Closing Ceremony/Concert

If you’re planning to watch the Young Ambassadors final event at the Saint Patrick Centre online on Thursday, July 31st, here are the updated instructions on how to view it:

Log into the Presentation Night of the Friends of Saint Patrick Young Ambassador Program at 7.30 pm GMT (2.30 Eastern, 1.30 Central, 11.30 Pacific)

 Step 1 – go to www.ustream.tv/stpatrickstv

Step 2 – Go to Video Box to ‘log in’ on top right hand corner

Step 3 – Type as password – FRIENDSOFSTPATRICK (upper case)

Step 4 – Bottom right corner double click on page icon to make the screen full size.

Step 5 – Enjoy!

Lá Nua

The Foras na Gaeilge group was featured on the front page of Lá Nua, the daily Irish language newspaper. Click here to see the photo!

After you open up the site, click “Féach eagráin” to see all of the covers, and select the one for 30.07.08.

21.7.08-22.7.08

21.7.08

On Monday our ambassadorial duties continued. We first headed to Stormont, the location of the Parliament Buildings of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Although they are called the Parliament Buildings, the Stomont Estate only houses one parliamentary building. (The architect had originally planned to construct three buildings, but, as so often happens, ran out of money during the building process.) Although the Assembly Chambers were being renovated, we had the opportunity to take photos in the Great Hall and learned the history of the building in the Senate Chambers. Apparently, the Stormont Parliament Buildings were used as an operations room by the Royal Air Force during the second World War, and to protect the large white building from being a target, it was covered in a combination of tar and manure. Unfortunately, this “paint” was much more difficult to remove than they had anticipated and took seven years to remove. Small areas of “paint” still remain on the exterior of the buildings.

After our tour of the Parliamentary Buildings, we walked down the street to Stormont Castle, which serves as the main meeting place of the Northern Ireland Executive. We had the amazing opportunity to meet with First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, arguably the two most significant political figures in Northern Ireland today. Their reflections on Northern Ireland and its peace process were optimistic, yet firmly grounded in reality, and it was amazing to observe two men whose political, religious, and cultural beliefs would typically set them against each other as they communicated together about their mutual hope and commitment to Northern Ireland.

After our meeting with Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness, we rushed through a delicious lunch of bangers and mash (yes, really) with representatives from Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster-Scots Agency before heading off to meet the Lord Mayor of Belfast, a member of Sinn Féin named Tom Hartley. The Lord Mayor is only the second member of the Sinn Féin party to serve in his position, which is astounding testament to the barriers the peace process has began to overcome. Hartley, who several of us met on Falls Road in front of the Culturlánn last week, remains extremely connected to his community and his neighbors, which I really enjoyed learning. 

The Lord Mayor presented a plaque featuring the crest of the city of Belfast to Brooke, the youngest ambassador, and once again we posed for photographs. Then, we ended the afternoon a bit earlier than usual and took the time to relax a bit and go out for pizza (many of us had been craving American food). It’s incredible that in a group of twelve young people, we all get along so well, but we were drawn to this program for similar reasons, and these individual motivations unite us as a group. In a full-group discussion we had on Monday about our cultural assignments, the culture we were observing, and our own personal experiences, it was incredible to learn more about the amazing things the rest of the ambassadors are doing. This is such a great group of people to work with, and I can’t believe that a week of this program has already gone by.

 

22.7.08

Today, the four of us working with Foras na Gaeilge (Greg, Liz, Colleen, and I) took an early train down to Dublin for the day. After exploring the city (unintentonally) for a bit, we found the Foras headquarters. Through several different speakers, we learned more about Foras itself, the programs and organisations it funds, and its roles in the communities it serves. We also caught a sneak peek at the new version of their website, which will be live on 1st September. It was incredible to see that the years of work on this new project have paid off in a way that will make the website, and as a result, Foras na Gaeilge itself, a more accessible organisation that will be able to provide even more resources to all people, Irish-speaking or otherwise.

Foras na Gaeilge’s headquarters also house Raidió na Life, an Irish-language radio station that broadcasts 24/7 to the greater Dublin area. We listened to a bit of their programming and then had the opportunity to contribute background vocals to a song that their sound engineers were mixing for a recording. It was a fun, impromptu experience, and an employee of the station said that our names would appear with the track and that he will send us a copy of the track when it’s released.

