For the Love of the Language

As my "as gaeilge" page tells you, I've been taking Irish classes.

 The story goes...When my family was over, we spent a lot of time in the South of Ireland. In the South, Irish is technically the first language of the country. While the majority of Irish people would consider English their first and primary language, all of the road sign are bilingual. Pretty much, whenever you pass a road sign you think to yourself (or out loud if you're the Rices) "What? That's the Irish? Really? How would you say that?!?"

Seeing all these signs inspired me to learn Irish, because as my brother and I determined, our trip would have been much more fun if we could have read the signs in our Irish accents.

And so that's how it happened. My friend Kevin (yes, the same Kevin that gives Black Cab Tours) agreed to give me lessons for FREE! Awesome. It was my summer project. Paige had left for Boston and the summer was painstakingly slow at the retreat centre, so I had lots of time on my hands. As a result I made really fast progress. Unfortunately, since September things have been busy and my Irish has paid the price. While I haven't been able to practice as much as I would like, even in a few short months I have fallen in love with the language. I even have an entire youtube playlist of traditional songs sung in the Irish language!

What I've discovered is that learning Irish is different than learning most other "popular" languages. I don't mean in the methodology of learning, but rather in the motivation to study the language. People often study languages like French, Spanish, German, even Arabic and Chinese either because they have too or because it will benefit their career or ability to travel. For example I studied German and Latin, not because I wanted too, but because if I had a basic understanding of the languages it would make me a better candidate for the theology programs I was applying to.

Its very different for Irish. You don't need to learn Irish to get around Ireland and, unless you want to be a Sinn Féin politician, there are very few jobs that you'd be required to speak Irish. Yet, there is a huge revival and interest in the Irish language among all ages. In my experience, people don't learn Irish because it's going to get them ahead in life, but out of a love for the Irish culture and a realization that without the native tongue the culture is incomplete.

A language connects its people to its culture in very intimate way. The English translations of Irish are never as lyrical as the actual Irish or even of a more strict translation. That's because Irish is a poetic language and native Irish speakers simple speak in poetry. The best Irish is its stories and prayers. Now, that says something about the culture. And while the Irish may look harsh on the page, it is simply music to the ears.

While I have mostly just taken private lessons, I have spent some time in a few Irish culture centres and I have even gone on an Irish Intensive Weekend Course! Sure, you learn in the class room, but you also learn through stories and songs. One of the West Belfast Irish centres host, what Americans would call, monthly Irish open mic nights. Irish is spoken exclusively and people come from as far as Donegal to sing and recite poetry and stories. And, I will always remember learning the song "Oró Sé do Bheatha 'Bhaile" at my weekend course. One afternoon the head teacher, Seamus, brought everyone into one room (beginners to fluent speakers) and we all learned and sang that song. Seamus believed that people can't just learn the Irish words; the only way to truly master the language is through song.

Even as an American, its been such a joy studying Irish. I enjoyed it so much that I went out to the Gaeltacht for a long weekend just to be in an Irish speaking area! I know that my connection to Ireland has been greatly strengthen because of the time I've spent with the language. I feel that because of my interest in the language I've been able to get a really authentic and intimate experience of Ireland and its people.  I hope that I can end up living near an Irish culture center so that I can continue to study the language and experience the culture!

My 1st Black Cab Tour

This is something I wrote a few weeks after I arrived in Ireland. If you looked at my pictures for December 2011, you'd know that I took a black cab tour. This was one of the very first things that I did with my co-worker Paige. It was to introduction us to both the Troubles and Belfast. Through my work, the people I've met, the places I've seen, the experiences I've had, and the friends that I've met, my thoughts on and understanding of the Troubles and the current political situation has developed. But, I decided to include this because it marks some of my first thoughts on the political situation here.

“This post is actually my reflections on one of the first things I did in Ireland. I know many of you have been looking at the pictures that I have been posting on facebook, and some of you may have spent some time over in Ireland as well. One of the most striking things about Ireland is its beauty. The richest shades of green cover the landscape. (When you’re lucky) the most amazing blues light up the skies. The majesty of the Mourne mountains is always present in Co. Down, and you do not have to travel far to see the crashing waves. It is truly a breathtakingly beautiful place to live. It is such a blessing to walk outside of my home and be greeted with the grandeur of God’s creation, and I can only hope that I never allow the extraordinary to become the ordinary.

With all the beauty that is present in Ireland, it’s sometime hard to remember that there is a dark, bloody and terrible history – a dark, bloody, and terrible history that is still shaping and affect the area.

