likely that the Boyne Valley people figured out the the lunar phases and had etched it into the stone.
The Boyne Valley people were not Christian 5,000 years ago but Pagan. Paganism places utmost value on nature including the Sun, Moon and Earth. The reoccurring artwork and structures in Knowth seem to be worshiping and aligned with the Moon. The East and West Passages were aligned with the Spring and Summer equinoxes. During these equinoxes there would have been festivities, rituals and maybe feasts at Knowth. Knowth was originally a sacred and ceremonial place for the Boyne Valley people in the Neolithic archaeological period. During the Iron Age (1000 BC - 400 AD) and the Christian period (400 AD-???) the spiritual center of Knowth was abandoned by the creators for unknown reasons. Instead it became a permanent settlement and the mounds were greatly leveled to some extent. That way the houses and cattle could be on a stable land. Because the mounds were desecrated they no longer line up with the equinoxes.
The Western Passage has the longest Megalithic passage in Western Europe, being at 40 meters long. The passage is in a cruciform (almost a cross) shape meaning that it has side chambers. At the end of the passage is the chamber with the corbelled roof at 7 meters high. Around the mound is white quartz (silicone dioxide) and kerbstones. It is not prohibited to go in the passage because two orthostats (standing megaliths, lithos meaning rock in ancient Greek) have partially fallen and people would have to crawl. To fix the orthostats would mean dismantling the corbelled ceiling and unearthing part of the mound.
I have already typed too much...
Next stop Newgrange!
Newgrange is a behemoth of a mound at 80 meters across and 12 meters high. Around the base is 97 kerbstones with some decorated. Newgrange pales in comparison to Knowth when it comes to the amount and quality of megalithic art. Newgrange's claim to fame is that it is the oldest standing structure in the world (3200 BC). Older then the Pyramids of Giza and Stonehenge. Newgrange underwent a massive restoration under the direction of Micheal J. O' Kelley and because of that looks incredible. I am a little unsure on the accuracy of the structure. It looks grand and I wonder if that was Micheal's intentions.
The walls in the front of the passage tomb are lined with white quartzite. During the Winter Solstice the dawn light shines through the 'roof-box' and illuminates 20 meters into the passage. The girl tour guide splits us into two groups, the orange and yellow. The yellow group gets to go first into Newgrange and that meant me. As the group of 20 people walk through the passage they have to duck, except for me. The passage is about a meter across. As we enter the chamber we see to side chambers and a small alter like alcove at the top. Looking up there is a corbelled roof. The corbelled roof architecture is so efficient that water has never leaked through for the since constructed (5000 years ago).
To create the Winter Solstice effect the lights were shut off within Newgrange. After everyone was instructed to be packed against the stone wall and arranged by hight. It was pitch black. Winter Solstice light crept in slowly. It did not illuminate the entire chamber but just a single line from where it shone through the roof-box. I did not know the tour included this. The Boyne Valley people were very sophisticated indeed.

44 Thursday, May 8th, 2008: The Round Tower and the Heist

My wonderful chauffer and tour guide, Laura O’ Mathuna, drove me to the Round Tower in Clones. Initially the Round Tower was built from limestone in 9^th century for storage purposes. The Vikings invaded in 795 and raided monastic establishments like Clones. At the time of the Viking pillaging the Round Tower was used as place of defence and refuge for the monks. The Round Tower stands at 75 feet tall but was originally 90 feet until conical cap collapsed. North of the tower is a graveyard dating back to the 1700s. Famous for the sarcophagus of Saint Tighearnach that is carved from stone is the shape of a house.

Later I went to Maire and Paul’s house to use the internet. Paul told me about the Martin Cahill heist of O’Connor Jewellers. Martin Cahill is the notorious Irish gangster who specializes in robbery. Cahill’s claim to fame is when he robbed the major manufacturer O’Connor Jewellers. I was surprised to know that Eamonn’s wife is the daughter of the O’Connor. Cahill and his minions, dressed as a football team, walked out of O’Connor’s Jewellers with $3,000,000 worth of jewellery. One hundred people had to be laid off because insufficient funding. The O’Connor’s apparently don’t like talking about the heist. It was an embarrassment to the family. Martin Cahill was shot and killed while getting into his car by the IRA in 1994. Four years after his death movie producers already had plans of creating a film on Martin Cahill. The producers went to the O’Connor Jewellery owner to ask if they could film part of their movie, ‘The General’, at the store. Mr. O’Connor replied “If you can repay the amount of money the jewellery went for then you can film in my store.” The directors replied ‘No’.  

