Day 7

The morning started with a presentation by Peter Sheridan. He is the CEO of Cooperation Ireland. He talked to us about what his organization has done as well as his role during the conflict.

We then went to the Wave Trauma Center where they showed us a film about people who have told their stories. This film kept us very intrigued because we have learned about how hard it is for people to tell their own stories about the conflict.

During the afternoon we went and visited the Waterside Police Station. This started with one of the officers showing us the vehicles they use. They all had double paneled windows along with many other things to protect them. We also saw the armored vehicles, they reminded us of tanks without the guns. We then got to ask an officer questions about the conflict. This was an eye opening experience because he told us about the danger he could still encounter everyday.

Later in the afternoon we visited Jon McCourt. This man could talk to us for days because he has so many stories of his own. We all enjoyed listening to him speak.

That night many of us stayed in because we were exhausted from the day.

Day 8

We started the morning off with a class discussion with Britt and Paul at our hostel. We talked about our readings and our overall thoughts on the trip so far. We then went to a museum called Free Derry. This museum summarized the conflict and broadened our knowledge about Bloody Sunday. The man that introduced the museum was the brother to one of the boys that was killed on Bloody Sunday. We have learned through our experiences that everyone had some involvement during the conflict.

We then went to another museum called the Tower Museum. We learned about history and how Ireland has had to deal with many conflicts over the years. 

That afternoon, most of us started writing our 2nd paper for the course. Others went out exploring and some napped. That night some people visited bars and others stayed in to finish their papers. It snowed all day so most of us wanted to stay inside by the fire.

Day 9

We headed to Ballycastle this morning but our bus was an hour and a half late which made us late to Corrymeela. Unfortunately the Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge was closed but we still went to Giants Causeway. This was such an amazing experience with beautiful views everywhere. Basically it is a big pile of rocks but the 'rocks' are all pillar shaped. They were all stacked next to each other kind of like dominos. We all loved this experience. For lunch we went to a cute Irish restaurant where we all enjoyed amazing food. Don't worry, we are all getting plenty to eat.

We eventually made it to Corrymeela. This place is like a retreat center for people from all around the world. We were so excited to be there, the workers greeted us with coffee, tea, and cookies. The best part about Corrymeela is the view, we had an almost 180 degree view of the Atlantic Ocean. It was so beautiful, even with the horrible weather.

We then had a lecture by a man named Harold Good. He was a wee old man that told us all about his life and about the journey he took during the conflict by helping both sides. He played a huge part in being an overseer in the decommissioning of the IRAs weapons. Basically he proved to the British that the weapons were gone. This was a huge step during the conflict. We had an amazing dinner that evening and Harold Good stayed longer to visit even more.

We all stayed in and played cards and went to bed early.

(Sorry for the delay with this post, we did not have the best internet at Corrymeela.)

Cheers! 

Chloe