We’ll begin today with a seminar discussion of some of the course documents on early modern Irish history led by Professor Cope (you can access the readings here; please read them before class). This is the day that jet lag may really catch up with you, so we’ll keep things fairly simple. You’ll have the afternoon free for independent exploration.
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During dinner today, a few of us were discussing our background knowledge of Ireland from high school, and we came to the conclusion that in our experiences, high school placed very little emphasis on the history of Ireland. I have been wondering why that is, or if it’s just because I’m here now that I have become aware of how little I know. What has been striking me in the last couple of days, however, is just how much the colonization of Ireland by the English is like the colonization of America by the English. In high school, we never learned much about the Native Americans, either. Even in my AP United States history class only had a brief section in the course that was meant to be studied in the summer before the year began. As we explore more and more of Ireland, we are noticing the signs of British influence and oppression in the country. The English-style architecture and gardens are reminders of Ireland’s long and sad history. In America, it’s a little easier to ignore all the terrible things that were done to the Native Americans since their existence was more thoroughly wiped out, but here in Ireland, there’s a sort of sadness about the air that is much more visible.