20 July 2022

In the early morning haze, I felt the fate waited for me to find out some mysteries about this land and his people.

A long and complex history which created an important european civilisation…

09:00a.m

As an introduction for this new day, in a group of three, we have done an exercise in which we have to remember our first word, pet, holiday, alcoholic drink and toy to tell to other partners with 1 pass available.

My group during the exercise with Italian partners

Then, students were separated into 5 groups to extract some tiny facts dealing with Irish society, one group per subject. They were

  • Emigration,
  • Celtic Tiger – an increasing economic period between 1995 and 2007,
  • Divorce,
  • Conflicts with Northern Ireland,
  • Same Sex Mariage.

At the end, new group were founded in where one people shared to others its dealt subject. For me, it was Emigration.

A very interesting work becuse we could understand social and societal mutations’ Ireland. To undersatnd the past to look for the future for country and people.

01:30p.m

We have visited the National Museum of Archaeology.

National Museul of Archaeology -Entrance

National Museul of Archaeology – Entrance

National Museum of Archaeology – Upstairs – Floor 1

We have learned more about Irish culture since the oldest visible monument is Dumha na nGiall (the ‘Mound of the Hostages‘), a Neolithic passage tomb built around 3,200 BC sited on the Hill of Tara, an important economical, historical and political location.

The part of the museum covered all Neolithic period – The Stone, Bronze and Iron ages.

A reproduction of Mound of the Hostages

The main passage of Mound of the Hostages

A decorated plate stone

Then, we have found out the Treasury, and the exhibition of Ór-Ireland’s Gold and the collection of Iron Age.

A tubular collar

Tara brooch

Silver chalice

Cross of Cong

Then, we watched out to the ‘bog bodies’ in the Kingship and Sacrifice exhibition, maybe sacrified or executed.

A bog body

Upstairs, there was Medieval Ireland from 1150 to 1550 exhibition and Viking Ireland – which features exhibits from the excavations at Wood Quay, the area between Christ Church Cathedral and the river.

With this excursion and all of exhbitions, it is clear the Irish culture and society is among the oldest one, very complex and deep.

My daily reflection

This day was very interesting, because we have studied a large part of Irish civilisation and society.

We could practice oral presentation combined with societal dimension in a teamwork. The morning was an excellent exercice to add a subject, an active practice to improve our speaking communication and pedagogical method (teamwork).

Signed by your momified relic hunter,

Vivien CAPO