EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

18 May - 1 June 2003


The Geology/Geography of Ireland

Intersession 2003

John Stimac and Michael Cornebise

Supplies to be purchased at bookstore or from instructors:

Schedule

The first four days of the course are based in Charleston.  The rest of the trip will be in Ireland and Northern Ireland.  A general map is to the right.  We will start in Shannon (along the west coast of Ireland) and complete a counter-clockwise circuit of the island.

Detailed Itinerary: Geology/Geography Field Experience in Ireland, Summer 2003 Study Abroad

The first four days of the course are based in Charleston

May 13, Tuesday

Goals: Provide a comprehensive overview of the trip and stress the importance of the field experience to the academic and personal development of the students.  Students will be provided a reading packet to accompany both classroom work and field experience.  Additionally, important historical trends will be presented and discussed.

 

Introduction to Ireland and course details (~1.5 hours)

á       Video presentation: Ireland: The Road Taken with Tommy Makem, (~1 hour)

á       Project overview and outline (~20 minutes)

á       Assignments in reading packet (~5 minutes)

á       Journal assignment (~5 minutes)

 

Introduction to Irish history (~1.5 hours)

á       Celtic period (~30 minutes)

á       British Colonial period (~30 minutes)

á       Independent Ireland (~30 minutes)

 

May 14, Wednesday

Goals: Introduce the student to important geographic landmarks.  The aim is to provide the necessary background for a successful geologic/geographic field experience by helping the student 1) understand the importance of landscapes that will be encountered and 2) contextualize data gathered in the field for successful project completion.

 

Introduction to Irish geography: A tour through hill and dale (~3 hours)

á       Population issues (~1.5 hours)

o      The Diaspora: Irish migration and contributions in the United States and elsewhere

á       Economic and political issues (~1.5 hours)

o      Northern Ireland: Causes and consequences (~30 minutes)

o      Economic geography of modern Ireland: The IT revolution (~30 minutes)

o      A new dawn: Ireland and the European Union (~30 minutes)

 

May 15, Thursday

Goals: Provide the student with the basic background necessary to understand the various rock types they will be seeing as well as to understand the nature of why Ireland has the climate and natural resources it does.

 

Geologic Introduction to Ireland (~3 hours)

 

May 16, Friday

Goals: Impress upon the student their role as ambassador from Eastern Illinois University, the state of Illinois, and the United States.  "Cultural sensitivity" training will offer a baseline for conduct once in the field (interview strategies, data collection methods, etc.).  Students will be encouraged to ask pertinent questions in a non-offending manner, e.g., rather than asking what religion someone is in Northern Ireland, ask them what school they attended or their surname.

 

 

 

The next portion of the itinerary is based in Ireland

May 18, Sunday

Depart: Chicago, IL., O'Hare International Airport (ORD) at 7:40 pm, for overnight flight to Dublin.

Aer Lingus flight 124 on an Airbus 330.

 

May 19, Monday

Arrive: Dublin, Ireland (DUB) - at 9:10 am

Depart Dublin for Waterford

B lack Abbey, built in 1225 AD, is still in use today by members of the founding order, the Dominicans.

 

May 20, Tuesday

The Rock of Cashel is a spectacular group of medieval buildings on an outcrop of limestone.  Set in the Golden Vale, the group includes a round tower, Romanesque chapel, cathedral and restored hall of the Vicars Choral.  It is the home to the ancient kings of Munster.

Blarney Castle is one of Ireland's oldest and most historic castles, it was built around 1446.  An ancient stronghold of the MacCarthy's, Lords of Muskerry, and one of the strongest fortresses in Munster, its walls are eighteen feet thick in places.  Located on the parapet of the castle is the famous "Blarney Stone".  According to local legend, after kissing this stone, you will have the gift of eternal eloquence, or "the gift of the gab".  To kiss the stone, you must first lie on your back, then leaning your head backwards and downwards, you kiss the underside of the stone.

¤       Time to work on projects

 

May 21, Wednesday

 

May 22, Thursday

The 112-mile route takes us through Killarney National Park and along the coast, where we'll have excellent views of the Skellig Islands, weather permitting.  We will discuss the glacial geology so well exposed in this part of Ireland.

á       Stay in Killarney (Killarney Towers Hotel)

 

May 23, Friday

Bunratty Castle, was built by the MacNamara Clan around 1425. It was plundered on many occasions throughout its rich and varied history.  Restored in 1959, today the Castle contains furnishings and tapestries from the 15th and 16th centuries.  It is considered the best example of an Irish/Norman Castle in the country.  Within its grounds is Bunratty Folk Park.  Bunratty Folk Park, recreates rural and urban life in 19th century Victorian Ireland. There is an extensive array of vernacular buildings; indicative of all of the social strata from the poorest one roomed dwelling to Bunratty House, a fine example of a Georgian residence for the gentry. Traditional jobs and crafts are also represented, milling, the forge, pottery, printing, baking, farming etc.