Our next stop was the Irish Traditional Music Archive, where Colleen was gathering information for her own cultural assignment. We spent some time there, where I read eighteenth and nineteenth century books about Irish dancing history, trends, and techniques. It’s amazing that the same techniques still prevail in the Irish dance world, but I bet the authors of these books would be rolling in their graves if they could observe some of the costuming and other physical trends that the Irish dance community has, for the most part, embraced over the past few years. One author believed the intricate embroidery to be “excessive”, but by today’s standards, those dresses were relatively modest. 

Finally, we ended the day with a bit of tourism around Dublin on a double-decker bus, seeing locations including Trinity College and the Guinness Storehouse, and then took the train back home to Belfast.

Tomorrow’s schedule is packed. Here’s what we’ll be doing:
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Roman Catholic)
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Church of Ireland)
- North South Ministerial Council Presentation
- Meet with Eamon O Cuiv, Minister for Community, Rural, and Gaeltacht Affairs
- Visit Dáil (Republic of Ireland’s parliament)
- Ceili/dinner/staying at a Dublin hotel through Thursday

16.7.08-20.7.08

I’ve been so busy over the past few days that I haven’t had a chance to update this blog. For the moment, I’m going to provide you with a list of some of the things I’ve been up to, and then fill it in with details and photos when I have an opportunity.

16.7.08
Left Ballydugan Mill in Downpatrick for Queen’s Elms in Belfast.
Met with Susan Elliott, the American Consul General for Belfast.
Tour of Belfast City by bus. 

17.7.08
First day working with our mentors on our cultural assignments.
The Foras na Gaeilge group spent the day in West Belfast at the Culturlánn, an Irish language resource center. For several hours, we toured the area known as The Falls.
We were also interviewed on Raidio Failte. 

18.7.08
Second day working on our cultural assignments.
We took the train to Derry/Londonderry and spent the day at Gaeláras, another Irish language community resource center. 
We also met with Brian Mullen, a DJ at Radio Foyle (a BBC station) who broadcasts a program in the Irish language. 

19.7.08
The entire group engaged in a bit of tourism. We drove through the Causeway Coast, spent a few hours at Giant’s Causeway, and took a tour of Derry/Londonderry. 

20.7.08
Today was our free day, but several of us took in a tour with through the Ulster Scots Agency and then took a black cab tour of the Falls and the Shankill.

13.7.08-15.7.08

The past four days have been the busiest I’ve ever experienced. I’ve taken so many pictures and met so many amazing people. I’m going to give you all a short summary of what I’ve been doing so far, along with some pictures. 

 

13.7.08

The four Minnesota ambassadors flew from MSP to Chicago O’Hare, and from there we flew Aer Lingus into Dublin. Here are some pictures of our plane.

 

14.7.08
We arrived at the airport a bit after 8.15, and from there we went to the Scarva Sham Fight in the little village of Scarva in County Down. The sham fight, held annually on the 13th of July, is a symbolic reenactment of the Battle of the Boyne (12 July 1690) in which King William defeated King James. 

Scarva’s population is around 320 people, but as many as 130,000 people were gathered at this enormous festival, most clad in the Union Jack, even down to their sunglasses. The event started with a parade of thousands of members of Royal Black Institute. There were hundreds of marching bands which ranged from accordion bands to flute bands, bagpipers to baton twirlers. The members of the preceptories walked majestically behind each band, wearing collarettes featuring religious emblems and other insignia. 

 

The Union Flag

 

Members of the Royal Black Institute

 

A flute band at the Scarva Sham Fight

The fight begins!

 

An inflatable Titanic slide at the fight

 After the Scarva Sham Fight (and nearly being chased down the street and trampled by a marching band), we hopped back on the coach and headed for Downpatrick, County Down. We stayed at the Mill at Ballydugan, a refurbished old mill with several restaurants and 11 suites.

After moving into the Mill, the ambassadors left for the Saint Patrick Centre, also located in Downpatrick. We were greeted warmly by a group of singers and instrumentalists and then by a bagpiper and enjoyed a barbecue outside in the beautiful weather (mosquito-free!). The reception also served as the dedication of the Peace and Reconciliation Garden, a beautifully cultivated garden to which the Young Ambassadors added stones and other mementos from our home states. 

