The stark white charter bus pulled to a stop at another scenery outlook near the coast. Everyone piled out and scrambled to get their cameras from the depths of their purses or bags while searching for the picture perfect spot. I broke from the pack and quickly set out for an area that was more isolated. I ended up stumbling over sharp and uneven rocks and boulders onto what I can only describe as a miniature cliff that jutted out from the grassy hill.
I could hear my mom’s voice somewhere behind me, telling me I didn’t have the right shoes to climb out there and to be careful. Her voice was faint because of the wind in my ears. When I reached the end of the cliff, I stood there and stared at the landscape around me. I have a weird thing for pretty scenery, and Ireland was full of pretty scenes. I found something romantic about the ancient, brick fences that dotted the lush farmland; the stone castles that were crumbling along the road; and the deep blue lakes and ocean that met perfectly with the green hills.
My mind constantly drifts off and ignores the world I am living in by creating a new one. Every day I stayed in Ireland — taking tours and looking out the charter bus’s window — I wonder about the history behind every spot of land. I should also mention I love history, yet I knew little of Ireland’s. The unfamiliar language I saw painted on shop windows, etched on traffic signs, and written in menus at restaurants intrigued me the most.
The Irish language, sometimes called Gaelic, is one of the three Gaelic languages that are spoken by the Irish, Scottish, and Manx. The language was nearly forgotten, but due to a Gaelic renaissance, its life has been revived. In Ireland, Gaelic has not only played a part in Irish identity, but also in the unifying of the Irish people who are separated from others in Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland is a constituent of the United Kingdom and officially separated from the Republic of Ireland (or just Ireland) in the 1920s. While Ireland’s population is about 87% Irish and Roman Catholic (according to The World Factbook), Northern Ireland has a different make-up. Over time, Celts from central Europe, Vikings, Normans, and Anglo-Saxons settled within its borders. Soon after came Scottish Presbyterians and the English. Eventually, Northern Ireland became plagued with ethnic, religious, and political disputes that have resulted in violent conflicts. Even with the separation from the Republic of Ireland, there still reminds unsettled peace. Cue U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and it should paint a picture of some of the issues going on.
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