43 Wednesday, May 7th, 2008: Canoeing with Eoin

Laura and Eamonn had Donal, Eoin, Maires (Maura) and Eamonn. Their childhood was spent in Ballybay town center living in the apartments above of the pharmacy the O’ Mathuna’s owned. Laura and me walked around the lake and passed their old pharmacy. Originally their apartment had been small but when the surrounding apartments in the same building went on sale they bought it. After the extension their series of apartments became like a mansion. They must have had 7 rooms.
Eoin is the youngest and he lives in a renovated 300 year old house for the caretakers of a nearby stable in Ballybay. His house is situated behind their old apartment and pharmacy. Eoin purchased their old property and is planning to knock it down to create a clinic and apartments. Eoin likes canoeing, camping and kayaking so he offered to take me canoeing down a river and lake system right in Ballybay. I accepted. He came to pick me up in his Boy/Girl Scout monster truck and said that I could not wear jeans and a cotton t-shirt. The semi-OK outfit I ended up in was Laura’s old bright turquoise sweatpants, a super tight elastic black top that Eoin found, a helmet and hiking shoes with no socks. I looked like MC Hammer or a Genie.
We jumped into his monster truck and pulled up next to a field. There was a formidable problem: how to get the canoe over a barbed wire fence. We backed the truck against the barbed wire fence and Eoin was going to ease the canoe (from the top of the truck) over. As Eoin was going to push the canoe over the barbed wire a meddlesome large horse stood in the exact position that the canoe was being placed. Eventually the horse moved but followed us across the entire field. The horses ignored me and were fascinated with Eamon. To get into the field I had to go through a barbed wire fence...it was intense!
Eoin nudged the canoe into the river and we jumped in. Eoin directed the boat and I was the brute force that propelled it. Thankfully the weather was excellent and the wind and current was behind us. The two elements were making are journey easier. The thought did not arise that the elements would be against us for the journey back. Surrounding the river were fields with lazing cows and sheep. The cows here differentiate with Ohioan cows by the being smaller with shaggy hair. Irish cows come in all the colors of the rainbow just not as vivid. We saw the huge flock swans. He said that it could be the indigenous endangered swans that live in Ballybay.
Eoin talked about how his Scouts went to Greece, Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and many more European countries. He also talked about the climate change in one of the European mountains he climbed. The climate there was abnormally warm he said. The most difficult river he has canoed on was the River Liffey which runs through Dublin city. The canoeing journey was very relaxing. The silence and rythmatic oaring was perfect for reflecting and contemplating the past and future of my travels in Ireland.
After this I and Laura went to the Cahans Church that was built in the 1700’s for the Presbyterians. The sarcophagus of Elizabeth Nesbitt Clark who had died with her son 6 months after his birth is placed in the graveyard behind the church. The Cahans Church is under renovation due to structure deterioration. The construction company erected a fence to ward off looters in the only entrance. Up the road there was a large ruined stone house (nearly every building in Ireland is made from stone) and we tried to enter the church from its backyard but a wall of thorn bushes (also very common) prevented us. Down the road I spotted a rustic but ornate iron gate hidden by foliage. Through the gate I could see thorn bushes and no path. I was scared of getting cut by a thorn bush or even worse, a nettle. Laura who has insisted that Celtic women are fiercely strong trumped through the plants and thorn bushes without a losing a nerve. Laura is a very strong woman. I followed her. Finally we got to see the church and the graveyard. The sarcophagus was intact except for a dislodged stone as big as my head. It was a sunny day and I could have easily peered through. Inches away from looking in I felt scared and intrusive and stopped. I did take a picture. The flash did not penetrate the darkness of the tomb for some reason.
On our way back to the house we stopped at field that has a dolman. The dolman (proper term, portal tombs) is a marker of an ancient burial that was originally in a mound. Mounds were desecrated and unearthed for the precious offerings people left for the dead. This particular portal tomb was in a field on a slope. It was reported that there is a bull that sometimes grazes in the field. I was tempted to climb over the gate but the senior risk factor can only be taken so far.

#42 Tuesday, May 6th, 2008: Lack of Funding for Navan Fort

Navan Fort is an early Christian settlement that involved a series mounds. Arrived at Navan Fort and was disappointed to see the gates closed. Ireland’s economy has only boomed recently and heritage sites have been made second to healthcare, city development and education. Sites like Navan Fort have been partially funded but not sufficiently. The government is making actions on renovating and restoring historical sites of interest. Navan Fort had to be closed last year due to lack of funding. The state reopened the site but only for a few months a year. We headed to Armagh to have lunch then Belfast to shop. Crossing the border is not significant; the land is the same and there are no customs or toll booths. Laura and Kathleen (Eammon’s sister) shopped and I headed to the park to read The Tain.
At Giant’s Causeway I bought the Irish epic and since then have finished the book. I was disappointed when I discovered that The Tain that I had read was the simplified and children version. Now I am borrowing Laura’s copy that has 505 pages instead of the 80 page Tain that I had. To better explain The Tain I did some independent research and found out many interesting historical facts within the book. The Tain has many versions because it was patched together with different texts over time. Parts of the text originate from the 8th century and others as late as the 14th century. This research revealed that Emain Macha (Ev-in Mah-ha), the biggest setting/location in the book, is Navan Fort. That means Navan Fort is one of the foremost archaeological sites in Ulster. The king of Ulster and the famous elite warriors of the Red Branch lived at Navan Fort. It was the political center of Ulster. I am confused because the plaques around Navan Fort only mentioned a Christian community but the settlement was completely Pagan.
I cannot believe that I was at Emain Macha and did not know it. The Emain Macha site should be on the states priority list!

#41 Monday, April 5th, 2008: To Ballybay

Yesterday morning Murph and Matt (not Matty) gave me a free Starbucks breakfast because they work there. Absolute angels! On top of that they catered to the entire O’Mathuna family. This morning they served us a traditional “Ulster Breakfast” but mine was altered to accommodate my vegetarian preference. Bursting with carbohydrates the breakfast consisted of pancakes, potato pancakes, soda bread, potatoes, toast, sausage and eggs. Good meal but I felt I had been brought to a taxidermist afterwards. After that we packed are bags and said goodbye. Thankfully it is not the last goodbye because they are coming in July to Columbus.
Forgot to mention that me and the O’ Mathuna’s stopped by Lindsay’s husbands, Patrick, moms (Marvin Ann) house on our way back from Giant’s Causeway. The house had wooden floors and a pond with coy fish. Flowers were landscaped around the front and the back of the house. The street she lived on was pure country, nothing but farms. Mainly sheep farms were in the area. Marvin Ann put together a lovely selections cheeses, breads, fruits and pastries to snack on. Marvin Ann’s mom was there as well and I talked to her about Russian history, travelling and school. She is a very intelligent lass.
The next destination on this extended weekend trip was to Ballybay, the home of Laura O ‘Mathuna, Donal’s mom. Laura agreed to keep me for the week. Nothing against her character but I was expecting that to do everything on my own in Ballybay. But was I mistaken! We arrived at her house that can be stereotyped as a “cookie cutter house”. The houses all looked the same but the inside is where the story is told. The interior is wrapped in her and her family’s history. As you walk in there is a picture of her late husband and herself with the late Irish President Patrick Hillary. Laura’s husband was champion fiddle player and a key person on the board of Red Cross. Eammon, her husband, had won an award was able to meet the president. Pictures, paintings, antiques, Baleek and Waterford pieces decorated the rooms. Her backyard was landscaped and fenced. Beyond the fence was a stable of horses and natural spring protected by the state. Fifty yards in front of the house was a huge lake created by servants. That way the servant’s could be self-sufficient by living off the lake creatures.
Nothing is really planned for today except to unpack, take a shower and relax. After three days of constant moving it is nice slow the adrenaline down in a peaceful country town.