 

Musicians playing outside the Saint Patrick Centre during the reception

One of the Young Ambassadors' additions to the Peace Garden

Young Ambassadors, Dr. Tim Campbell, and Beth Engelking at the Peace Garden

 

15.7.08
On Tuesday, we met at the Saint Patrick Centre for an informational session about Saint Patrick, Northern Ireland, and the Young Ambassador Program. We explored the exhibition and watched a short IMAX film in the theatre. Later, we were briefed on the history and politics of Northern Ireland by a local grammar school teacher. We also met with representatives from the Department of Education and Foras na Gaeilge and learned more about their organizations.

After our time at the Saint Patrick center, we went to lunch at the home of a Friends of Saint Patrick – Downpatrick Chapter member. We ate smoked salmon on brown bread, chicken vegetable soup, baguettes, and fruit cobbler for dessert. After we had finished eating, several of us took out instruments and played traditional Irish tunes, while others sang songs. I found an opportunity to dance a bit, which was fun. It was such an amazing opportunity to be able to experience this culture in such an authentic way and to share this musical connection with people we had never met.

 

The view from a Friend's house

 

Did you know there are palm trees here?

 

 

 

Following our lunch, we did a bit of sightseeing in Downpatrick. We first climbed up Slieve Patrick to see the largest statue of Saint Patrick in the world. The statue was erected to commemorate the 1,500th anniversary of Saint Patrick’s landing in Ireland and can be seen from Belfast. On a good day, from the top of the hill, it’s possible to see Scotland. 

 

Yes, it's really that big.

 

A windy day with Saint Patrick

 

To satisfy both denominations, Saint Patrick is dressed in the robes of a Catholic cardinal but has the face of a Protestant bishop.

 

So windy

 

The gates at the entrance to Slieve Patrick

 

After we climbed back down the hill, we headed over to Saul Church. Saul Church, which was built in 1932, is located where Saint Patrick is believed to have held his first church service and conducted his first sermon. Outside the church is a cemetery.

 

"Stranger, tread lightly on his grave."

 

Celtic cross

 

This was one of the walls of Saint Patrick's first church, over 1,000 years ago.

 

An OLD cemetery

After seeing Saul Church and hearing a bit of its history, we drove back to Downpatrick by the Saint Patrick Centre to see Down Cathedral, where Saint Patrick is reported to have been buried (along with Saint Brigid), and to Down County Museum (which used to be an old jail). More pictures.

 

Down Cathedral

 

 

 

 

At Saint Patrick's grave. Yes, still windy.

 

Colleen and I in Viking costumes at the Down County Museum

Okay, two more events for the day. Once we left the Down Cathedral/Down County Museum area, our last historical stop was at Inch Abbey. Early recordings suggest that the monastery was built around the year 800.

After a busy day of sightseeing and tourism, the Ambassadors gathered at the home of a Friend to eat dinner (although we spent a considerable amount of time watching a certain British television series). We then went to Castlewellan for an evening of traditional Irish music (part of their Celtic Fusion festival). The performance featured the five Vallely brothers from the area and one brother’s wife as the singer, and the brothers were joined onstage by their parents at two separate occasions. From what I’ve experienced so far, many families place great value on passing on traditional Irish and/or Celtic skills and traditions (music, language, etc.), which adds an additional family connection to all that they do. Click here for more information about Celtic Fusion and the Vallely brothers.

Yes, that was an incredibly long day. Even so, we saw so many beautiful historical sites and experienced the Irish culture in many new ways, so it was all worthwhile. I’ll post another update tomorrow, but until then, slán go fóill (bye for a while)!

Norah

Slán agaibh!

By tomorrow morning, I’ll be in Ireland! In the meantime, I thought I’d post a photo from the reception hosted by the Friends of Saint Patrick – Minnesota Chapter for the Minnesota Young Ambassadors.

Friends of Saint Patrick - Minnesota Chapter Reception

From left to right: Kathy Dougherty, Dr. Tim Campbell, Norah Carroll, Katie Gieseke, Anne Simmons, Colleen White, Kathi Jones, and Beth Engelking.

*”Slán agaibh”, pronounced SLAN uh-GWIVV, is the Irish word for “goodbye” that an individual who is leaving says to a group that is staying behind.

and so it begins..

I leave for Northern Ireland in less than a week!