Just north of Lahinch, on the coast of West Clare, are the Cliffs of Moher.  Natural ramparts against the might of the Atlantic, they rise in places to over 700 feet and stretch for almost 5 miles.  It is here that we can most easily get a feel for the wildness of the terrain over which the Celts wandered, for although they built imposing castles, very often they preferred the outdoor nomadic life and enjoyed the hunt.  O'Brien's Tower, located on the highest point along the Cliffs of Moher, was built in 1835 by a descendant of Brian Boru, The High King of Ireland.

With its stalactites, stalagmites, relics of bears and waterfall, the Aillwee Cave, beneath the Burren, is an ideal stop in order to understand the geology of western Ireland and the Burren.  An essential part of a visit to the Burren, it affords the opportunity to travel through beautiful caverns, over bridged chasms and under unusual speologic formations.

Stony seaboard fair and foreign,

Stony hills poured over space,

Stony outcrop of the Burren,

Stones in every fertile place...

The word Burren derives from the Irish word "Boireann" which means a rocky place and when one looks at this unique corner of County Clare it's not hard to imagine why John Betjeman penned these lines.  The Burren is a vast expanse of limestone with few , if any, large trees or shrubs.  Home to some of the rarest of Irish wild flowers, it is the place to see Dryas octopetala, Potentilla fruitcosa, Pinguicula grandiflora, Gentiana verna, and the Adiantum capillus-veneris.  The last is unknown elsewhere in Ireland and grows in clefts of limestone rock sheltered from the wind.

A dolmen is a type of passage grave consisting of at least three standing stones supporting a large capstone.  Originally a mound of clay surrounded the monument and the large capstone was placed in position by being dragged up this mound.  These clay mounds have since disappeared, leaving the stones standing starkly in the landscape.  They appear to date from c.2000 B.C.  Although they were called in Irish legend 'Diarmid and Grainne's Beds' and 'Druid's Altars' , they were in fact purely burial sites.

 

May 24, Saturday

Inishmaan, largest of the Aran Islands, is a wild and mythical place of distinctive beauty which stretches 2,252 acres.  There we will experience the natural, cultural, traditional way of life of the islanders.  This botanical paradise has over three hundred flowering plants from places as far apart as the Artic and the Mediterranean region.  Among the plants to be found on the island are Orchids, Honeysuckle and Irish Saxifrage.  A wide variety of nesting birds and natural ecosystems are also found.  Places of interest include Dun Conchubhuir, a magnificent oval stone fort containing a number of hut foundations, Leaba Dhiarmuid, is a Grainne, a collapsed neolithic wedge tomb, and Dun Fearbhai, a stone forting dating back to the first century.

 

May 25, Sunday

Situated near Letterfrack, the Park covers some 2,000 hectares (4942 acres) of scenic countryside, rich in wildlife on the slopes of the Twelve Bens.  Attractions include exhibitions, nature trails, audio-visual show.

 

May 26, Monday

Situated along the western most coast of Ireland, Achille Island retains ruins from The Famine times and the wind-swept, harsh, nature remains today.

 

May 27, Tuesday

o      Belleek China

The Belleek Pottery factory provides visitors with a close-up look at the firing, glazing and decorating of this world-famous porcelain.  Belleek was established in 1857 and its craftspeople still employ 19th century techniques. Established in 1857 Belleek Pottery holds a very special place in the cultural and commercial heritage of County Fermanagh. Nestling on the banks of the River Erne this imposing building is home to the world famous Belleek Fine Parian china and also to one of Irelands top five visitor attractions.

o      Glencolumbcille

This exhibition features Donegal's cottage dwellings. It spans more than 300 years and has family homes equipped with furniture, artifacts and utensils of the period.  The school house is also featured.  There is a craft shop and tea house which serves homemade scones, brown bread and soup.  Replicas of local history items such as standing stones and a round tower make for an interesting outdoor trail.

 

May 28, Wednesday

The visitor center tells the story of Grianan Ailigh - an ancient stone ring fort, circa 1700 B.C, the royal residence of the O'Neill's, of County Tyrone.

o      Coach tour of Derry

Tour will go into both Protestant and Catholic sections of town with their evocative political murals, both Unionist and Republican.

The Tower Museum, and walls of Derry, tells the story of Derry, chronicling the history of the city from its geological formation through to the present day. There are special features on Celtic Monasticism, the Plantation and the Siege of Derry.

 

May 29, Thursday

This geological phenomenon renowned for its columns of layered basalt is a world heritage site.  Owned by the conservation charity The National Trust, it sits in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the North Antrim Coast.  The Causeway is a mass of 40,000 basalt columns packed tightly together. The Causeway juts out from the base of the cliffs and has been eroded into three parts Ð known as the Grand, Middle and Little Causeway.  Roughly half the columns are hexagonal but some have four, five, seven and eight sides.  The tallest are about 40 ft. high, and the solidified lave in the cliffs is 90 ft. thick in places.

