Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Val Merlina, I am a rising senior at Gettysburg College, majoring in history, with minors in both Civil War Era Studies, and Peace & Justice Studies. I've come to call Gettysburg home for the past three years, but in preparing in hopes of studying law, and foreign affairs, I found that an opportunity to study abroad simply could not be passed over. Therefore, for approximately the next four months, I will blog here about not only my studies in Ireland, but also some photos, opinions, etc., in hopes that it will be entertaining or informative. Perhaps even both! This is fall semester 2013 in Ireland - Autumn in Éirinn.
My program, SIT Study Abroad, Ireland: Social and Political Transformation, takes students not only to a foreign country, but allows them to become completely immersed in culture. [If you would prefer program information and details before I can blog about them, check out SIT Dublin's page here for more information!] Through this program, we will be staying with different host families near Dublin, and will attend classes in the city. Lecturers from Trinity College, Queens University, University of Ulster will serve as our professors, and trips to various locations in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland will serve as our classrooms. Orientation week includes hiking along the Wicklow Way, and honestly, is there a more fantastic way to begin?
To prepare for what's in store, I've been reading books concerning various social issues in Ireland, as well as watching some suggested films. On top of it all, I decided to teach myself some conversational Irish, which I will most likely pepper in throughout this blog. It's a gorgeous language, and unlike anything I have ever studied. The fact that a new generation in Ireland (and around the world) is attempting to learn Irish pays tribute to those who refused to give up their language despite conflict. I'm excited to learn more of the language, and as a play on Padraig Pearse's thoughts on the matter, to learn more of the soul of Ireland itself. "A country without a language is a country without a soul," Pearse wrote. Despite it all, Ireland appears clearly to have both of those.
Until then, I await departure in my hometown just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With a destination over 3,000 miles away from home, and it being my first time flying out of country, the excitement is mounting, and I am quite ready for some adventure. Nonetheless, allow me again to welcome you to my blog, Autumn in Eirinn. I appreciate you coming along! Fáilte mo chara! Welcome, my friend!
Until next time-
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What I've Been Reading/Watching (in no particular order):
Nonfiction
- McKittrick, David and David McVeigh. Making Sense of the Troubles, Penguin U.K., 2001.
- English, Richard. Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA. Pan Books, 2004.
- O’Connor, Fionnuala. In Search of A State: Catholics in Northern Ireland. Chester Springs, PA: Dufour Editions, Inc., 1995.
- The Dynamics of Conflict in Northern Ireland. Ruane, Jennifer and Joseph Todd, Cambridge UK : Cambridge University Press, 1996.
Fiction (more to come)
- Deane, Seamus. Reading in the Dark. New York, NY: Random House, 1998.
- Taylor, Patrick. An Irish Country Doctor. Macmillan, 1997.
Movies