41 Sunday, May 4th, 2008: Giant's Causeway

Happy Birthday Mom.
Wish I could be there to celebrate your birthday.
I have wanted to go to Giant's Causeway before I even arrived in Ireland. It is a spectacular oddity in the geology. Millions of years ago it was a volcanic area. It formed long cylinders of basalt in the form of a pentagon. Irish folklore has it that Fionn McCool, an almighty man and sometimes giant, walked across Antrim Coast and that created Giant's Causeway. It was a bit misty when we arrived at Giant's Causeway but it completely cleared up. It even got hot! This was a priceless day.
Now a little bit on the dark side. My laptop, camera, sunglasses and new flat iron broke within three days of time. I am extremely irritated because I worked hard to get those things. But I am getting over it. Last week (the week starting with May 5th) I was out in the country in Ballybay and barely had access. I was planning on doing it when I came back (May 10th) because there was no way of getting it in Ballybay or the neighboring town. Now I have this build up of blogs and I only have ten days left with a bunch of things to do. I am writing what happened during that day so I won't forget.

40 Saturday, May 3rd, 2008: Trip to Belfast.

Half pass one the whole O' Mathuna family and me packed into the car -like sardines- and headed to Belfast. Belfast is in Northern Ireland which is not part of the Republic of Ireland (<-- I live there). Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and in the Ulster provenince of the entire Ireland. They do have their own government which is based on courts and tribunals instead of executive and legislative branches. The technical term is common law. Cheri and Donal (D.C.) said they would take me on one big trip and I decided on Giant's Causeway. It is a beautiful and fascinating place. Giant's Causeway in Antrim County was not far from Belfast. Luckily D.C. knew some college boys and girls that we could stay with. Donal offered to take me, Conor and Peter mountain climbing in Armagh County, also in Ulster. This is where I started thinking about the implications of the senior flavor, 'Risk'. Obviously I have taken risks but this was a different type of risk. I am afraid of hights and have never climbed a mountain before. The "mountains" here are basically hills. The tallest "mountain" is only 3,000 plus feet. The mountain that we were to climb is Slieve Gullion ('slieve' means mounatin in Irish) at 1,894 feet high. For someone who is afraid of a 20 feet climbing wall this truly was a mountain. I decided to climb it for three reasons. One being the taking risks factor. Two being to hopefully conquer my fear of hights. Three being that there was an archaeological gold mine on top of the mountain; two passage tombs that dated to 3,000 + B.C. Slieve Gullion has been mentioned in text since 600 AD in the Táin Bó Cúalnge, an epic tale about a man named Cuchulain (pronounced coo-call-in) who must defend Ulster single-handedly. In the book they call Slieve Gullion a more Irish sounding name though. Physiclly it was a volcano that had a massive explosion 60 million years ago. Which I later noticed on the mountain that the dirt was black. I was armed in 6 layers including a water proof windbreaker, gloves, a water bottle and double socks. The mountain is not covered with trees and is very bare excpet for shrubs, grass, rocks and small flowers. The incredible force of the winds I had not anticipated. I have never in my life felt like I was going to be blown away until I was on Slieve Gullion. When I got out of the car my body was pushed back a few steps. The hiking boots I have has a fabulous grip on them so I felt pretty secure. Physically it was strenuous. Walking with gravity against you opposed to behind you is difficult. Determined not to seem tired, out of breath and weak made me forget about the steepness of Slieve Gullion. I watched a documentary a few months ago about Earnest Shackleton with my dad about how he and his crew survived in Antartica for two years. What he did was insane. Anyways, I have used Earnest Shackleton for motovation (haha, Graham School mural) in difficult times like climbing Slieve Gullion. But I am happy and proud to say I made it to the top. I was so happy about seeing the passage tombs and Calliag Bheara's Lake (Lake Hag or Witch) that I skipped down the mountain. Then suddenly I fell in a hole. To be more precise one leg fell in the hole, there was only enough room for a leg. The hole was so deep that it came up to my thigh. I imagined a diamond back snake sunking its poisonous fangs into my leg. I was at least 6 minutes ahead of everyone. I scrambled out of that dang hole. That had to be scariest part of the mountain climbing. I arrived on the step of the Belfast boys door looking like a walking mud cake. The guys were sweet and hilarious. They cooked food on the grill for me, D.C., P.C. ( Conor and Peter). I changed my pants there because they were covered in mud. When I went to leave (Murph was walking me to the girls house) the house I almost forgot my pants. I asked Murph and Matt if they saw my pants. I said they had mud all over them. They started cracking up and I thought it was about something else. They could of stopped me from bursting into the living room where a bunch of people were at. Which I loudly exclaimed if anyone had seen my muddy pants. What I forgot was that pants mean underwear. Trousers are pants. So embaressing! That was my first cultural ut-oh. I really had a great time at the boys house. The girls house I just slept at. 

39 Friday, May 2nd, 2008: W.B. Yeats

Went to the National Library of Ireland and they had a spectacular exhibit on the famous W. B. Yeats. This is what I learned.

William Butler Yeats born 1865 in Dublin, Ireland and lived a life of poetry, occultism, politics and romanticism. W. B. Yeats father was John Butler Yeats and he was an aspiring lawyer until he turned to art. Susan Pollexfen was his mother and came from a prosperous family of shipping and milling business. W. B. Yeats attended school but was not phenomenal, in fact his report cards said 'very poor in spelling', 'exceedingly weak' and 'bad'. In later years Yeats would be declared the leading writer of the 20th century and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. The debut poem that won him notoriety was The Tower. Personally I like The Stolen Child because of my fondness of Irish lore.

As a child he grew up protestant but constantly pestered servants for myths and lore. As a grown man he wavered from Protestant belief and joined two theosophical occults. Reincarnation, mediums, tarot readings, symbolism, conversing with the dead, Irish and Asian mysticism fascinated him. Yeats and his wife, Georgie Hyde-Lees, later developed their own religion and order. The religion envolved multiple religions but no, it was not like Kabbalah.

W. B. Yeats was a hopeless romantic. Once fallen in love it became an obsession. A good example would be Maud Gonne who he met when she visited his father. Maud Gonne was an actress and Irish Revolutionary. Yeats fell in love with her at first sight and claimed that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. I think she looks masculine. Gonne was Yeats muse and inspired many famous poems (i.e. Not Another Troy). Yeats proposed to Gonne twice and was refused both times. A year after the second proposal (1917) 52 year old Yeats decided to propose to 23 year old Isault Gonne, Maud's daughter. The second best to getting Maud. Isault refused. In 1918 Yeats proposed to 24 year old Georgie Hyde-Lees and she accepted. Apart from that he had numerous flings and affairs with different women.

Politically he served two terms as senator in the Irish Free State and was in the Irish Revolutionaries. He was hardly a compassionate member in the Irish Revolutionaries and hid in his house when struggles between the Crown and the Irish erupted. What he did not protest in actions he protested in words.

