Our Ireland Adventure

Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland, NSHSS collaborating university, hosted the 2008 NSHSS Ireland trip this past June. Griffith graciously provided NSHSS staff and member participants dorm room accommodations and meeting hall and dining room privileges as NSHSS explored Dublin. The primary focus of the trip was the study of the conflict between Northern and Southern Ireland over three decades, from 1968 to 1994.

NSHSS Chair Claes Nobel traveled with the students as they combined the study of conflict resolution with the adventure of visiting Ireland.

The agenda consisted of lectures on the history of the conflict and the resolution, related films, day outings, and free time. Classroom highlights included a lecture from Conor Lenihan, Minister for Integration, and a viewing of the award winning film “The Wind that Shakes the Barley.” Participants enjoyed day trips such as The Black Cab Tours, a tour of political murals, in Belfast, Northern Ireland; a trip to the Boyne Valley to view an ancient tomb passageway at Newgrange; and a trip up the coast to one of Ireland’s oldest and most historic castles, Malahide Castle. Trinity College, Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Dublin Zoo and The National Museum were also favorite sites of interest in Dublin. These educational experiences and the tours provided the NSHSS group with a deeper understanding of the unrest in Ireland and how the conflict was resolved.