Castles, Cliffs, and Tradition

     I have now been in class at NUI Galway for a week and a half, and classes are going well. I am, after all, here for college and my studies. The classes, or "modules" are much larger than any of those I've taken at home - nearly all of them take place in lecture theatres that hold 100+ people, and they emphasis self-study learning, rather than daily assessment learning. I think some would call the lectures "traditional," as in we are a collective group being taught in a "dated" fashion.
     Honestly, though? I love it. Maybe that's just because I respond well to this teaching style. I like to learn new things, I enjoy reading up on my own time over topics that interest me, and I like the idea of essay finals - right up my alley.
     This past Sunday the International Students Society (ISS) hosted a trip to the Cliffs of Moher, one of the most iconic landscapes found in Ireland, and I found myself drawn into the landscape. If you're lucky enough to go to the cliffs on a nice day, you should. It's absolutely gorgeous. Everything about traditional Ireland is.
     And there's that word "traditional" again, which got me thinking about what tradition really is. The dictionary definition runs along the lines of "the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice." Or more eloquently, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJO35zU5bXg .
     Most of the classes I'm taking this semester deal with the idea of what it means to be Irish, past present and future. Just this week, we've touched on Jame Joyce's Dubliners, real Celtic art as found in the archaeological record, and the development of Holy Wells in pagan Ireland. Now, I'm not an expert on it or anything, but I'm starting to feel slightly guilty when I say I listened to traditional Irish music, or saw a traditional Irish castle, because I don't know what that means, and neither do many contemporary Irish students. If I asked you what you thought traditional American culture was, how would you answer? Not the values, but the culture. I found it difficult. Its easy enough to list the characteristics of "America" or "Ireland," but how accurate are those descriptions?
     Going back to the Cliffs of Moher topic, this was the first real chance I had to see rural Ireland and a landscape without the modern instalment of buildings. The cliffs plunge down into the ocean, and dark blue waves crash against the rocks as birds circle their nests. A castle sits at the highest point along the ridge, but when you approach it, you can see that it's not an old ruin from days of old. The entire time we were there, the wind tangled our hair and we soon gave up trying to tame it. It was beautiful . . .
     The only thing that didn't fit the picture was the lack of Irish people. I think I heard more French spoken than any other language, as the Cliffs of Moher are quite popular with the tourists. That doesn't lessen the experience, but it is a humble reminder that for some, the cliffs are a source of income. Especially in the gift shop, which sold every kind of souvenir you could ask for.
     Later in the week, some friends and I went to a pub (which has a live band every night of the week) called Quays. Probably my favorite pub so far because the interior had all sorts of intricate "Celtic" woodwork and colorful details. The building had three floors, if you will, that flowed into each other so that from where we were sitting we could see each level. The band that night played a mixture of folk music, and popular hits that translated well enough to be played by flute, guitar, and bodhran (an Irish drum). So, we found our traditional Irish music in a welcoming pub, and enjoyed the evening. I love the "traditional Irish music" - the drum and flute sounded so happy, so lively. So very Irish.
     A recent conversation of mine fell to the topic of tea, and at some point I replied I was having "Irish breakfast tea . . . whatever that means." When I typed it into Google, the first link to pop up was Wikipedia, which mentions in the first paragraph "Many tea producers make Irish breakfast tea blends specifically for the United States market," right after listing some brands. Basically, its just a blend of black teas. But, if those tea leaves aren't grown in Ireland, are they still considered Irish tea? Or, if Irish breakfast tea is grown, produced, and served in the US, is it Irish-breakfast-tea-inspired-United States-breakfast-tea? What makes it so different from other teas, and what is the history behind it? Wikipedia can only answer so many questions, it seems.
     Regardless, I enjoyed my traditional Irish weekend; visiting the cliffs, listening to music, and drinking my tea. As for the concept of tradition, I have a feeling that theme will be reoccurring.

♥ C