Poetry & Purpose in Northern Ireland

On June 11, the last Tuesday of our visit, we headed to Rathlin Island, the northernmost edge of Northern Ireland. We’d been looking over the water at this island from our Corrymeela backyard for our whole visit, so it was exciting to finally be able to take the ferry over to explore it. Many of … Keep reading »

On Friday, June 7, we gathered after breakfast to visit the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, one of the most popular sites along the Causeway Coast. The first bridge was built by salmon fisherman in 1755, but we crossed one built in 2008, established as a National Trust site. Visitors come from all over the world to walk … Keep reading »

One of our focuses during this course has been the history of Northern Ireland, specifically the Troubles, the particularly intense period of conflict between Catholics and Protestants that took place from 1968 to 1998. Derry was at the center of this conflict, its literal walls—first built in the 17th century—dividing these groups. During our time … Keep reading »

Just as the title implies, the day starts FAST! Alarms blare at 8 AM sharp to catch a quick breakfast. We assemble at 9 AM to depart on our usual 40-minute walk down the coast towards our bus, which departs at 10 AM. Time is of the essence on this journey towards Belfast, as we … Keep reading »

On Monday, June 3, we visited Dunluce Castle, part of the Causeway Coastal route a bit farther west than Giant’s Causeway. The first castle on the site was built in the thirteenth century, and three centuries later, Queen Elizabeth I’s Lord Deputy of Ireland laid siege to it to quell an Irish uprising. Most of … Keep reading »

Liam here. Our first week in Northern Ireland has been filled to the brim with amazing experiences. The kind folks at Corrymeela have welcomed us with open arms. To say that we are in good hands would be an understatement. The hospitality has been excellent, and everyone is easy to talk to—even for an introvert … Keep reading »

The afternoon of Thursday, May 30, students gathered at Corrymeela’s garden after lunch to complete their first service project. We were led in our volunteer work by Eleanor, a very kind affiliate of the Corrymeela from the local community, who helped distribute jobs. While some of us had been able to pack old clothes for … Keep reading »

“Between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests. / I’ll dig with it.” –Seamus Heaney, “ The quote cited at the top of the page comes from one of the most famous poems by one of the most influential Northern Irish poets, Seamus Heaney. On Wednesday, May 29, we visited the museum … Keep reading »

It took a long 10-hour flight, a three-hour bus ride, two different airport arrivals, and the coordination of two different groups without data, but the Poetry & Purpose in Ireland group is finally all together and the experience is underway! The students coming directly from the US arrived at Dublin airport early Monday morning and … Keep reading »

The Northern Ireland SSTers left the U.S. on Sunday morning, May 26 and arrived safely at Corrymeela yesterday. This involved successfully coordinating connections between travelers converging from three different locations, so we congratulate them. They were last seen enjoying the coastal beauty of their setting. The seven students who left from Goshen are pictured below, … Keep reading »