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Last Day April 27
Dinesh McGinty

Our last day started out in Belvedere’s “canteen” where the exchange students and the host brothers chatted for a while. The sunny day was the perfect pick me up for the last day with our host brothers. It was a heartfelt farewell that we shared and many of us are looking forward to the October exchange in the fall. After our goodbyes, we departed on a spacious double decker bus, quite different than the usual 12 seat van. The “brief” flight lasted 6 hours and 54 minutes and we arrived exhausted at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport at 2pm. During the 5 and a half hour layover we ate, talked, and caught up on some homework.
The weather in Ireland has been fantastic for our 2 week stay. Every day was sunshine. We all packed rain gear in anticipation of rain, but we didn’t need it at all. Our host families have been wonderful and we will all look back on this experience positively.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Charles Drane for his work behind the scenes in setting up this blog. It has been a fun way to keep everyone up to date on all our activities. Thanks, Charlie!

Last Full Day

April 26th was our last full day in Dublin. Realizing this was our last day, we tried to take advantage of it. We started off the day by meeting at Belvedere College for a group photo with our jackets and ties. Then we immediately departed for the Guinness Storehouse at St. James’ Gate. We took the trolley there, on a ten minute ride.

Arriving at the Guinness factory we were amazed at how large it was, and how the Guinness name was plastered everywhere. The tour was long but enjoyable, and finished with a great view of the city from the top floor Sky Bar. From there we went to St. Steven’s Green where we ate lunch and started the Viking Splash Tour.
The Viking Splash gave us a very entertaining tour of the city from both land and sea. Driving down the streets were tried our best to scare the local “Celts” with our screams and roars.
After the tour we went back to Belvedere to meet back up with host brothers and prepare for our farewell reception. The reception was really nice and allowed everyone to thank the many people who put in the work to make the whole trip possible. It was a great way to end our trip.

Carlingford & Belfast

Sunday April 25, 2010
Carlingford & Belfast

Day #12

We woke up this morning in Carlingford, a lovely border town in the Republic of Ireland. We were surrounded by green hills, lifting fog and blazing yellow flowers. After a light breakfast of toast, tea and cereal, we packed our bags and were in the Belvedere van with Rachel Keogh our navigator & Simon O’Donnell at the helm. We were all ready to roll before 9am. An hour and a half later we were in a parking lot near the Lagan River meeting Billy Black, a larger than life character who described himself as a Protestant taxi driver from a Unionist neighborhood. He immediately shared with us that he is married to a Catholic woman from a Republican background and shared that this was a dubious relationship in the eyes of many in Northern Ireland’s capital city.
Billy spent the next two and a half hours guiding us through the serpentine maze of Belfast’s geography, history, mythology and politics with theatrical flair and deep solemnity. Frank Costello, a former faculty member at BC High who now lives in Belfast recommended Billy as an authentic and trustworthy tour guide. He was true to his word. Mr. Black brought us to Stormont, the seat of power for the Northern Irish Assembly, then to Queen’s University, the Falls & Shankhill Roads, peace walls,
victim’s memorials, and showed us a range of murals depicting the powerful symbolism of Unionist & Republican views.


After an eye opening and deeply challenging tour we had lunch and then took a boat ride up the Lagan River to take in the city and see the significant sites on the Titanic Boat Tour. The Titanic was built in Belfast by the Harland & Wolff shipbuilders. She was launched in 1912 and everyone knows the end of that story. After the tour we packed ourselves back in the van and headed two hours south, returning to Dublin and our waiting host families at 6pm sharp. Big thanks go to Rachel & Simon for their vigilance, care and hospitality on this tremendous weekend excursion.

Boyne Valley - Newgrange to Carlingford

Newgrange, Carlingford
Saturday, 4/24

by Johnny Carey

On Saturday, we left Dublin again for a trip north. Our first stop of the day was at the Newgrange Visitors’ centre where we saw a short video on the passage graves in the area and their alignment with different solar events, like the winter solstice. A bus then took us to Knowth. There we learned about ancient burial grounds and the mysterious people built them. It was interesting to hear how about how these ancient people’s society changed over time.


From there, we visited Newgrange, which was also built by ancient settlers about 5,000 years ago. We got to enter the long-standing mound that has made Newgrange famous and experience light entering the cave as it does on the shortest day every year.


After Newgrange, we stopped briefly at the site of the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 It was here that the forces of King William overcame those of James II, setting in motion events that were to dramatically shape the rest of Irish history. We were to see murals of King "Billy" throughout the Belfast area the next day.



