Ireland

Hello everyone!  I'm so sorry I'm just now posting for the first time.  I haven't been able to get online very much during my stay and when I have I've been talking to people online.  Anyway, I arrived in Ireland safely Friday morning after traveling for 15 hours from Tri-cities.  I did not get much sleep.  I should have slept on the plane, but still being slightly immature I couldn't resist the temptation of the movies!  Exchanging money was not fun.  I exchanged $160 and got about 87 pound in return.... horrible rate!!  The euro is supposed to be slightly better.  

Amy and Helena have taken me around to quite a few places.  I've gotten some really pretty pictures!  I'll post some once I figure out how to do that on here, ha!  I've posted all of them on facebook though.  My favorite place so far has been this place called Giant Causeway.  I got some really pretty pictures there!  The rocks are in the shape of pentagons, they looked really cool!  The weather isn't so bad over here, it's just super windy!

Though I've known about the troubles here in Northern Ireland I'm getting a much better picture of what it's like.  We went to a tombstone today of a man named Kevin Lynch.  He was part of the IRA.  Him along with 11 (I believe) other Catholics were arrested for "terrorist activities" (bombing and such).  In prison they were treated as terrorists which they were not okay with.  The officers in charge of them were protestant and were beating them up.  They all decided to go on a hunger strike because they felt they should be treated as prisoners of war rather than terrorists.  Many of them died including Kevin Lynch.  It wasn't until his death that the woman in charge of them decided to change the rules.  I'm watching a movie tonight about it which will hopefully tell me the full story of this.  I thought the troubles were well past, but Amy and Helena told me today that many people think the troubles are coming back.  The IRA are starting the bombings again.  Apparently there was a bombing in Derry this morning.  Obviously no one knows who it is yet, but I'm told it's most likely the IRA.  The schools here are separated, one for Catholics, one for protestants.  They are literally right beside each other with huge gates surrounding them.  I plan on taking a picture of them, so hopefully I can get that posted soon.

Well, that's about all for now.  I could go on for so much longer, but I'll try not to bore anyone too much!  Ireland has been so much fun!  I've seen a lot more and learned a lot more than I did last time I came to visit.  I'm sure my parents will appreciate this comment, but it's amazing how much you can learn when you actually want to learn!  History isn't half bad over here in Europe!