Easter, 1916

I HAVE met them at close of dayComing with vivid faces From counter or desk among grey Eighteenth-century houses. I have passed with a nod of the head Or polite meaningless words, Or have lingered awhile and said Polite meaningless words, And thought before I had done Of a mocking tale or a gibe To please a companion Around the fire at the club, Being certain that they and I But lived where motley is worn:All changed, changed utterly:A terrible beauty is born.

That woman's days were spent In ignorant good-will, Her nights in argument Until her voice grew shrill. What voice more sweet than hers When, young and beautiful, She rode to harriers?This man had kept a school And rode our winged horse; This other his helper and friend Was coming into his force; He might have won fame in the end, So sensitive his nature seemed, So daring and sweet his thought. This other man I had dreamed A drunken, vainglorious lout. He had done most bitter wrong To some who are near my heart, Yet I number him in the song; He, too, has resigned his part In the casual comedy; He, too, has been changed in his turn, Transformed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.

Hearts with one purpose alone Through summer and winter seem Enchanted to a stone To trouble the living stream.The horse that comes from the road. The rider, the birds that range From cloud to tumbling cloud, Minute by minute they change; A shadow of cloud on the stream Changes minute by minute; A horse-hoof slides on the brim, And a horse plashes within it; The long-legged moor-hens dive, And hens to moor-cocks call; Minute by minute they live: The stone's in the midst of all.

Too long a sacrifice Can make a stone of the heart. O when may it suffice? That is Heaven's part, our part To murmur name upon name, As a mother names her child When sleep at last has come On limbs that had run wild. What is it but nightfall? No, no, not night but death; Was it needless death after all? For England may keep faith For all that is done and said. We know their dream; enough To know they dreamed and are dead; And what if excess of love Bewildered them till they died? I write it out in a verse -MacDonagh and MacBride And Connolly and Pearse Now and in time to be, Wherever green is worn, Are changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.

This is the most I have ever learned from an exhibition. Since I was already by it I went to the Archaeology Museum again.

38 Thursday, May 1st, 2008:Donal and Cheri Return

Donal and Cheri returned from their anniversary vacation in France. According to Cheri they had a relaxing time but the food was undesirable. As souvenirs they bought two water color paintings that match their collection at the house. Discovered that 'Dun' in Dunboyne means fort. Boyne is derived the River Boyne that runs through County Meath (pronunciation 'Meave'). The Boyne river is not terminal and flows out of the Irish Sea that lies to the west of Ireland. I am glad Cheri and Donal are back. Empty houses are bleak.

#37 Wednesday, April 30th, 2008: Ireland Archaeology Museum

I went to the Ireland Archaeology Museum, got complimented (two times) and made three friends. This is quite possibly the best day yet. As I entered the Archaeology Museum I attempted to take a picture of the ceiling. The ceiling was incredibly intricate and was colored a baby-blue. The curator yelled across the room to not take pictures and my hopes crashed. Working at the University Archives and ASC Group it was understandable that the curators wanted to preserve the artifacts and architecture. I went to pay and the curator who yelled at me said it was free. The curator asked where I was from. I replied Columbus, Ohio. Suddenly the curator became ecstatic and said "Isn’t there a Dublin there?!”. This is the third time this happened to me. I told him I worked for an archaeological firm and he gave me permission to take a picture of the ceiling that I was admiring. He told the guards I was an archaeologist. The Ireland Archaeological Museum has an astonishing 2,000,000 artifacts including exhibitions in Viking Ireland, Prehistoric Ireland, Ór (Irelands Gold), Medieval Ireland and Bog culture. I was thoroughly impressed with all the exhibits but Viking Ireland was my favorite. It should be known that the Vikings raided Ireland between 795 and 836 A.D. The Vikings brought new technologies and systems to the Irish people. The Vikings also raided and pillaged established communities which were monasteries at that time. The Viking occupation established merchant towns like the Republic of Irelands capital, Dublin. They brought essentially brought capitalism to Ireland which in the long term counterbalanced the raiding. The Vikings brought the comb and the weight scales too.

Bogs are created after many years of decay of foliage and animals. Bogs cover 1/6 of Ireland and are a major source of fuel. The habitat of the bog is very unique in that it preserves organic and inorganic material for hundreds of years in a pristine state. The bogs are so thick that the oxygen can’t permeate (anaerobic-Oxygen free) and allow the bacteria to decompose the material or life forms. The museum housed the three bog bodies out of a thousand found. One is the Old Croghan Man, radiocarbon dated to be over 2,000 years old (362 B.C.). Crogham Man was decapitated, stabbed, nipples cut off and sawed in half. The Crogham Man was 6’6 and of higher status. A chemical analysis of his nails revealed that his diet consisted of a lot of meat. His nails were manicured as well. People, animals and objects were given to the bog for spiritual reasons. I got told that I had pretty eyes and hair. And a guy whispered a little too loudly that I was hot. Archaeology and compliments...I don't think it can get any better!

I will not be able to access the internet because I will be in Ballybay. It is in the country. I have had problems connecting to the internet lately because I have been in Belfast.

#36 Tuesday, April 29th, 2008: Garda

My plan was to withdraw money from the Dunboyne bank and then go to Ireland National Museum. I went to the bank and waited in line. Dunboyne is a small town with only 5,000 people meaning that everyone knows everybody. The lady apparently knew the banking accountant and talked to her for 8 minutes. Then when it was my turn the accountant said that I needed to withdraw money from her coworker. Her coworker was chatting with a customer. Great...
I missed my bus and the next one was not until an hour and a half. Then I would only have a few hours at the museum. I decided to skip getting money from Dunboyne Bank and head to the biggest mall in Ireland. I take the 270 to the mall.
I get to a bank at the mall and wait ten minutes. Get to an accountant and he says that I need to use the machine outside. Wait 5 minutes and I put my card in the machine. The machine said ALERT! At that I quickly removed my card. The machine said it was going to shut down but before doing that it said that it was going to call Garda.
Garda is the fuzz. The 5-0. The cops.
Not the best day.
Useful information: The Irish Flag
The green represents the Catholics and the orange represents the Protestants. The white represents the peace between the two religions.