At Bushmills they will experience the craft and skills of making an Irish Single Malt Whiskey.  During the guided tour they will discover the secrets of the special water from St Columb's Rill, the malted Irish barley, triple distillation in copper stills and ageing for long years in oak casks.

o      Bushmills Distillery the North Coast Road to Belfast

 

May 30, Friday

National museum noted for its collections of Irish art, history, natural sciences and archaeology.  Early Ireland gallery (10,000 BC-1,500 BC).  Treasures from the Spanish Armada.

Ever since the onset of the "Troubles" in 1968, popular art has played a conspicuous role in proclaiming loyalties of BelfastÕs intransigent working-class communities, on the Protestant Shankill Road and the Catholic Falls Road.

New Grange or Brœ na Boinne Visitor's Centers present the archaeological heritage of the Boyne Valley, which includes the megalithic passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth.

 

May 31, Saturday

Free time in Dublin to complete projects

Medieval Banquet

 

June 1, Sunday

Depart: Dublin (DUB) Ð Aer Lingus flight 125 on an Airbus 300 at3:00pm for flight to Chicago.

Arrive: Chicago (ORD) Р at 5:15pm.

Drive back to Charleston and arrive ~10:00pm.

 

 

Assessment:

 

  1. Journal: Each student will be required to keep a trip journal incorporating field notes and observations.  Copies of the journal will be turned in at the end of the course as part of the course project.  Additionally, students will complete a one-page reaction to the lectures and assigned readings during the in-class segment of the course conducted in Charleston.

 

  1. Project: Each student will complete a project based on data collected in the field over the course of the trip.  A project proposal will be submitted before the trip to Ireland commences for approval of the instructors.  Details of the project will be discussed on the first day of class.

 

  1. Questions of the Day: Students will be responsible for all material provided in the readings packet as well as pertinent information gathered in the field.  A question of the day will be administered each day that deals with a prominent theme discussed either in lecture or in the field.

 

  1. Student Participation in the Field: Students are expected to be active participants in field activities. 

 

Grades will be determined as follows:

 

1. Journal                                            250 points

2. Project                                             450 points

3. Questions of the Day                      50 points

4. Student Participation                     50 points

Total points                                       800 points

 

Last year the student's projects included:

 

As you can see, the variety of projects reflected individual student's majors, interests, and talents.  Many of these projects were turned in as PowerPoint presentations and one, the video/pictorial guide of the trip, has been turned into a web page with video and pictures.  One project also received credit as an independent study project in the Speech Communication Department.

 

This year's projects will also reflect the variety of majors we hope to take.  Already 10 people who are not Geology/Geography majors have expressed strong interest in going.

 

Based on last year's student evaluations, this year's program has been modified to better reflect student interests and concerns.  For example, Strokestown House and Famine Museum have been replaced by the Achille Island and Aran Islands tours.  Although the famine was, and continues to be, important in IrelandÕs history, we can still maintain excellent presentations of it at the Queenstown Story Museum, Ulster Museum, and Tower Museum in Derry.

Tentative Program Costs:

Cost to student (without tuition):     ~$3400.00 (number based on 16 students; may change if less or more)

            Cost per day                              ~$243.00

 

Costs include:

o      13 full Irish breakfasts

 

Not included in costs:

 Lunches or any souvenirs you might purchase.


*Examples of dinners that the 2003 Ireland Study Abroad Program can expect:

 

Following was dinner on 19 May 2002 in Waterford

 

Tower of Melon served with a Ginger syrup

Dusted Goujons of Salmon served with Crispy Lettuce and a Lemon Mayonnaise

                              Warm Tartlets of Mozzarella Cheese and Black Olives

Roast Loin of Pork served with an Apple Sauce and a Rich Gravy

Pan-Fried Breast of Chicken served with Red Cabbage and Thyme Jus

Baked Fillet of Cod served with a Leek Compote and a Creamy Chardonnay Wine Sauce

Stir Fry of Vegetables served with Curry Rice and Soya Sauce

Trio of Desserts

(Profiteroles, Lemon Meringue, Pavlova)

Freshly Brewed Tea / Coffee

 

Following was dinner on 22 May 2002 in Westport

 

Parisienne of Melon with Creme de Menthe

Dressed Salmon Mayonnaise

Cream of Potato and Herb Soup

Prime Irish Beef Madeira

Farmhouse Turkey and Ham, Cranberry

Golden Fried Fillet of Plaice, Tartare

Selection of Vegetables

Fruit Trifle Chantilly

Profiteroles and Chocolate Sauce

Mint Ice Cream

Tea / Coffee