On the first day, we'll go from the Dublin International Airport, we'll have a little time to refreshen up from the overnight flight, then get to a bus for a 3 hour ride to the West (Galway). It will make for a long day, but it's worth it when you see the edge of Europe looking back across the North Atlantic towards the States.
Once we get to Galway, you'll get to see how the Celtic Tiger economy affected the poorest part of Ireland, the "rural west". We'll be in the Galway area for two days, exploring some of the most scenic sites in Ireland including the Cliffs of Moher and the Aran Islands. You'll have ample opportunity to see how the "Irish brand" was used to build up tourism as a way to enhance the western economy. You'll see examples of successes and failures of the push to introduce tech companies and educational centers away from Dublin. You'll experience the Gaeltacht areas, where Irish is spoken, and the "old culture" maintains a grip in a country that some say "was steam-rolled" by the forces of globalization.
We will arrive in Dublin via the train to the Heuston station (on the west end of 'City Centre') Wednesday afternoon. From there we'll take the Luas to O'Connell street.
You'll be responsible for telling the group about some of the statues along O'Connell Street. From there, we'll explore sites such as the:
and stop for some Beshoff's Fish & Chips before going to the Docklands area.
The Docklands Financial Centre and the 'Silicon Docks' area is the 'heart' of the impact of the Celtic Tiger years. The Docklands is the historic port area of Dublin, where the River Liffey empties into the Irish Sea. Students will be responsible for presenting information about many of the sites we'll see in this area, such as:
Along the way, we'll get a chance to see how famine history is portrayed, viewing the Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship, and the Rowan Gillespie famine memorial.
Wrapping up the afternoon we'll look at other "attractions" that went through significant changes during the Celtic Tiger years, including the Guinness Storehouse. The last tour is at 5pm, so we'll need to WALK FAST, so be ready for a long day of walking! Along the way, you'll see:
The fourth day starts out early, with a ride on the DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) to the end of the line in Greystones, a top 10 winner of the "most livable community in the world" in 2006. After a morning exploring this suburban village, we'll take a hike along the 'Cliff walk' to Bray (have some lunch along the way) and then ride the DART back to Dun Laoghaire.
Dun Laoghaire is another port town, home to a daily shuttle to the UK (Wales) as well as the home of IADT (Institute of Art, Design, and Technology), the host school for Loras study abroad students. We'll stay in Dun Laoghaire for dinner at an Indian restaurant, before heading back to the hotel that night.
It's a long day (especially with the hike), and you need to be prepared for any kind of weather. But the hike is well worth it, with awesome views of the Irish Sea!
The fifth day also starts out early and ends late, with a morning departure into the Wicklow Mountains. The tour bus takes us through some of the communities that underwent vast changes during the Celtic Tiger years, including the area around Dalkey and Killiney (with homes of musicians Van Morrison, Enya, and Bono).
The tour "goes back in time", taking us to Glendalough, a beautiful valley area that was home to 6th century monks. There will be time for a hike along the lake, as well as a late lunch on the grounds. The tour should end around 5-6pm, giving you some time to explore the City Centre for supper, and complete some research/prep for the course assignments.
We'll check out of our Dublin accommodations in the morning, and then go to the Dublin Connolly station to take the train to Northern Ireland (Belfast). Once in Belfast, you'll experience a town that reflects it's 'British feel' even more than Dublin.
We'll leave early Sunday morning for the 'Game of Thrones' tour. Even if you aren't a big fan of this HBO series, the tour is GREAT, going along the NI coastline with some picturesque stops, including one at the Giant's Causeway.
on the evening of Sun Jun 11th, we'll return to Dublin, where you may depart for Chicago or other locales on Mon Jun 12th.
On our 8th and last day, you are free to either return back to the States, or explore on as you desire. You'll need to arrange for your travel - some may wish to return to Chicago, others to explore more of Ireland, still others may wish to explore Europe - it's up to you. If you do return to the States on Mon Jun 12th, the schedule will look like: