Day 1
We all flew from different connecting flights and met in Newark Airport to catch the same flight over to Belfast. We all vaguely knew each other because he had met a few times beforehand, and we had worked together during DukeEngage Academy, but conversation was relatively trivial. Duke is a big place, and it was clear that getting to know each other was going to take some doing. Our flight left that night, and we said goodbye to the U.S. for the next 8 weeks.
Day 2
We arrived in Belfast International Airport in the mid-morning. Professor Robin Kirk, our program director, met us in the airport and we briefly spoke about trip expectations and excitements.
After a bus into the city centre, we took taxis to the place we’ll be calling home for our entire trip, Farset International. It’s clear from the beginning that this place lies somewhere between a hotel and a hostile, and it definitely has its own unique personality. We will get to know this place well during our stay.
After a brief stint in Farset where we checked into our rooms and got settled, we piled onto a bus with Queens University Belfast Professor Gordon Gillespie for a bus tour. We saw plenty of sights, including beautiful murals that depict everything from this city’s pivotal role in the building of the Titanic to the harsh militaristic past of the ‘Troubles’. The murals were super interesting, but unfortunately, jet lag seemed to get the better of us. We struggled to keep our eyes open and pay attention throughout the entire trip. We will hopefully get more chances to explore the city and its beautiful street art.
After a chance for a much needed nap, we met Professor Kirk for dinner at a restaurant named Failte, which means welcome in Irish. The food was great and eased my tensions about all Northern Irish food being heavy inedible, but we also had a chance to talk as a group and get to know each other better.
Day 3
Today was our orientation. We hadn’t seen our internship placements yet because the program organizers instead felt it was important to give us some level of background on the history and current state of affairs of Northern Ireland. For me, it was helpful because it gave me a contextual framework that I could put all of my experiences over the next 8 weeks into.
Professor Gillespie was our first speaker. We were a little more awake for his talk this time. He described the history of the conflict here, which many people refer to as the ‘Troubles’ (though this is not a universal term). One thing is already clear to me. There are a lot of new proper nouns!!! There are different paramilitary groups, political parties, important people, neighborhoods, and towns to remember and gathering a working knowledge quickly is essential so we don’t offend locals. But this will just have to be a work in progress.
Out next speaker came from the Victims and Survivor Service. She talked a lot about dealing with the aftermath of a conflict as bloody as the ‘Troubles,” and the budgetary problems facing Northern Ireland. As we get further away from the Good Friday Accords (a seminal peace agreement in the 90’s), money from the EU and others will continue to lessen. This is something to be mindful of going forward. We then met with an ex-paramilitary who had been imprisoned for years and now works in community development. It’s amazing to see how people can turn around and choose non-violent lives after being so invested in violent campaigns.
After a few more speakers, we went to Robinson’s restaurant and bar for dinner. Walking across the street from there, we saw a hotel called the Europa. It looked like any other luxury hotel in the middle of a European city. It was then we learned it held the record for the most bombings of any hotel. It’s surreal moments like these that remind us that even though this foreign culture is still friendly, it was ravaged by violence and needs to move forward. Failure is not an option.
We ended the night at what locals call ‘The Bot’, a Queens University Bar with live music. It’s great to immerse yourself in the culture of other college students and see how other people live and interact. A long day for sure!
Day 4
Today, we finally got to see our internship placements!! After a morning meeting in Farset about administrative rules, our supervisors came in and we had a chance to chat. I am working with WAVE, an organization that supports victims and survivors of the conflict by providing psychological services and facilitating different support groups. I jumped in a taxi with my director, Alan, and I had to idea what to expect of the place. We ended up in this beautiful old house just off the Antrim Rd, a ways north of the city center. Alan introduced me to everyone; they all seem nice and I’m excited to get to know them better as the experience goes on.
I spent my first day with the trauma training division, who work with Queens University to provide professional training in dealing with trauma and victims. I processed a few surveys, not the most engaging work, but I wrote a quick little memo summarizing the surveys, which was fun. I’m excited to get more involved with this place during the next 8 weeks.
Day 5
Today was my first workday in the office. It was kind of awkward, since I don’t know much about WAVE and the staff doesn’t seem to know much about me. Alan gave me a few materials to look over. I now know that my main project will be contributing content to WAVE’s newsletter. It’s a high quality publication, and I’m excited to write for it. I will be interviewing volunteers about their experiences and why they volunteer, which sounds like an interesting experience. A quiet day for sure.