#35 Monday, April 28th, 2008: Intro 101

Donal O'Mathuna- The Father
Donal O'Mathuna grew up in Ireland by Northern Ireland. He went to the states for part of his schooling and met Cheri O'Mathuna. they married and had three kids in the states. After some time they moved to Ireland and Donal became a professor at Dublin City University teaching in ethics and nursing.

Cheri O'Mathuna- The Mother

Cheri grew up in Columbus and lived in Clintonville for many years. Cheri is a good cook.

Catrina O'Mathuna- The Daughter
Catrina went to high school in Ireland. After receiving her leaving certificate she moved to the states for schooling. Right now she is going to Columbus State. Catrina will punch people but it is OK because she is just playing.

Conor O'Mathuna- The Son

Conor just turned 15 and goes to Saint Peters College, which is actually a high school. He likes to play football and Guitar Hero.

Peter O'Mathuna- The Son


Peter is 12 years old and goes to middle school. He likes to play football and his guitar. Does not like it when people mess up his hair.

#34 Friday, April 25th, 2008: Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced like 'kill and maim jail') was established in 1796 shortly before the Act of Union of the United Kingdom was created in purpose to unify Ireland with the U.K.
Kilmainham Gaol is a national landmark because it has captivated history by living through distraught times of the United Irish Rebellion of 1798, the Emmet Rebellion of 1803, the Great Famine of 1845 to 1851, the Young Ireland Rebellion of 1848, the Fenian Rebellion of 1867, the Land War of the 1880s, the Easter Rising of 1916, the War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. [Information provided by tour guide, Ben]
People incarcerated were not discriminated by age or sex. An eight year old boy was imprisoned for eight weeks for stealing turnips from a garden. Another juvenile for stealing a wheel. Children under 14 served up to 12 weeks and anyone older served 'X' amount of weeks/months/years. Petty crimes could become life sentences. Catholics were imprisoned and slaughtered for petitioning for emancipation in the Rebellion of 1798, 1803 and most of the other rebellions. The Irish were further persecuted for wanting independence. Hanged, tar feathered, shot, raped, massacred and burned alive were the Irish folk.
Kilmainham Gaol captured and preserved this anguish, depression and sorrow. Walking through the doors and 123 years of raw emotions come crashing down on you. The tour guide, Ben, showed and revealed the stories of the chapel, old wing, exercise yard, stone breaking yard, east and west wing. The stone breaking yard is where the 14 Eastern Rising leaders were killed military style (lined up and shot). One was shot strapped to a chair because he was already deathly ill. I could talk more about this but frankly I am tired. Enjoy the show.

#33 Thursday, April 24th, 2008: Derek William Drew

Derek William Drew died last Tuesday from cancer that he had been battling for years. Finally, at the age of 60 he passed away in a hospice. Donal being a friend provided consultation till the day before he died. The funeral was on Saturday. Donal and Cheri came back from the funeral and were smiling. Derek did not want his funeral to be as an eternal goodbye but something more continuous in a sense. This "happy" funeral idea is far more appealing then mourners dressed in black weeping. I guess I would personally like a liberal funeral. I don't want people depressed at my funeral. I want them to think about the good memories.
Derek has a surviving wife, Gwyneth. Together they helped a particular orphanage in Romania. To continue the support of this orphanage Derek and Gwyneth decided any money given for the funeral will be given to the orphanage. To help Gwyneth me and Cheri came to her house to clean. Gwyneth's upstairs room was cluttered and in a few days visitors were coming to stay in that room. Me, Cheri and Gwyneth's daughter, armed with cleaning chemicals, tackled the cluttered room like true quarterbacks. I vacuumed the first floor as well. People were constantly coming to visit her. Comforting, cleaning and shopping for this widow. The amount of considerate actions by neighbors, friends and family members was so beautiful.
Gwyneth made us tea with biscuits (cookies)... She also kissed my cheek when I left. Today was really gratifying.
Yesterday I defended America! It was the last day of graduate class and the teacher tried to generalize and say that Americans were bad. Or something like that. I gnashed my terrible teeth with the audacity of a genuine patriot and scathed them by saying "Not all Americans are bad". Haha. Not much of a speech but the effect was that they admitted that I was right AND they looked guilty. They forgot there was an American in the room.

#32 Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008: Royal Ireland Academy

(Nobel Prize in Literature), Garret Donal had requested if I could a meeting on stem cell research at the Royal Ireland Academy and I was allowed. RIA (not to be confused with the IRA) was founded in 1785 to heighten the study in sciences, humanities and social sciences in Ireland. Over the the 223 years it has been a host to many famously acclaimed people. Current and past members include Seamus HeaneyFitzGerald (Taoiseach), Mary McAleese (Current president), Mary Robinson (President before other Mary), Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin (evolution), W. B. (influential Irish poet) and many more. Anyways, what I am trying to say is I felt privileged that they allowed me to come and agreed to give me a tour. The conference had a small selection of people who were scientists, reporters, anti-stem cell research, professors and me. I told one of Donal's acquaintances that I am going to major in Russian Studies and he said that he met with President Vladimir Putin's closest advisers in Moscow. Apparently he was suppose to make a speech but they forgot to inform him. I think talking to this man (who you will see on the video) and the history/architecture of the building was equally as important as the conference. The conference was about the released report by The Irish Council for Bioethics, titled Ethical, Scientific and Legal Issues Concerning Stem Cell Research. The report showed statistics on how much of the general population is supportive of stem cell. Let me just say they are against it. To shield from disapproval the council had to place the word OPINION under the title.
A nice lady showed me and Donal around the reading room and the library. It just happened that the rarest texts from the library were taken from the vault that morning! They were being brought somewhere. I got to see the oldest complete text written in Irish in the entire country of Ireland. Not to mention it was written by Saint Columcille an exile who established 27 Irish monasteries. The book is from the seventh century. The woman put together a folder full of stuff for me and Donal.
CHECK THIS LINK OUT!!! http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0423/6news_av.html?2365876,null,230
When you get there click on Ethics body backs embryos for stem cell research. You will see some familiar faces...

#31 Tuesday, April 21st, 2008: Ethics.