Before coming to Ireland, I tried to read up and learn what I could about “The Troubles.” The Troubles refers to the violence that occurred in Northern Ireland during the early 60s up through the late 90s. The majority of the violence ended with the Signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. But, do not be deceived, wounds are still raw and incidents of violence continue to occur. Very simply and too briefly put, the violence took place between Irish, Catholic Nationals (the most notable paramilitary group being the IRA – The Irish Republican Army) and British, Protestant Loyalists. The Troubles was an ethnic/political conflict, in which ethnicity and political ideology aligned with religion.

My brief explanation consists of a few facts and dates, like something you would on Wikipedia. The dates are easy in comparison to the lived experience of these people. In reality, the Troubles is surrounded by a complicated history full of gray and stories that are almost always incomplete and one sided. But, you need to start somewhere, and I started in West Belfast, on a tour of the Catholic neighborhoods with Kevin, a personal friend of Fr. John.

Fr. John was serving as a prison chaplain when he first met Kevin. Kevin was incarcerated in the mid 90s and was released from jail as part of the Good Friday Agreement. As Kevin explained to us, he is a Republican and was imprisoned for his political views, but now, he is very much committed to the peace process. One of the things I appreciated about Kevin was at the very beginning of our tour, he told us that he was in no way telling us the whole story. He would not try to present the Loyalist position, for that, we would need to talk to a Loyalist. Therefore, this reflection is only based upon the experience I had with Kevin and the sites that he showed Paige and I.

During our journey through the Catholic neighborhoods of we saw memorial gardens, wall murals, the memorial plaques dedicated those killed in the Bloody Sunday Massacre, and went to the IRA museum in the Falls Road section of Belfast. We then ended our tour by going to Milltown Cemetery.

As we moved through West Belfast Kevin talked to us about the curfews placed upon Catholics neighborhoods, the Blanket protest, the Hunger Strikes, the role of Bobby Sands, the shoot to kill policies of the police forces, the lack of political status and trials given to IRA and other National paramilitary groups, Long Kesh, and his own experience in the Belfast Jail. It was a lot to take in. And to be honest, I’m still reflecting upon the experience. To hear the story of someone who lived through and was directly involved in the Troubles was not like reading about the events in a book, it was personal, intimate, and heartbreaking. 

After much reflection, there are three thoughts that I would like to briefly share with you.

1.) The Legacy of Violence. This was term that Kevin used. He talked to us about how violence and hate are so easily and fluidly passed from one generation to another. Kevin shared with us a bit of his own experience and how he remembered as a child being awakened to clattering in the streets and when he asked his father what was happening, he was told Bobby Sands was just incarcerated…. A little over ten years later, Kevin was sent to the same prison. Stories like this make us stop and truly think. How do we break these types cycles? Does a cease fire really bring about peace? How do you truly forgive another? What can I do? This is challenge that the people of Belfast and all of the north are faced with now – How do you break out of patterns of violence and hatred and enter into the process of peace and forgiveness.

2.) War or Crime? From the Nationalist prospective, the IRA and other nationalist paramilitary groups were engaged in war. From the Loyalist prospective, the nationalists were criminals. At first the difference between terms may not seem to make much of a difference, but it did. If the Troubles was considered a war, those incarcerated would be considered prisoners of war. But, if those involved in the Trouble were viewed as citizens who broke the law, those incarcerated would be considered criminals. What was at stake was “special category status” aka political recognition. As Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister at the time, said, “We are not prepared to consider special category status for certain groups of people serving sentences for crime. Crime is crime is crime, it is not political.” The Blanket protest and Hunger Strikes were in response to this policy, but both attempts were unsuccessful in gaining special category status for prisoners.

3.) The Loss of the Youth. One of the things that struck me the most was the amount of young people who were killed in the troubles. The different memorial gardens that we visited often had plaques with the names of those who died, and so many of them were in their late teens and 20s. It was people my age who were fighting, being imprisoned, and dying. And even now, it is the young people who are most likely to become involved in paramilitary activities. Many of you reading this post work with young people, and I want to affirm the work that you are doing. There is such a need both here and Ireland and also in the States to provide young people with safe places to be, strong role models, and positive affirmation.

Like I said earlier, this is only one small part of the story. Everyone had their own story, their own experiences. With only part of the story it can be easy to demonize the other and draw inaccurate conclusions. It was dirty war, and blame certainly falls on both sides. In closing, I ask for your prayers. Prayers for a community that is in need of healing. This isn’t history that took places centuries ago. The effects of the Troubles are still be felt today in and around Belfast. So many people still living today are grieving the loss of a loved one who died or disappeared. There are high rates of unemployment and alcoholism. There are still protest marches and acts of violence fueled by political ideology. And, young people are still at risk of being involved with paramilitary groups. There is much work to be done, but, rays of hope are present. There are many people who are committed to peace-building and true reconciliation, there are ecumenical groups who meet regularly, and there are many youth workers who dedicated their lives to getting kids off the streets. Our Lady, Queen of Peace…pray for us.”

An Irish Geography Lesson

The island of Ireland is composed to 4 provinces and 32 counties. The four counties are Ulster, Connacht, Munster, and Leinster. (I live in Ulster!). All 32 counties are listed on this map, but I am going to focus on the counties in Ulster, the my province.

Ulster is comprised of 9 counties: Antrim, Armagh, Cavan, Donegal, Down, Fermanagh Monaghan, (London)Derry, Tyrone.

Before 1801, Ireland had its own sovereignty. In 1801 all of Ireland formed a constituent country of the United Kingdom. Then in 1920 (and reaffirmed in 1922) Ireland was partitioned in to Northern Ireland and what is now call the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland is composed of 6 out of the 9 counties of Ulster: Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Monaghan, (London)Derry, Tyrone. It is accurate to say that all of Northern Ireland is in Ulster, but not all of Ulster is in Norther Ireland.

Why 6 out of the 9? As I have been told, Northern Ireland was created to be "a protestant land for a protestant people." Northern Ireland was partitioned is such a way that it would have a protestant majority. Included that last three counties into Northern Ireland would have given the majority to Catholics, which is way there were excluded. As Northern Ireland emerged from the Troubles, the phrase "a protestant land for a protestant people" can no longer be used. Upon the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, politicians have committed to create a "shared future" which include equality and representation of all people.

What's the part of Ireland? During the past summer my family came over for the a wee holiday. We spent almost two weeks travel all around the perimeter of Ireland. Between my family's adventure and my own travels, I've seen more of Ireland than most Irish people! As so it is with (great) authority that I can say all of Ireland is beautiful...but the award goes to Donegal and in particular to the Gaeltacht regions of Dún na nGall.  There is just something so wild, so rugged, so pristine that captures your heart.

When I stand on the beach in Gweedore, I am just in awe of God's creation. The water is so blue, the mountains so majestic, and when the sun shines it would break your heart to leave. And if the natural beauty doesn't win you over, the craic n' ceol (fun and music) will! The Gaeltacht refers to the Irish speaking areas of Ireland and it people create some of the most beautiful and lyrical music ever. So all in all, I can complete understand why it was/is so hard for the Irish immigrants to leave this lovely island. I recently told Kate that I hope its raining the day I have to leave so else I will be crying all the way to the airport.

Since you can't be in Ireland now, and since mostly people don't travel to the Gaeltachts when there over, I invite you take a micro holiday and watch this video with contains pictures of Gweedore. It the song is Gleanntáin Ghlas Ghaoth Dobhair, The Green Glens of Gweedore, and it's the most famous song that comes from the region. So take a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath, imagine the fresh Irish air filling your lungs and allow the Irish language and scenery to touch your heart.

The English Translation:

"Farewell to the noble mountains of Donegal

And twice farewell to tall Errigal, arching over rowen and ash tree

When I passed by Dunlewey lake, lying quietly in the glen

Behind me were the little green glens of Gaoth Dobhair, and it nearly broke my heart

Travelling through Glendowan's Hills, and Muckish behind me

I don't mind saying with sorrow and grief, that tears fell from my eyes

Westward to America was my journey, far across the wide sea

I said farewell for a while to Donegal, and the little green glens of Gaoth Dobhair

I never wanted to leave my own beloved land

But the foreigner's heavy handed deceit and treachery drove me away

It would be my heart's desire to return again, when I should get a little money

To spend the end of my life with my family, 'round the little green glens of Gaoth Dobhair

Yet farewell, farewell to Donegal, the County fine and fair

And to your brave men who in time of need, did not ever cower before the foreigner

There's a place in my heart for each man and woman, each child big and small

Who live in peace, without sorrow or grief, in the little green glens of Gaoth Dobhair"

An Attempted Glossary

I have learned so much about the Troubles, that the names of the people and places come so naturally to me. As I was preparing the next few posts, I realized that some of my reader may not be familiar with some of the terms I use. Therefore I wanted to give you my working definitions of some key words when talking about the Troubles. I say working definitions, because my knowledge is still limited and I am constantly learning new dimensions to the Troubles as I meet and talk with more people.

P.S. If you make it through all the heavy definitions, you will be rewarded with my reflection on the growing grayness of identity.

The Troubles: A political conflict that took place from 1969 to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. While it was a political conflict, those with a shared political ideology also often had a shared religion. And. unfortunately, religious symbolism was often incorporated into the conflict and strong prejudices have been cultivated between Catholics and Protestants.

Sectarianism: Is a bigotry, discrimination or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences within a larger group, such as between different denominations of a religion, class, or political ideologies.

The IRA (Irish Republican Army): A highly politicized, Catholic paramilitary group, that took up arms against the British army, police force, and pro-British paramilitary groups during the Troubles. Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, evidence has been confirmed the alleged collusion between the British army, police and paramilitary groups. As a result the IRA took it upon themselves to protect the Irish Catholic people, using whatever means necessary. The IRA also fought for equality for Catholics and for a united Ireland, an Ireland without any British rule/government. The leaders of the IRA officially called a crease fire upon the signing the Good Friday agreement.

Republicans: Are people, almost exlusively Catholic, who strongly identify as Irish and oppose British rule, oppression of the Irish people, and strive to bring about a united Ireland. During the troubles, many Republicans would have been volunteers of the IRA. Today Republicans remain a strong political presence in all of Ireland through the Sinn Féin party. Thanks to good leadership, while republicans still hold very intense political views, most are very supportive of the peace process. There is a small minority of Republican who oppose the peace process and engage in sectarian violence, those people are called the dissident Republicans and are members of different dissident paramilitary groups.

Nationalists: A typically Catholic group of people who identify with they Irish heritage and would support the more moderate Socialist Democratic Labour Party (SDLP). .During the Troubles, the IRA would have protected nationalist communities. Today the safety and interest of these communities is looked after by both Sinn Féin and SDLP.

The UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force)/UDA (Ulster Defense Assoication)/UFF (Ulster Freedom Fighters): Are Protestant, anti-Catholic paramilitary groups. These groups seek to protect British rule, government and culture through violent meanings. As mentioned before many of these paramilitary groups were in collusion with the British Army and police force. There is still the presence of the UVF and other protestant  paramilitary groups. One of the currently problems facing these groups is differing priorities and different understandings of identity and purpose, causing many internal feuds. For more information see the BBC's more detailed descriptions of these (and other) paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland.

Loyalists: A group, almost exclusively Protestant, who oppose to a united Ireland. Most loyalists support upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom. A large majority of loyalists would find themselves in the working class and are willing to use violence to fight or "Queen and country" or tacitly support such violence, either today or in the past.

Unionists: Refers to a typically Protestant groups with holds a political ideology in favor of the continuation of some form of political union between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. In addition to preserving a political union, unionist also strongly promote British culture and symbols. Most Unionists would be in middle or upper socio-economics groups. 

Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC): Was the police force in Northern Ireland until  it was dissolved in 2001 and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was established. The RUC was a pro-unionist police service that has received much criticism over their treatment of Irish nationalist and republicans and its loyalist collusion. The B-specials were a reserve policing group that was particular aggressive towards Catholics and was as seen as a Protestant Army. For more information of the RUC and B Specials, see the information given by the BBC.

Protestant Political Parties: Over the years many different Protestant political parties emerged to protect and promote the interest of the Protestant people. The most popular party being the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) followed by the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) for a complete list of all political parties in Northern Ireland, click here. 
_________________________________________________________________

They say that time heals all things, and I tend to agree. During a period of conflict it is very easy to identify yourself. The "us verse them" mentality helps gives people a easy (and in my opinion, unhealthy) sense of self. When the conflict ends, once the threat of the "other" subsides, and after the wind blurs the line in the sand, you are left with the haunting question of "Who am I?" And, this is both a good thing and a bad thing. 

The bad manifests itself when people struggle with finding a positive identity. The most recent example of this has resulting in the current Flag Protest, which I will address in more detail later. Its important to remember that the flag is the par excellence symbol of British-ness, and Belfast Council's decision to restrict the number of days the Union Flag is flown has greatly upset many people because its seen as an attack on British-ness. Fact or Fiction, it is a very prominent feeling here. But the sad part is, when you hear interviews of the young protesters  they are unable to answer the question "What does British-ness mean to you?" They don't know who they are, they just know things are changing, they don't like it, and their response in civil unrest and in a few more extreme cases, attacking nationalist communities.

But, within the grayness of identity, I also see glimmers of hope. With the old identities no longer cast in stone, some people are able to find flexibility in terminology. When the Olympics were on the summer I ask a friend of mine what country she was supporting. She told me she was rooting for the British athletes and the Irish ones. She then explained to me that she holds both an Irish passport and a British passport, which makes her both British and Irish. You would not have heard this explanation 20 years, okay maybe even 10 years, ago. Off course not everyone changes at the same pace, and within some prejudiced have be planted very deep, but change for the better is happening. Another example of this positive change is the new terminology and ways to describe identity have emerged. According to the 2011 Census (see page 15), the term Northern Irish has emerged and is growing in popularity. 

Time heals all things. As more time passes, I pray that people continue to explore the questions of "Who am I?" This isn't a call to do away with terms like nationalist, republican, loyalist or unionist, but desire see identify is a more expansive and inclusive way. I pray that people can begin to discover positive ways of understanding and expressing themselves and as a result people can engage the peace-process with more energy.

Oh My Visa!

One would think that once I accepted the job at Tobar Mhuire that I could just relax and enjoy my summer months in the States. That it would be smooth sailing...Please, don't make me laugh!

When I met with Fr. John in April, the plan was to begin in September. While having volunteers is a fabulous idea, what Fr. John didn't realize was that volunteers, like all people who wish to have long term residency in the UK, need a visa. It was after meeting with Fr. John that I began researching the visa process, and when I found out that I needed a "certificate of sponsorship." You receive this certificate from your employer, and without it your visa application is sure to be unsuccessful. BUT, for a sponsor to be able to assign you a certificate she/he needs to apply for one, and BEFORE he/she can apply for a certificate the company/organization needs to be approved.

That's a lot of steps. Luckily, government agencies are very efficient. NOT! Needless to say, by early May I knew that a September 1st start date was not going to happen.

The summer wasn't bad. I had an internship lined up with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. And then I did some teambuilding work with NorthStar Adventure, some babysitting, and flew out to Kansas City to visit my friend James. (p.s. Kansas City is AMAZING!)

But then September came. And then October came. And then November came. To make matters worse, Fr. John was not the best communicator during the ordeal. I have come to learn that he was working very hard to jump through all the hoops, but it was very stressful and nerve racking to not get regular updates on the state of things. The reality was, without a successful visa application I wasn't going to be able to work at Tobar Mhuire. Of course there was no reason for things to not be approved, but all I wanted was to hold my passport/visa in my hand.

 Finally, the email I was waiting for came! And what a relief it was! I was issued my certificate of sponsorship mid-November, and was able to submit a priority visa application (aka you pay more for faster results!) and the week after Thanksgiving I was in Ireland!

Despite the stress, I am very grateful for the "waiting period." This experience gave me another opportunity to put my trust in God. When I accepted the job, I really did feel like this was the path that God was guiding me down. But, there were moments that I wished that I would have accepted a position with JVC (Jesuit Vol. Corps) because I wouldn't have had the period of uncertainty. Instead I had to trust both God and myself. I had to trust that God would provide for me, but I also had to trust myself and my discernment of where God was leading me.

Another blessing that I discovered was "The Perfect Fit for Working Women." One evening I was telling my Mom my grand plan of marrying wealthy and then opening up a boutique were disadvantage women and struggling students could come and get one-on-one fashion advice and free interview appropriate clothing. (I swear I came up with this idea all on my own). After a little Google research, I discovered such a concept exists and there happens to be a non-profit built around that exact premise in Allentown, and I began volunteering! It was great...I was able to work a few days a week. It provided me with some structure to my life, gave me an opportunity to help some amazing women, and I loved it!

Lastly, and most importantly, it gave me some very precious time with my parents and my grandparents. I haven't really lived at home (except for summers) since high school, and I never had any extended periods of time with my parents all on my own. With Angela at college and Chris busy in NYC, it was just me, my mom, and my dad. And it was wonderful. Truly treasured moments. Driving through the country, wine tasting, or just having lunch on the deck....simple moments, but very much treasured. I also had regular Saladworks dates with my grandmother and spent quality time with my grandparents. I got to learn so much about them...the stories of their youth (and early retirement!) has complete changed the way I think of them. And I will always remember that afternoon when we were looking through photos from their trip to Germany and my grandmother looked up at me and with a gleam in her eye said, "We were really adventurers, your grandfather and I." It was so beautiful.

While it was frustrating to wait so long, the delay was definitely a blessing in disguise. I will be forever grateful for the time I had at home, but then again, I was ecstatic when I finally got to the Newark airport!