TRVL 300
SPRING 2019
Dr. Anthony Daly
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Explore the rich history and culture of Ireland. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will offer an Ireland travel course during the Spring Break of March 2019. The course will acquaint students with Ireland’s history, culture, and society by visiting historical sites, museums, vibrant cities, and the Irish countryside.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
1. Students will be able to identify connections between Irish history and contemporary Ireland.
2. Students will be able to compare and contrast the depictions of Irish society in fiction and non-fiction works with their experiences in Ireland.
3. Students will be able to explain points of similarity and difference in their experiences in Northern Ireland (UK), the Republic of Ireland, and the United States.
4. Students will be able to situate the value of their travel within their larger college experience.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Prior to and after the trip, students will have weekly meetings with Professor Anthony Daly, the faculty leader of the trip, to discuss issues relating to Irish history, culture and society. Students will be required to finish assigned readings and submit assignments. During the trip, Professor Daly and other guides will give on-site talks and tours, and students will be required to keep a journal. After the trip, students will complete an e-portfolio project based on their knowledge of, and experience in, Ireland.
GRADING AND EVALUATION
Students will be evaluated on the following: attendance at class meetings, participation in discussions, written tests, in-class presentations, written assignments on course readings, a final reflective project on the knowledge and experience gained in the course, and behavior on the travel portion of the course.
DESTINATION INTRODUCTION
Dublin
Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland, is drenched in history and culture.
Wonderfully walkable, the city offers visitors famous sights such as Trinity College,
Dublin Castle, and of course the Georgian architecture of the eighteenth century.
Side by side with these landmarks are the green parks, bustling streets, and hip neighborhoods
of modern Dublin, one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. This is a city .jpg "Glendalough")
made famous by writers and poets such as James Joyce, Jonathan Swift, and W.B. Yeats,
but we will also experience the history of Dublin, with visits to Kilmainham Jail,
which held so many Irish patriots in past centuries, the National Museum, and the
Book of Kells, a an illustrated manuscript from over a thousand years ago.
One of the highlights of our time in Dublin will be a day trip into the Wicklow Mountains National Park to experience the splendor of Glendalough. The name means “Valley of the Two Lakes” in the Irish language, and it is one of the most inspiring spots in Ireland, with the remains of a monastery, founded in the sixth century, set in great natural beauty.
Belfast
Belfast is a wonderful city with stunning buildings from the nineteenth century and streets that date back to the 1600s. We will see reminders of the conflicts from past years, but also the transformation of a newly confident city and its friendly people. With Belfast as a base, we will also explore the beauty of county Antrim, highlighted by the Giant’s Causeway, recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site. This natural marvel of 55 million year-old hexagonal columns is situated on the rugged and scenic Irish coast, where green fields meet the sea.
Kilkenny
We will take the train through the countryside to Kilkenny. If Belfast is Victorian
and Dublin is Georgian, Kilkenny takes us back further; the Medieval Mile stretches
from Kilkenny Castle to St. Canice’s Cathedral. Walk a little more and find winding
alleys, a striking abbey, and a round tower that you can climb for a view of the city
and beyond. Kilkenny has played a prominent role in Ireland’s bloody history, especially
in the seventeenth century, but today the town’s history is matched with a busy contemporary
life in shops, music, sports, and restaurants.
TRIP PARTICULARS (subject to change)
Cost: $2, 300 per person
All inclusive features include:
Payment schedule:
$300 due on enrollment
$500 due on October 1
$700 due on November 1
$800 due on February 1
ITINERARY, MARCH 16-25, 2019 (subject to change)
Saturday, March 16—Depart North Adams
Sunday, March 17—Kilkenny
Monday, March 18—Kilkenny
Tuesday, March 19—Kilkenny to Dublin
Wednesday, March 20—Dublin
Thursday, March 21—Dublin
Friday, March 22—Dublin to Belfast
Saturday, March 23—Belfast
Sunday, March 24—Belfast
Monday, March 25–Belfast to North Adams
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Anthony Daly
Department of History, Political Science and Public Policy
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
375 Church Street
North Adams, MA 01247
Phone: 413-662-5478
Email: anthony.daly@mcla.edu
