Sixth Day

Hey everyone! Sorry, but today is going to be a short entry, since I have so much work to do, and in all honesty, not much happened today! Another 7 hour day of classes in the same room. I packed my lunch today...unfortunately I can't afford Jitterbeans for lunch everyday. I gave Tom Keith and Joe O'Flaherty the dates of my parents' arrival/stay in Dungarvan and I hope they are prepared to be welcomed by the town council and the mayor, or in the very least, Mr. Keith! We sat with Fearghal Reidy to discuss the weekend itinterary in Dublin for a little while. After class, the students went to the pub so we could each have an individual discussion with Dr. McFee who wanted to get to know us all better, which was really nice. He even wrote everything down that I told him, including my siblings names, my major, my hometown, my parents occupations, etc. He seems like a great guy!

 I'm leaving the laptop in Dungarvan because we're staying in a hostel in the middle of the city, and I was warned about bringing anything of any value, so I won't be able to really keep up with the blog. So to make up for it, I've decided to paste the itinerary right here:
  

Friday, March 8

  7:45 a.m.                    Be in front of the Park Hotel

·         8:00 a.m.  (sharp)     Bus Leaves from Park Hotel

·         10:30 a.m.                  Arrive Dublin

Drop Bags at Hostel

Jacob’s Inn

2-5 Frenchman’s Lane

Dublin 1

+353 1 855 6215

·         11:00 a.m.                   Meet the Guide -- Dr. William (Billy) O’Brien

(He will meet you at the hostel and take you on an orientation tour that will end up at the Irish Parliament, where you have afternoon visitor reservations.  Billy is a good friend of mine and among the most knowledgeable people on the history of Ireland I have encountered.  Ask him lots of questions and listen hard.  You’ll learn a lot.)

·         12:00 p.m. (approx)  Arrive at the Irish Parliament (Dáil Oireachtas)

At this point you will have some free time to get some lunch and wander around a bit.  Do not travel alone—it is a very safe part of the city, but you need to have several people to make sure that you navigate well and show up where you are supposed to be at the times you are supposed to be there.  THERE IS NO BEING LATE FOR ANY REASON AT ANY TIME THIS WEEKEND.

There are lots of places to eat in the area.  I recommend walking up to Grafton Street—just a couple of blocks.  It’s a great place to watch people and get the Dublin feel. 

You can also use some of this free time to visit the National Museum of Ireland (Natural History); it is right next to the Dáil Oireachtas.  Or you can walk up a block and go to the National Gallery.  Both are free.

The Dáil is in session on Friday, so you will need to split into two groups for the tour. 

·         2;30 p.m. / 3:00 p.m.  Tour the Dáil Oireachtas

**The first group of 20 people must meet in front of the Dáil at 2:20 p.m. for a 2:30 p.m. appointment.

**The second group of 20 people must meet in front of the Dáil at 2:50 p.m. for a 3:30 p.m. appointment.

Dr. Reed will coordinate the groups and times—pay attention and most importantly: 

BE ON TIME!

·         4:00 p.m.                    Meet in front of the Dáil Oireachtas to return to the hostel.

·         4:30 p.m.                    Check into Accommodations

Dr. Reed and Fearghal Reidy will set out the parameters for your evening free time in Dublin.  Stay in groups and use your brains—Dublin is a great city but it IS a city, so be careful and take care of each other. 

·         6:00 p.m.

Meet Fearghal in Hostel for a brief meeting before we break for the evening. 

Midnight on Friday    Curfew—be back at the hostel no later than midnight

Saturday, March 9

·         9:00 a.m.                    Walking Tour (Meet in Dr. O’Brien in front of the hostel)

·         11:30 p.m (approx)   Off you go then…the rest of the day is yours.  Follow your bliss!

                                  

Midnight on Saturday  Curfew—be back at the hostel no later than midnight

Sunday, March 10

Drs. Reed, McFee, and Peterson may have ideas related to their particular classes, so check with them before making any plans.  In any event, you need to show your face to Dr. Reed before leaving the hotel to go anywhere Sunday morning to confirm three things:

1) that you are well and safe after your Saturday night’s adventures;

2) that you are checked out of the hostel and have stored your bags;

3) that you know and fully understand the departure time and procedures for when the bus comes to get you in the afternoon.

·         3:00 p.m.        Head back to hostel area and grab some dinner (on own)

·         4:15 p.m.        Gather at hostel to collect luggage and board bus

·         4:30 p.m. (sharp)   Bus departs for Dungarvan        

Sorry about the mess! There's more that I haven't included regarding what our options are for free time such as the zoo or the Jameson distillery. I would just like to point out how early our days are, which is a serious downside! Depending upon how much work I've got tomorrow and whether or not there's anything worth posting, I would expect for there to be nothing describing my seventh day. Hopefully my teaser will hold you over, and for sure there's one thing you can expect: plenty of pictures once I've gotten back from Dublin!