STUDY TOUR WEEK RECAP

Last week was my core classes study tour. For my class, we went to Dublin, Ireland and Belfast, Northern Ireland.

I said this after Core Course Week, but I genuinely love the people in my class. I was so scared when I first started DIS that I wouldn’t get along with them, but they have quickly become some of my closest friends in Copenhagen.

We started the week off in Dublin going on walking tours of the city in relation to the Irish independence movement. Dublin is a beautiful city and all the people we met were incredibly welcoming.

The next day we had the morning off so a group of us wandered around the city. We went to St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Dublin Castle.

Not only did I love Dublin, but it was also really refreshing to hear English spoken on the streets and to understand street signs.

That day we also went to the Irish Times and spoke to an editor who covered the Troubles in Ireland. As a journalism major this meeting was right up my alley and incredibly interesting. Having the chance to speak to someone who has written about this conflict was an unbelievable experience.

The next day we headed off to Belfast, Northern Ireland. On our way there we stopped in Carlingford, Ireland a charming small town in the Irish countryside. The views were stunning and exactly what I expected to see going to Ireland.

In Belfast, we went on a few walking tours and academic visits with members involved in all sides of the Irish conflict. I really appreciated that DIS took the time to schedule time for us to hear from multiple perspectives. We were able to receive a variety of personal accounts from different sides of the conflict we had been studying in the classroom for weeks.

After Belfast, we stopped in Derry/Londonderry a city that was pertinent in the Troubles and the center of much of the conflict. Once again, being able to see in person what we had read in books was fascinating.

As a history nerd, I absolutely loved this trip and feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to connect with so many individuals who took part in such a tumultuous time in Irish history. Not only did I learn a lot, but I was also able to contextualize our class discussions and readings.

Hej Hej for now!