Day 6
Today was anything but quiet. We started the morning at St. George’s market, an open farmer’s market with brilliant food and all kinds of crafts. It’s really interesting to see the different types of creative work that people are making here. I also had a delicious breakfast crepe, filled with cheese tomatoes and ham! It really hit the spot. We then gathered up a few things for lunch and set out for Cavehill, a local park and quite a nice climb. Photos were plentiful as we hiked up this very scenic mountaintop. We climbed all the way to the top and then had a nice picnic. Three of us had gone in for some strawberries, and this reminder of fresh fruit was great. The food is a little heavy here. We then climbed back down Cavehill and took a bus back into the city center.
We then grabbed a quick pint at the Duke of York, and old pub with wonderful scenery. Pub culture here is something worth observing because it is Northern Ireland at its most social. I’m looking forward to seeing more places, hopefully with as much class as the Duke of the York.
It was then off to Lavery’s pub for the Champions League final. Lavery’s is a little more loud and colorful, with big TV’s and pool tables around the whole place. We grabbed a few drinks and caught an exciting match, ending 4-1 with Real Madrid as Champions of Europe. We had good conversation with a few locals over a few drinks, and then we called it a night.
Day 7
We had the morning off on Sunday, which was really nice. As amazing as this place is, you can get overloaded with new culture and history, so it is important to take some time off. In the afternoon, we met at the Divis Tower on the Falls Road (an iconic Catholic area) for a tour of the Catholic neighborhood and monuments. Our tour guide was an ex-IRA man who had been imprisoned and later released. He spoke eloquently about the horrors of prison, and he seemed know many of the revolutionaries still beloved by Catholic communities, most notably Bobby Sands (an IRA volunteer who died on hunger strike in prison). It was a great inside look at a community we knew nothing about. Our tour guide often pointed out bullet holes in buildings that looked normal. If you don’t really look, you may forget about the conflict here. That’s both a gift and a curse. It can be nice to forget the painful, but it can also serve to teach an important lesson about the community. We ended the tour at a Pub that our tour guide took us into, which seemed harmless. We later learned that it was a fairly notorious hangout for ex-IRA folk, revealing how normal this country can seem before you understand the context. Overall, a tiring, but amazing week.
Steve Brenner
Trinity '17
We all flew from different connecting flights and met in Newark Airport to catch the same flight over to Belfast. We all vaguely knew each other because he had met a few times beforehand, and we had worked together during DukeEngage Academy, but conversation was relatively trivial. Duke is a big place, and it was clear that getting to know each other was going to take some doing. Our flight left that night, and we said goodbye to the U.S. for the next 8 weeks.
Day 2
We arrived in Belfast International Airport in the mid-morning. Professor Robin Kirk, our program director, met us in the airport and we briefly spoke about trip expectations and excitements.
After a bus into the city centre, we took taxis to the place we’ll be calling home for our entire trip, Farset International. It’s clear from the beginning that this place lies somewhere between a hotel and a hostile, and it definitely has its own unique personality. We will get to know this place well during our stay.
After a brief stint in Farset where we checked into our rooms and got settled, we piled onto a bus with Queens University Belfast Professor Gordon Gillespie for a bus tour. We saw plenty of sights, including beautiful murals that depict everything from this city’s pivotal role in the building of the Titanic to the harsh militaristic past of the ‘Troubles’. The murals were super interesting, but unfortunately, jet lag seemed to get the better of us. We struggled to keep our eyes open and pay attention throughout the entire trip. We will hopefully get more chances to explore the city and its beautiful street art.
After a chance for a much needed nap, we met Professor Kirk for dinner at a restaurant named Failte, which means welcome in Irish. The food was great and eased my tensions about all Northern Irish food being heavy inedible, but we also had a chance to talk as a group and get to know each other better.
Day 3
Today was our orientation. We hadn’t seen our internship placements yet because the program organizers instead felt it was important to give us some level of background on the history and current state of affairs of Northern Ireland. For me, it was helpful because it gave me a contextual framework that I could put all of my experiences over the next 8 weeks into.
Professor Gillespie was our first speaker. We were a little more awake for his talk this time. He described the history of the conflict here, which many people refer to as the ‘Troubles’ (though this is not a universal term). One thing is already clear to me. There are a lot of new proper nouns!!! There are different paramilitary groups, political parties, important people, neighborhoods, and towns to remember and gathering a working knowledge quickly is essential so we don’t offend locals. But this will just have to be a work in progress.
