Pinoyspotting and Other Discoveries in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
/A short backgrounder on Ireland: In 1801 Ireland became part of the new United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The Great Famine struck in 1845 causing over a million deaths from starvation and disease and a million refugees fleeing the country, mainly to America. In 1922, after the Irish War of Independence, most of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom to become the independent Irish Free State, except for six northeastern territories, known as Northern Ireland, remained with the United Kingdom, creating the partition of Ireland.
The history of Northern Ireland has since been dominated by the division of society along sectarian faultiness and conflict between (mainly Catholics) Irish nationalists and (mainly Protestants) unionists. The violence escalated after the deployment of the British Army to maintain authority led to clashes with nationalist communities. The violence continued for 28 years until an uneasy, but largely successful peace was finally achieved with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.
Source: Wikipedia
Here are some highlights of our recent trip. Although this trip was intended to visit the Game of Thrones sights and sets, we discovered so many surprises along the way.
One of these surprises is the 9/11 Garden of Remembrance outside Kinsale, Ireland. Many Irish people we talked to didn’t even know this existed in their country. Kathleen Murphy grew up in Ringfinnan, Kinsale, Counrty Cork. She moved to New York where she worked as a staff nurse for 40 years in Lennox Hill Hospital. In 2001, she planted 343 trees in her hometown to honor each of the firemen who died in 9/11 as well as one for their chaplain, Father Michael Judge, who was a personal friend of hers. Many of the firemen were of Irish descent. Attached to each tree is the name of the fireman who died. The garden is maintained by Kathleen’s relatives and by donations.
The entrance of the 9/11 Garden of Remebrance.
A view of some of the trees planted.
Each tree has an American flag and the name of the firefighter who died.
Kathleen Murphy
Founded by John Jameson in 1780, the Jameson Distillery is situated in Midleton, County Cork, Ireland. Every drop of Jameson is produced here. In addition to the tour, one can enroll in a workshop at the Jameson Academy to develop “a new appreciation of Irish whiskey from grain to glass.”
Bartenders of Holland America, Bailon Pasamba (left) and Ronald Rodriguez, were tasked to escort the ship’s passengers on this tour. Pasamba hails from Quezon province and has been with Holland America for 29 years, going home only every eight months. Rodriguez is from Naga City and employed with Holland America for the past 29 years as well. He has four children who live in Dumaguete.
Not far from our hotel is the Oscar Wilde House and a statue of Oscar Wilde at the Merrion Square Park in Dublin.
Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth 1, Trinity College is the oldest university in Ireland. Its famous graduates are Jonathan Swift, Oliver Goldsmith, Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett. The library (above), built in 1712, holds about 200,000 of the oldest books in the world. It is also where you can find the Book of Kells and other early Christian manuscripts.
Pinoys at Trinity College: (left to right) Victor and Eleanor Pilar are originally from Ilocos Norte but have resided in Chicago for the past 39 years. She is a nurse and he is an engineer. Albert and Tess Ednalino, also from Chicago, hail from Zambales. She is a pharmacist and he is an engineer. Marian and Anthony Gupana has lived in Bollingbrook, Illinois for the past 35 years. She is a retired nurse from Iloilo and he is a retired engineer from Davao. Fr. Nick Pasadilla, a Bicolano and the spiritual director of the group, is from Houston Texas.
More Pinoy nurses from Houston on a tour: (left to right) Evelyn and Taul Quinio; Cora Rafanan, Lilia Marcelino and Nora Garcia. All of them hail from Batangas.
Afternoon Tea at the Merrion Hotel: Chefs re-create a few of the hotel’s art collection in the pastries. (left to right) Self Portrait 1912 by Saurin Elizabeth Leech, Path Mo’orea by Pauline Bewick, Farm Building 1995 by Stephen McKenna.
Afternoon tea with former Bay Area resident and film director, Marissa Aroy who now lives in Ireland with her director/producer husband, Niall.
The Kennedys in Dublin, dating back from 1850s is the home of many famous Irish poets: Oscar Wilde worked here in 1864 at the age of 14 to earn pocket money, Samuel Beckett lectured in Trinity College and drank with his friends here, and James Joyce was a patron as well from 1882 to 1904.
Down Cathedral, a Church of Ireland Cathedral in Downpatrick, is where St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland is reportedly buried. The Cathedral is housed on the location of an old Benedictine Monastery.
St. Patrick’s grave memorial stone was put in place in the early 1900s to preserve and protect the burial spot due to the hoards of pilgrims who visited the burial site.
Davaoenos visiting St. Patrick’s grave: (left to right) Tisha Aledia, Peter and Lelot Sereno from Sydney, Australia, Lea, and Virginia Buhay, a retired postal worker from Manteca, California.
The Murals is one of the most popular attractions in Belfast. It depicts the history and political views of the Northern Irish through many periods in time. They are most often painted on the sides of houses and are intended to give voices to the people whose lives were affected by the political and religious issues, particularly during The Troubles. Some more recent events have been included.
And finally for the fans of Game of Thrones, here are some photos:
The dire wolves.
Castle Ward, known as Winterfell, home of the Stark Family.
The castle tower where Bram was thrown.
The Cushendun Caves was used as a location near Storm’s End in the Stormlands in season 2.
The Dark Hedges: The trees were planted in the 18th century by the Stuart family to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House. This was also used in a scene from Game of Thrones, which served as the Kingsroad when Arya Stark escaped from King’s Landing.
This door is one of ten, each beautifully carved from fallen trees at the Dark Hedges. Each unique and intricately detailed door represents a dramatic episode from the sixth season of Game of Thrones, and is installed near a few filming locations in Northern Ireland.
I am told that there are tens of thousands of Filipinos in Ireland, mostly in the health care industry, but the ones we bumped into were the retired nurses from the U.S. But whoever they may be, I am always eager to meet them and hear their stories.
For those intending to visit Ireland and Northern Ireland, please go soonest. I loved the greenery, the landscape and the ruins. I loved the people and their sense of humor. I loved the picturesque villages along the coast. The weather even cooperated on this trip – it only drizzled once!
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