On Wednesday, we started the day with the Giant’s Causeway. It’s a foundation of pillar shaped rocks that people can traverse for quite a bit on. The history is surrounded with folklore, and the most common story is where a giant in Northern Ireland named Finn McCool was arguing with a giant across the Irish Sea in Scotland named Benadonner. Finn begins to tear the coastline up, forming a bridge to Scotland in hopes to fight Benadonner. When he arrives, he realizes that Benadonner is much larger than himself, and so he runs home to his wife, and she comes up with a plan. She dresses Finn up as a child, and when Benadonner arrives, he is terrified that such a large child must come from an even larger father. So, he runs back to Scotland, tearing up the bridge as he goes. Although there is a reasonable scientific explanation for the shape of the Causeway, the folktale is more fun!! After that, we drove for a bit longer and arrived in Derry. We were taken on a tour of Derry’s city walls by our wonderful guide, Rory! The walls are very old, and hold many stories and memories of time during The Troubles and many years before!

Throughout the program, I have been introduced to many important places and landmarks, in Pittsburgh, Northern Ireland, and Ireland. All the spaces we’ve been to are worth visiting because they tell a story of the past. Whether a recent or ancient past, it allows us to understand the culture and people of today. Each site is different in how a group decides to tell their story. Some use words, others use reenactments, and others use natural geography. Sometimes, stories are limited by the media with which they are explained while others are limited by the unfortunate lack of different perspectives contributing to one event in history. Many places are able to tell a more complex and understanding story by allowing a gray area where both sides of an event can find peace and acceptance. Some specific sites include those entrenched in history. With many natural landmarks, the stories are much older and backed in folklore. Many people have many different interpretations of folklore, the truth or omission of the truth is not as important when many people believe differently. When monuments are built on history, the truth or omission of the truth is much more important. These sites represent recent lives and deaths, to not tell the complete story is a disrespect to those who have lived it. In all, both natural landmarks and political sites have taught me much about both Northern Ireland and Ireland and how deep their separate but deeply shared history goes.