We then drove to our destination for the night, Carlingford. We then went to the Carlingford Adventure Center, where we did some archery and completed a maze in the pitch dark.
While the maze was difficult, the adventure center as a whole was a great time. We styed overnight at the adventure center, and looked forward to our Sunday trip to Belfast.

BC Club, Genealogy, National Gallery

BC Club, Genealogy, National Gallery
Friday, 4/23

by John Nee

The day started off normally with a meeting in the lecture hall to go over the plans for the day and to get organized. After a successful showing in the debate yesterday, spirits were high all around. Then we headed off to classes varying from PE to Irish class. We are getting to know some of the kids besides our host brothers and play a little soccer with them in the courtyard during the break.
After classes, we headed up to the canteen to get lunch. Some of the kids are still reluctant to eat the Irish cuisine and instead opt for candy bars, but for the most part the food has been great. After lunch, the BC High kids and our host brothers headed down O’Connell Street and over the Liffey to go to BC Ireland on St. Stephen’s Green, essentially a house open to B.C. alumni and students in Ireland. When we arrived, we were graciously welcomed by Thea Gilien, the Head of Programs there. While enjoying some delicious biscuits, we heard a lecture from Dr. Paul Rouse of UCD and BC
about the founding and development of the Gaelic Athletic Association and its connections to Irish politics and nationalism. We also watched a video on some of the highlights of the GAA over the years.

Next, we headed back out at which point the group split up. About half the students went to do genealogy research at the National Library
while the other half went to check out the National Gallery. I am not sure about the rest of the group, but I feel I have gotten to know the city very well. With my host brother’s house only five minutes away from Belvedere, I am able to walk to and from school and experience the true Dublin.

GAA and Debate (Pictures added)

Thursday April 22

Justin Chu

The day started like the rest, meeting in the canteen before class. The boys and I were killing time before we headed off for our respective classes. After we came back from class, we saw a presentation of the Belvedere exchange trip to Hong Kong. It was very fast-paced, and highly enjoyable even without the sound, and it was a good eye-opening experience for some of the guys. Anyway, after the lecture, we all headed off to another set of classes. For about an hour and a half after our classes we helped the Teaching English as a Foreign Language program or TEFL. We helped some foreign nationals with some fairly entertaining and exciting games of Scrabble. As is the custom in Ireland, tea and biscuits were served. Belvedere students hold weekly classes to help new immigrants learn the language and customs of Dublin. After another outstanding lunch in the “canteen,” we all headed off to Croke Park. Although some were more enthusiastic than others to head off to the great Gaelic Athletic Association stadium, the tour of the park exceeded everyone’s expectations. The amount of history in the stadium, which hosted its first final (championship) in 1896, is enormous.
Each stand had a name related to the history of the GAA, including the Hogan Stand.
The playing field is the size of two full American football fields and is beautifully kept by the grounds crew. This place has the same kind of history as Fenway Park and is a shrine to Irish sports. After the park tour we headed back to the Belvedere lecture hall which was pretty packed with students waiting for a debate. This event was the highlight of the day.
We had been preparing all week to argue in favor of the resolution: “That this House believes that every country should have the right to possess nuclear arms.” Representing our team was Jack Topham, Dinesh McGinty, Jack Nee and Justin Chu. After a lively hour long battle of words, wit, argument, logic and style the judges declared Belvedere the victor and Justin Chu was awarded best speaker.
When the debate ended we all headed back to the canteen for juice and biscuits to discuss the debate and have some laughs about the day.

Wednesday April 22, 2010
Dublin Day #8
Written by Dylan Cosgrove, Ryan McDonnell, Joe Connor, and Jack O’Meara

We got to Belvedere in the morning around 8:45am and we started with a prayer and a time for reflection. Then, Mr. McGonagle did a presentation on the Abbey Theatre and the founders of it. We learned about W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge and Constance Markoviche After that, we went to a double block science class with Belvedere students. The class was very interesting and paralleled what the juniors at BC High had been learning in Physics class before they left. After science, many other students attended another Irish, English or Art class while some stayed in the cafeteria and had lunch.

The head chef at the canteen has been very good to us. After lunch, we walked down O’Connell and up Grafton Street on the way to the Irish National History Museum. After spending about a half hour in the museum, we went to the Irish Parliament building and watched both the House and the Senate in session. We had a good tour of Dail Eireann also known as Leinster House. After the tour of the Irish Parliament, we went to the National Library to see an exhibit on W.B. Yeats, but we were unable to do much genealogy study because there was not enough time or space for our big group. From there, most students went home right from the museum and spent time with their host families. The day itself was rather exciting and eventful, and the students were excited to visit such sites as the Leinster House and the National Museum.