The last nursing ethics class was today. There is much debate on patients autonomy and a nurses duty in different situations. A continuous power struggle where it is hard to draw the lines. When is it OK to override the patients wishes? I believe that a patient has every right to decline medicine or procedures to better their health. If their life is being jeopardized then remedies should be suggested and pushed. To force someone to bend to another persons opinion, however truthful it might be, is unjust. Whatever the legitimacy of the case it is the persons inherent right to decide what is being done/given to their body. It is understandable that the nurse wants the best of health for her patient but their is only so much that he/she can respectably do.
If the patient is incoherent or mentally unstable I would suggest that the doctor, nurse and closest family members should be consulted to come to a conclusion. This way a medical and personal level can mediate together.
All patients should be told of their prognosis. They should not be "protected"from the truth. These sort of judgments could lead to very serious law suits.
Bottom line they have the right to know and the right to decide. Basic rights.
And thank you John for letting me take your class and dropping me off in the city center. Donal was on the radio with 5 others debating pro or against euthanasia.

#30 Monday, April 20th, 2008: Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo was opened in 1833 after a donation of animals was given from the London Zoo. The zoo is located inside Phoenix Park, reputably the largest enclosed park in Europe. Phoenix Park even has its own area code. But with 1,760 acres who wouldn't need one? Dublin Zoo is famed for numerous reasons, one being that the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion came from the zoo.
The weather was sunny so I decided to take the Dublin Bus to the Dublin Zoo. The park was breathtaking. It is a exclusive oasis in a sea of metal. I am planning to visit Phoenix Park again. I knew that the park was NE. Unknown to me was that the park continued across the street. It was fine and dandy to get lost in a beautiful park but Dublin Zoo was going to close in three hours. Thom McCain, ties with Graham School, once warned me that Irish people will give directions without actually know the way. Not out of spite but an attempt to be helpful. I knew this but I decided to ask anyways. I asked a man in a tracksuit (the latest fashion) and he pointed in the opposite direction I was heading. I reach the other side of the park and there was no zoo. Coming back the way I was headed I passed him. He said "Did you find it?". I nodded no. "Yeah, I didn't really know the way..." He admitted.
The Dublin Zoo has 235 species ranging from the Arctic to across the spectrum to the plains of Africa. Since it was a nice day out the rhinos, hippos, gorillas, snow leopard, leopard, leopard tortoise, tigers, wolves, ostriches, giraffes and nearly all 235 species were out.

Been Busy.

To Family and Others,

I have been seriously busy! Just because I don't post a blog everyday does not mean that I am sick or dying...
The Graham School says that I have to turn in all blogs by 12:00 on Sunday. BUT I will try to do them everyday. This week has been abnormally bustling. With good and bad occurrences. Donal's and Cheri's friend passed away from cancer this morning.
R.I.P.

#29 Thursday, April 17th, 2008: REALLY Heavy Topics

Dublin City University
One of Donal's friends, John, was nice enough to let me sit in on his class. Donal is John's boss but it is still nice of him. The presentations titles that the students presented on were The Ethical Issues Surrounding Sexuality and Individuals with Intellectual Disability, A Patients Right to Autonomy Opposed to a Families Wishes and Organ Donation. Gift of Life or Sacrifice?
The two ethical concepts this nursing class was based on is deontology (Greek for "Obligation") and utilitarianism. Deontology focuses on the actions that create the outcome. Nurses who believe in deontology respect the patients autonomy. Utilitarianism emphasizes the consequences or outcome of an act rather then the act itself. Nurses who believe in utilitarianism want to maximize happiness no matter the journey. The students had to apply these to ethics to a nursing case. To explain the two ethics I am going to put together my own case.
Amena Kanton is a 26 years old and live in Portland, Oregon. When she was 21 she contracted AIDS. Amena is being treated but her AIDS has progressed to stage four. She has developed Kaposi's Sarcoma and it has spread over her face, legs and mouth. Treatments are painful and even with them she is in pain. Amena has been in pain for a while and is depressed and afraid to show her face, even to her own mother. The doctor has said that she will have 2 months to live. Her health is quickly deteriorating. Amena has been strong but now wishes to end the pain and asks for an physician (commonly doctor) assisted suicide. That means she will be given the means to pass away. Now it is the nurses decision to decide.
Deontology Way: Respecting Amena's wishes the doctor gives her excessive amounts of morphine.
Utilitarianism Way: The nurse believes that Amena could live for years to come and refuses her request. Amena continues to take the treatments and is still in the same mental and physical state. The nurse believes she is doing her duty.
NOTE: I am by no way a professional nurse and this is not the BEST example. Please excuse any errors or unexpected falsehoods.
Where the end justifies the means.
Where the means justifies the end.
Which one matches which ethic?

#27 Wednesday, April 16th, 2008: Adult Cells, Embryo and Human-Animal Embryo

At DCU today the graduate class presented and debated the usage of embryos and conduction of stem cell research from an ethical standpoint. So far this class has been my favorite because it is small and allows free discussion. Similar to Graham School curriculum which is funny because Donal designed it.
Basic Knowledge on Stem Cells:
ES (Embryonic Stem cells) can be used as a regenerative medicine and for tissue cells. ES can be extracted from the inner cell mass of the blastocyst, which is the phase before coming a fetus. The ES cell from the blastocyst are pluripoten meaning that it creates many cell types (i.e. heart tissue, liver cells, etc). ES cells that are from the morula (phase before blastocyst) are totipotent meaning that it creates all cell types and even extra embryonic tissue. Obviously totipotent is better but coming from the morula is more risky.
Something that I was tricked by is the word 'adult stem cell'. The idea I had was a 30 year old man or woman or from 18 and up. Adult stem cell is a very broad term meaning from the fetus phase on up. Adult stem cells research is not conclusive yet but it is known that it can be used as a regenerative medicine. For right now I am not going to get into that.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of ES and stem cells in general. Religious and anti-abortion groups are mostly against the use of ES because it goes against their beliefs. For them, life begins at conception and to use the embryo is to take life away. Another point against the two groups embryos do not have to come from abortion clinics -they can be grown is a petri dish- nor do they have to come from humans. Stem cells can from umbilical cords. The animal/human hybrid stem cell can be grown in the lab as well. What surprised me was that coming to the U.K. is the Animal-Human Embryo Bill. U.K. is very liberal in the case of stem cell research. The U.S. government will not fund the stem cell research and no other embryos are aloud to legally be extracted/created. Only the remaining embryos that existed before the Bush regime are permitted to be used. The U.S. has 500,000 embryos which is not a lot. I am for ES and other stem cell research and the conduction because it can cure peoples terminal illnesses and disabilities.

