Lori Merrill's Sabbatical
I just finished packing up my hotel room, getting ready for my flight to London tomorrow. It is hard saying goodbye to Ireland after having spent such a wonderful time here these past couple of weeks. I spent most of my time in Dublin, walking from one end of the city to the other, with day trips to Glendalough, Wicklow and Killkenny.
It is difficult to choose which event I enjoyed most during my stay. Glendalough is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, and Dublin is an amazing city. It is election time in Northern Ireland and the rest of Great Britain, so there is a constant political buzz that I have found compelling. I went on a walking tour of the sites of the 1916 Rebellion, offered by a medieval historian from Trinity College, which was quite fascinating, and I kept thinking how great it would be to bring my students to this place. The history behind every castle, church, monument, pub and library feels alive. I spent one afternoon at Marsh's Library, which is the oldest public library in Ireland, talking with a gentleman about the history of the institution. He showed me where they used to lock patrons up while they read to prevent them from stealing the books, and he noted that, sadly, this practice had to be stopped due to fire codes in the modern age. Near the "cages" there was a display on Jonathan Swift, author of A Modest Proposal and Gulliver's Travels, among his many works. Swift was the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the early 18th century, and a benefactor of the library. I found the National Gallery of Ireland to be the most accessible art museum I have ever been to, and I had to keep myself from reaching out and touching the canvases of the masterpieces exhibited. These are just a few highlights of my experiences in Ireland.
Two weeks is simply not enough time to see everything I want to see, yet it is all the time I have for this visit. I can't wait until next time. For now, I will have to set my sights on what London has to offer!
It is difficult to choose which event I enjoyed most during my stay. Glendalough is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to, and Dublin is an amazing city. It is election time in Northern Ireland and the rest of Great Britain, so there is a constant political buzz that I have found compelling. I went on a walking tour of the sites of the 1916 Rebellion, offered by a medieval historian from Trinity College, which was quite fascinating, and I kept thinking how great it would be to bring my students to this place. The history behind every castle, church, monument, pub and library feels alive. I spent one afternoon at Marsh's Library, which is the oldest public library in Ireland, talking with a gentleman about the history of the institution. He showed me where they used to lock patrons up while they read to prevent them from stealing the books, and he noted that, sadly, this practice had to be stopped due to fire codes in the modern age. Near the "cages" there was a display on Jonathan Swift, author of A Modest Proposal and Gulliver's Travels, among his many works. Swift was the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in the early 18th century, and a benefactor of the library. I found the National Gallery of Ireland to be the most accessible art museum I have ever been to, and I had to keep myself from reaching out and touching the canvases of the masterpieces exhibited. These are just a few highlights of my experiences in Ireland.
Two weeks is simply not enough time to see everything I want to see, yet it is all the time I have for this visit. I can't wait until next time. For now, I will have to set my sights on what London has to offer!
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