Studying abroad in Dublin in 2013 is a big deal. This year marks the beginning of several centennials historians, teachers, community leaders and everyday people are finding ways to acknowledge and commemorate. The Easter Rising (1913-1916), the First World War (1914-1918) and the War of Independence (1919-1921) are historically important dates, whose anniversaries are rapidly coming upon us.
Champlain College Dublin professor Kelli Malone teaches both the Early Irish History and the Northern Ireland History class which my friend, Sarah, and I are taking respectively. In Sarah’s class, Kelli just finished teaching about the Neolithic Age, so we decided to travel to County Meath to see Newgrange and Knowth, two early megalithic tombs. In my class, she recommended that students attend a discussion at Dublin Castle during the Dublin Festival of History on the Easter Rising and the Civil War. Sarah and I decided to embark on a 5,000-year historical adventure together.
Experiencing Irish history at both ends of the spectrum – the Neolithic Age and contemporary society – in the span of two days was something incredible to experience. On our way out of the 5,000-year-old passage tomb of Knowth, I had to pause for a moment when I looked through the chamber. I felt overwhelmed trying to imagine what it would be like to be a farmer during the Neolithic Age who lived in the settlement on top of this amazing architectural structure. What emotions would run through my head if I were to walk down these passages and perform a burial ritual? How spectacular would it be to witness the sun hitting the window box during the sunrise of the winter solstice all the way down the nineteen-meter long passage from inside the main chamber?
There are still so many unknowns about this early time period, such as the language these people spoke and what the carvings on the outside of the Kerbstone rocks reveal about this society, but it was amazing to walk amongst the very stones and pathways of the past, taking in the same views and smelling the same breezes, as an observer, trying to piece these meaningful parts of history together.
Fast-forwarding several thousand years, the “Birth of a Nation” talks at Dublin Castle examined the tensions between the British-Irish relations during a period of political turbulence as Ireland fought for independence from the crown.
We also decided to attend the “Hedge School on the Great Famine” discussion because it was important to be a part of this gathering, as there are still reverberations of the national disaster that echo nationally and globally today. An interesting point made by historian Tom Graham changed my view of the Famine when he said there is a misconception that this was an Irish famine, not a British famine. During the mid-1800’s, Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom, so it was the responsibility of Britain to provide adequate relief – especially since it happened at the heart of the most powerful state during the time.
Attending these events this weekend allowed me to immerse myself in the history I was learning in the classroom in a way that brought these events to life. Participating in these experiences provided a better foundation for my understanding of concepts in class, understanding of why it is important to preserve historical locations and acknowledge the importance of remembering events from the past, which influence decisions made in Ireland today. My semester here with Champlain Abroad Dublin will provide me with new challenges and opportunities: sitting in on these conversations at public discussions, talking to my professors and listening to accounts of history being told from members of my church congregation allow me to immerse myself in the history of the country.
Rebecca S. Reid
Champlain Abroad Dublin, Fall 2013
Champlain College, Early Childhood/Elementary Education ’15