Out next speaker came from the Victims and Survivor Service. She talked a lot about dealing with the aftermath of a conflict as bloody as the ‘Troubles,” and the budgetary problems facing Northern Ireland. As we get further away from the Good Friday Accords (a seminal peace agreement in the 90’s), money from the EU and others will continue to lessen. This is something to be mindful of going forward. We then met with an ex-paramilitary who had been imprisoned for years and now works in community development. It’s amazing to see how people can turn around and choose non-violent lives after being so invested in violent campaigns.
After a few more speakers, we went to Robinson’s restaurant and bar for dinner. Walking across the street from there, we saw a hotel called the Europa. It looked like any other luxury hotel in the middle of a European city. It was then we learned it held the record for the most bombings of any hotel. It’s surreal moments like these that remind us that even though this foreign culture is still friendly, it was ravaged by violence and needs to move forward. Failure is not an option.
We ended the night at what locals call ‘The Bot’, a Queens University Bar with live music. It’s great to immerse yourself in the culture of other college students and see how other people live and interact. A long day for sure!
Day 4
Today, we finally got to see our internship placements!! After a morning meeting in Farset about administrative rules, our supervisors came in and we had a chance to chat. I am working with WAVE, an organization that supports victims and survivors of the conflict by providing psychological services and facilitating different support groups. I jumped in a taxi with my director, Alan, and I had to idea what to expect of the place. We ended up in this beautiful old house just off the Antrim Rd, a ways north of the city center. Alan introduced me to everyone; they all seem nice and I’m excited to get to know them better as the experience goes on.
I spent my first day with the trauma training division, who work with Queens University to provide professional training in dealing with trauma and victims. I processed a few surveys, not the most engaging work, but I wrote a quick little memo summarizing the surveys, which was fun. I’m excited to get more involved with this place during the next 8 weeks.
Day 5
Today was my first workday in the office. It was kind of awkward, since I don’t know much about WAVE and the staff doesn’t seem to know much about me. Alan gave me a few materials to look over. I now know that my main project will be contributing content to WAVE’s newsletter. It’s a high quality publication, and I’m excited to write for it. I will be interviewing volunteers about their experiences and why they volunteer, which sounds like an interesting experience. A quiet day for sure.
Day 6
Today was anything but quiet. We started the morning at St. George’s market, an open farmer’s market with brilliant food and all kinds of crafts. It’s really interesting to see the different types of creative work that people are making here. I also had a delicious breakfast crepe, filled with cheese tomatoes and ham! It really hit the spot. We then gathered up a few things for lunch and set out for Cavehill, a local park and quite a nice climb. Photos were plentiful as we hiked up this very scenic mountaintop. We climbed all the way to the top and then had a nice picnic. Three of us had gone in for some strawberries, and this reminder of fresh fruit was great. The food is a little heavy here. We then climbed back down Cavehill and took a bus back into the city center.
We then grabbed a quick pint at the Duke of York, and old pub with wonderful scenery. Pub culture here is something worth observing because it is Northern Ireland at its most social. I’m looking forward to seeing more places, hopefully with as much class as the Duke of the York.
It was then off to Lavery’s pub for the Champions League final. Lavery’s is a little more loud and colorful, with big TV’s and pool tables around the whole place. We grabbed a few drinks and caught an exciting match, ending 4-1 with Real Madrid as Champions of Europe. We had good conversation with a few locals over a few drinks, and then we called it a night.
Day 7
We had the morning off on Sunday, which was really nice. As amazing as this place is, you can get overloaded with new culture and history, so it is important to take some time off. In the afternoon, we met at the Divis Tower on the Falls Road (an iconic Catholic area) for a tour of the Catholic neighborhood and monuments. Our tour guide was an ex-IRA man who had been imprisoned and later released. He spoke eloquently about the horrors of prison, and he seemed know many of the revolutionaries still beloved by Catholic communities, most notably Bobby Sands (an IRA volunteer who died on hunger strike in prison). It was a great inside look at a community we knew nothing about. Our tour guide often pointed out bullet holes in buildings that looked normal. If you don’t really look, you may forget about the conflict here. That’s both a gift and a curse. It can be nice to forget the painful, but it can also serve to teach an important lesson about the community. We ended the tour at a Pub that our tour guide took us into, which seemed harmless. We later learned that it was a fairly notorious hangout for ex-IRA folk, revealing how normal this country can seem before you understand the context. Overall, a tiring, but amazing week.
Steve Brenner
Trinity '17