Day 2

We all spent the day collectively jet lagged. We arrived in Dublin around 7 am Dublin time and were greeted by our morning tour guide, Mia. Mia proved herself to be an expert on all things Dublin. A few interesting items espoused by Mia during our day-tour of Dublin:

- In Ireland, no laws can be changed without a public referendum as per the Irish constitution
- There is a point system for Irish secondary students wishing to continue their education. How well you do on these tests (each test is assigned a point value) determines which career path the student can access.
- Irish students frequently take a year off after high school to explore career options. This is known as a transitional year.
- the Guinness family has done much to improve the economic situation of Irish citizens
- Ireland's coastal waters are controlled by the European Union, and as such, fishermen must fight for access
- Ireland has the highest birth rate in Europe

This last item is an enlightening one and provided connections, for me, to the Catholic overtones which color the Irish reality. During our group's tour of O'Connell St. with Dr. DeGarmo and Dr. Rice, we got into a discussion regarding birth control restrictions and abortion laws. It is interesting the way that these issues interplay. Codified Catholic doctrine and longstanding traditions restrict women's control over birth choice. This has created a youth bulge in the population in a time when the economy is struggling and austerity measures are being implemented, making it more difficult than ever to provide government support for these struggling youths. If Ireland has such restrictive policies regarding women's rights to choice, I wonder how much Ireland does to support these children after they are born.

My first impressions of Dublin left me surprised at how small the city seemed to be. I know that Dublin is Ireland's largest city, but the no-high-rise rule (an aesthetic choice made by the city leaders) makes Dublin appear small. Also, I have seen/heard the river Liffey romantically referred to in literature and music, and it looks quite dirty from where I sit presently. I would be interested in looking at early photographs of the river as well as seeing different parts of the river outside of Dublin to get a better grasp of what has made the river such a prominent muse for artists over the years. I am, however, quite thrilled at how simple the river makes navigating the city. The Liffey splits the city in two, north and south of the river. This, combined with the excellent transit systems, will make the city extremely navigable. Despite the city's small appearance, Dublin is filled with the sounds of hustling and bustling. The sidewalks are constantly littered with people and traditional street performers are out in abundance. In this way, Dublin possesses the charm of a large city that is at once oriented toward its future and ever-mindful of its past.