ireland

  • August 27, 2005

    The Summer


    The GPO Building in Ireland

    Well, with Freshmen moving in today, the summer has officially ended. The summer of 2005 is definitely one to remember. While I worked hard in a job that I nor anyone else thought I’d ever have (construction), I did have a lot of fun. Some of the highlights include when I came to school for the weekend to paint, but really got nothing done, Fourth of July Weekend, all of those nights I played poker, and of course, Ireland. Ireland was a once in a lifetime experience for me, not in the sense that I will never go back, because I hope I do. But the whole experience- it was really my first time vacationing without my family- and my first time over seas. I didn’t know what to expect- but the trip was amazing because of the good company I had. My friend Sean, whom we stayed with was great, as was his family, who bent over backwards to accommodate us. Not to mention that not everyone gets to see U2 in Dublin, Ireland. I was a great way to end a 2 week stay. On the flight back, a handful of people sitting by me mentioned how the only reason the went to Ireland was for U2.
    It was tough to pick out one picture to encapsulate the whole summer in, but I went with the GPO Building in Dublin. I did want to choose a photo from Ireland, and I felt that this one was it because of the history of the GPO building and the fact that, in my eyes anyway, it’s a symbol of Freedom in Dublin and the rest of Ireland.
    School will be starting soon, and it will be back to class and another very busy academic year, as I am more involved this year than any other, HS or College. I consider myself very lucky to have the summer I had- all of the events, good and bad, made it a worthwhile learning experience, and one that everyone should have. Later.

  • July 1, 2005

    GAA

    So I think im pretty much done with uploading Pictures of Ireland. If you want to see more, you can view them from my friends’ webshots- here and here. If I find any more in the multitude I have, Ill post them. In a related story, Jen (the second link) got pictures developed from the Galic (GAA) game we went to. It was Dublin and Wexford in the Semi Finals. Dublin won. It was a Croke Park (same place as the U2 Concert) and teh atmosphere was incredible. 90,000 people going crazy, chanting and singing, and the sport is intense. It’s like a mix between Soccer (football) and Rugby, and some basketball. There are goal posts (1 point) and an actual goal (3 points). When Dublin scored a goal to put us ahead of wexford, teh crowed went wild. We were in Hill 16, the hill where the big Dublin fans go to cheer for their team. Its called Hill 16 because a battle against the British took place there and 16 Brits were killed. The game was a good time- I have never seen so much enery or so many blue jerseys being worn at the same time in my life. Later!

  • June 29, 2005

    The U2 Concert

    Bono

    The culmination of 2 weeks of fun, excitment and some boozing. 12 days after I arrive in Dublin Int’l Airport, 11 days after our first night out, 8 days after Sean’s party, 3 days after I saw the most beautiful country side, after months of waiting, I saw U2. And it was incredible. The stage, the lights, the energy. Bono and the boys know how to put on a show. They came on at about 8:50pm- it was still light out. The opened with Vertigo. They played for about 2 and a half hours. They closed with Vertigo. The middle was a barrage of emotion and music coming both from the band and the audience. Durring Sometimes you can’t make it on your own Bono took his shades off, went off stage, and sang with every ounce of feeling he put into writing the song- everything the inspired him. The cameras focused on him the whole time. You could feel connected to him. He knows what he is doing and that is why U2 is arguably the greatest band in the world. The emotion Bono put into the performance is only comparable to the energy. Durring Sunday, Bloody Sunday and Where the Streets have no Name the crowd exploded in a burst of energy resonating from the stage and the whole place errupted and we sang along with Bono. Durring 2 parts of the show, Bono pulled audience members up on stage- one to give her a hug as he sang to her at the edge of the runway- and one so he could play guitar with them durring one of the songs. 90,000 people witnessed what was probably those people’s lives changing. I mean, how many people can say they jammed with Bono, or Bono sang to you. Only a handful. After the show I was left speechless and breathless- I have never been so exhausted after a show in my life. If you ever get the chance to see these guys live, do not pass it up. Later.

  • June 28, 2005

    I am back…

    And there is a lot to talk about. The trip to Ireland was amazing, relaxing, and a lot of fun in general. It was a vacation as well as a retreat in some aspects. I had a good amount of time to myself to just think and clear my head. With no internet I wasn’t on the computer all that much- just to upload the 700 and something pictures we took. I created a Flickr account and will be adding more over the next few days. There we did the usual tourist stuff like take a tour of the town and country- which is beautiful- the rumors are true. The night life was nice- since we stayed with a friend, and some other guys showed us around to the good places. I found out reenforced what I thought already- I don’t like to drink all that much. Watching others and remembering is much more fun….most of the time. Sitting at the bar just talking was a good time- the clubs were ok- I look like a fool when I dance, and as a result don’t really like to dance. What I really enjoyed was going out to Wicklow County. There is one place- Guiness Lake- I could have stayed out there for days. Sitting on top of a hill over looking a lake and mountains with a nice refreshing breeze. I tried to recapture it in pictures, but they don’t even come close to being there. All in all it was a good trip and I’m sure ill probably post more on it some time.

  • June 12, 2005

    Ireland for 2 weeks….

    That’s right, in a couple of hours I’ll be leaving for the fabulous Dublin, Ireland until the 27th. I will try to post and make updates (as well as keep up with the internet and all the sites I read), but the only think I can promise is lots of pics and stories when I return. So, Later!

  • June 10, 2005

    How to drink a Guinness

    Well, I have to admit that I didn’t do any research on it, but in viewing LifeHacker, I saw How to drink a Guinness. I find it especially funny because on Sunday I leave for Dublin, Ireland- the Guinness Captial of the world. Later!