#27 Tuesday, April 15th, 2008: Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle was commissioned in 1204 by King John of England to protect the city (ironic because city is not in castle), to house the administration for justice and the kings treasure. A Viking fort had been erected in 940 in the same location as Dublin Castle. Remnants of Viking structures can be viewed under the castle (stone fortifications and the moat). Under the castle it is damp, cold and quite creepy. As we walk through the group guide explains when archaeologists excavated underneath (the oldest part of Dublin Castle) they found 125 skulls. The Vikings incarcerated people and starved, tortured and beheaded them. I was fascinated with these old structures but thought was sad. These people contained in small, dark and wet places. Just being under the castle I got a feeling of hopelessness. The walls, floor and ceiling were at least a meter of stone. There is only one way to exit and the door is petite and on a slop of rock.
The Dublin Castle also became a residence for Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Old Parliament. Not to mention it functioned as a high security prison. The Dublin Castle has seen many disasters, renovations and regimes. There used to be four towers on the four corners of the castle but they were blown up by gun powder and fire (separate times). Half of Dublin Castle is being used as the Garda (police) headquarters. In fact the old dungeon, Record Tower, houses the Garda Museum. I decided not to got to that because my tour book says that it is something to miss. There are other things that I would rather see like the Archaeology Museum that has 2 million artifacts. I think I am going to spend two days there.
The Upper Court and full view of the Saint Patrick's Hall are not my pictures. The slide show is interactive.

#26 Monday, April 14th, 2008: Knowledge from Calamity

The Moat
Bought a ticket on the 70 bus to O'Connell street today. It takes forever to get to what the Irish call the "City Center". It was probably an hour just to get there. The whole point of the trip was to buy two student 30 day Bus/Luas (light rail system) and then walk all the way to Dame Street to take a tour in the Dublin Castle.
From Hawkins Street I walk across the O'Connell Bridge and up to a convenience store. I get there and ask the clerk for the ticket and HE DIDN'T EVEN ASK FOR MY STUDENT TRAVELCARD! I waisted a week trying to get this card and he does not even ask for it. Time and money. I passed Dublin Castle in the bus. The entrance was like an alley way and was set back. From memory but mostly instinct I was able to find the Dublin Castle. Without even using my map, which, I was really proud of myself. The reasons being because the following:
1)Ireland changes it's street names.
2)Quite frequently there is no signs declaring what street you are on.
3)Not all buildings have #'s in their addresses
4)When there are street signs its on the corner of buildings. Confusing for a number of reasons.
5)One street that curves a little can have multiple street names.
I wondered around looking for the tourist entrance, after all it is a castle and is very big. Finally I found the entrance and was stopped by a high ranking (well at least I think he was because he had a lot of stripes) military official.
He said that it was closed...
The next day I discovered that international diplomats were there to talk about the Lisbon Treaty. The Lisbon Treaty amends the current EU and EC treaty with new alterations. The treaty will strengthen democracy in Europe and also the European Parliaments powers over budget and legislation. That is if a majority of the European countries come to a consensus. I guess Ireland is a key player in passing the Lisbon Treaty. From what I gleamed from the Irish Times is that Ireland is showing doubts about the treaty.
To be on the safe side I decided to use my map to my bus stop. To make a long story short I got horribly lost for 2 1/2 hours. That shows me for using a map.
I did see a few things interesting around the city. Old military officials were swarming the city. I saw hearse pass by carrying a visible coffin. Two seconds later their was another hearse completely identical. It was like a Freaky Friday but actually a Monday. Later I found out that the two-term ex President Patrick Hillery died. Thus my theory about the 2 identical hearses is that one was a decoy in case someone was to blow it up. Maybe I am thinking too much like James Bond or Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
I am glad I got lost because now I know the South side very well.

Half Abandoned Road

#25 Sunday, April 13th, 2008:Birthday and Grandma O'Mathuna

Cheri and Donal are incredibly wonderful people. Cheri took me to the Irish version of Circuit City and bought a bunch of Irish movies for me to watch and an alarm clock. Next week they are going to Nice, France to celebrate their anniversary and Donal's 46th (?) birthday for three days. Which is on this upcoming Tuesday. Peter is probably going to stay at a friend’s house in Beachwood and Conor will stay at home and study for national exams.
I thought that OGT's were bad! National Exams are not something you study for weeks before the tests. Every level of high school students studies for months. Conor sometimes stays an hour and a half after school to study. He has been sick for the past three days and he still studies for hours. The amount of subjects differs from 6 to 12 subjects. Mathematics, English, Irish, geography, social studies, and literature are some of the subjects. If the student passes in the test they are awarded with a Leaving Certificate, allowing them to go to college. The test itself is not multiple choice but essay, leaving room for the test to be scored in a biased way. Catrina O'Mathuna (who goes to Columbus State) had 33 hours of essays. Suicide rate from national exam ages (I believe it is 15-17) is high. Suicide rate for boys at this age is 5 times higher then females. Let me give you an example on the point system:
-There are three levels of difficulty: Higher, Ordinary and Foundation.
Kid 1 is taking a Foundation test and kid 2 is taking a Higher test. They both score 100%. Kid 1 gets 20 points and kid 2 is awarded with an incredibly higher amount of 100 points. Because kid 2 is able to comprehend at a more advance level he is given more points, furthering his chance of getting the Leaving Certificate. But kid 1 did just as well with getting an equally high percentage on the exam. Why should he get 80% less? It is not his fault that he is on a different pace.
What is really disappointing in educational system here is that depending on the student’s scores determines what career and college you are aloud to enroll in. Kid 2 is now stuck with a few digits that ultimately determine what his next 40 years is like. It is so unfortunate for kids who struggle -like my brother-. This infuriates me. A few digits should not condemn anyone’s future and dreams.
On a lighter tone Donal's mum said she would be happy to take me under her wing for a few days in the small town Ballybay. She loves history so I am hoping, as a local, she will show me around. A locals point of view is more interesting then a tour guides in my point of view.

#24 Friday, Apirl 11th, 2008: Greyhound Racing, A Culture Experience

I gambled today. Don't freak out. It is legal and it was a fundraiser for a boys football (soccer) team. Gambling is not taboo here, in fact it is a social event. There were five year old boys yelling obscenities with their ticket in hand. The Irish seem to be blatant swearers. This is no joke! I was riding the bus today and two older ladies were swearing up a storm, like true pirates. It was a wee bit (Irish way of saying "little") creepy.
There are all different ways of betting in Irish greyhound racing. The popular way is "To Win", that means a person picks a dog that they think will win first place. The hardest one to win is the "6 Jackpot". To win this you have to nominate at least one dog to win first place in 6 of the races. Betting minimum is only 2 euro. I gambled on 5 of the eleven dogs. The dogs names were as follows: Georgies Lass, Florida Dynamite, Becky Mc, Jamaican Star and Imp Prince (by far the most ridiculous name).
Check out the video of Donal's technical difficulties with my camera.

#23 Thursday, April 10th, 2008: Blanchardstown Mall

I got my Student TravelCard today!! I am so excited because now I can get my 30 day Student Bus/Luas Monthly Ticket. Transportation is ridiculously expensive here. I will go tomorrow to get the ticket. I went to the biggest shopping mall in Ireland, Blanchardstown. It is 1/2 the size of Easton. Meaning half the monstrous size of Easton. I made a friend and boy was he happy to see me!

#22 Wednesday, April 9th, 2008: Mr.Whippy

For the past week I have had electrical dysfunctions with my laptop. Fortunately Donal has a friend who is a European Apple expert. Now I have to get caught up with a weeks worth of blogging. So much has happened in a week! Today my plans were foiled in getting the Student TravelCard, once again.
I was running after an ice cream truck because I wanted to get a picture. The surrounding 8 year olds who were also running were giving me a weird look. I wonder why. The ice cream truck is called Mr.Whippy which is absolutely the best name ever.
I went to Dublin City University today and attended a two hour graduate lecture on the compatibility of religion and science. Four of the students presented their facts and opinion. Two were Christian and Catholic and they decided that religion was compatible with religion. The Christian said that religion and science both involve theoretical and practical knowledge and thus they can mesh on different levels. The Catholic (forgive me I don't have their names) said that they are going to have to be compatible because they are long lasting. The other two are atheists. The first atheist said that science is fact based while religion is derived from myths. He also said that people are happy to live in a technological society along the side of watered down religion. The other atheist made a really poor argument. He was said they were not compatible because of bad childhood feelings that he had for catholicism. This guy had no evidence.
It is weird sitting in on these classes on ethics because it is completely different then my third quarter Walkabout with scientists. Ethics is based on opinions and science is based on proven fact.

#21 Tuesday, April 8th, 2008: Relationship of Prayer with Science and Communication

Donal (Don-NO) is the family father of the O’ Mathuna family. Donal is very nice as is the rest of the family. Donal at his work goes by "Doctor or Professor O' Mathuna". Fortunately for me because I wanted to take classes. Thus I started taking classes at Dublin City University (DCU), not to be confused with University College of Dublin. I tried getting on the right side of his car and he told me I was not aloud to drive. I've done this about 20 times now. I keep forgetting that in Europe the drivers seat is on the right : )
The class was taught by Donal and was based on a Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP). As put by Wikipedia it is "A Christian practice, intercessory prayer is the act of one person praying for or on behalf of another". Since the great technological emergence in science of the 20th century prayer has been subject to prayer to scientific scrutiny. A newspaper headline in Donal's presentation exclaimed "God under the microscope. Prayer is subject to scientific observation, says Bishop." STEP had randomized studying meaning that the people not specifically selected. Completely anonymous. One group knew they were receiving prayer, another was unsure and did not receive and the third group did not know and did not receive. These people all had one thing in common; they were all cardiac surgery patients. The conclusion was that the group that was prayed had the worse health. To counter that and be fair, the study was very general and received much criticism by scientists and Christian folk.
It hard to express the beauty of Ireland. Industry is booming here but Donal tells me that Ireland is protecting natures with laws. Which by the way we (US) lack.
Listening to Metallica's Am I Evil? it's very enlightening and mom I dedicate this song to you. Just kidding, I love you. Oh and mom I am eating Cheri's salads.
Ireland weather is unpredictable. Rain, bright sunshine, to hail, then sunshine again. Check out the video I shot.

#20 Monday, April 7th, 2008: Flight to Ireland

The title of this blog is actually misleading. It should be flight to Washington D.C. then to Ireland. The accumulation of hours spent in the airport and on the plane is 21. Twenty-one hours and eight minutes. Three more hours and it would have been a day. The first plane ride was OK but an 8th grade group was traveling to Washington D.C. to instill that patriotic sense (speaking from experience). Needless to say that it was a small plane and adolescent, walking [sitting] hormones, boy crushing, ParisHiltonite talking girls were LOUD. Not to mention that they said "like" at the beginning and ending of every sentence.
But that's like fine because I like listened to Mozart on my iPod.
Dulles (pronounced dull-ist, a soft t) airport is the biggest airport that I have ever been to. I am not going to go into details about my eight hour layover because I definitely was not having a ball. I got loss twice, it was absolutely immense, and I got stuck in the area where people buy their tickets.
The Aer Lingus flight was amazing. Seats were big and comfortable. Nobody was sitting next to me so I got an extra pillow and blanket. Score! The armrest pulled up so I made a bed. The vegetarian dish was Indian food; chickpeas, rice and spinach. Also served with Tillamook cheese and crackers, cheesecake, mint chocolate, soda bread (Irish dinner) and a salad.
The plane flew over many states/countries during the night. Cities looked like molten gold over a dusty blanket. It was dusk when Aer Lingus flew down to Dublin Airport, the light pink and blue colors splattered over the sky were beautiful.

#19 Friday, March 14th, 2008: Girls & Science

Twenty one middle school girls came to Byrd today. These dedicated young kids went to school at 5:00 in the morning so they could come to Byrd. They learned about glacier dynamics from Sarah Fortner, who is not part of GD but LTER. The Oceanography Group set up a "Wave Tank". In a long tank there is a device attached to the front that look like a paddle. The paddle is made of the special material to better simulate waves. The girls were then asked to build housing structures from Lego's to test the durability against the waves. This activity was to show the affect of coastal erosion on infrastructures. Structures that did not allow the force of the waves to pass through them were swept into the "ocean".
Next week is my Spring break!!!

#18 Thursday, March 13th, 2008: Pictures

I am still inputing my notes onto the computer. Almost done! Nothing new happened today so I am just going to show pictures that I took. Oh, I did move chairs and desks. It was so loud...when I pushing the office chairs down the hall I felt like I was on a race track. I crashed into a wall. The screeching of the chair was so bad that a couple people closed their doors. Haha. But they did not mind.
OK, computer is being ridiculous. The computer always gets its way! I will add the pictures later.