CPC students widen horizons at Model UN in Poland

Images courtesy CPC.

Students from CPC who attended a Model UN Conference in Toruń, Poland, recently, came away with enhanced worldviews through interacting with some 250 of their peers from different countries, writes Brian Byrne. Among these were students from Ukraine and Palestine, living through the real-life challenges reflected in issues debated at the ToMUN event.

The three-day meeting, on the theme of Understanding the Roots of Polarisation to Achieve Harmony, included various relevant committee sessions, culminating in a General Assembly Plenary Session.

The CPC delegation comprised Ruth Moloney, who took the role of a UNICEF delegate representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, James Meehan (Human Rights Council) representing Bulgaria, Eleanor Steed (HRC) representing the United Kingdom, Jan Keating (WHO) representing Kenya, Ella Doyle (WHO) representing Germany, and Michalina Nikelewska (UN Women) representing Ethiopia. They were accompanied by CPC teachers Niamh Thorpe and Fiona Murphy. Their attendance at the conference was facilitated by CPC's involvement with the Erasmus+ mobility programme, inaugurated last year. 

It was Eleanor Steed's second experience at a MUN, so she was familiar with the structure of the Poland event. But she says she was impressed that hundreds of other students were participating in the English-speaking process in what was not their first language. "I was really proud of them, and when they apologised for their quality of English, I told them that I wouldn't be able to do this through a second language at all." She says the weekend also gave her a sense of the seriousness of the issues under discussion. "Even though we were, if you like, playing teenage diplomats, we were talking about things like people being forced out of their homes. The boy beside me was Palestinian, and that had happened to him, so it made you realise that this wasn't just a game." 

Ruth Moloney admits she was nervous before going to Toruń, her first time at such an event. "But everyone was so understanding, and it was the first time doing it for many others. The committee chairs were very nice and helped us if anyone didn't understand anything. So it was a lot of fun." She also says the experience improved her self-confidence. "Beforehand, I was very nervous about public speaking, but now, I think I'm much more confident." Currently in TY, Ruth's career interests are around teaching or journalism, and she feels these experiences will help her when she makes later choices. "I like talking about politics, current global affairs and stuff. We're going to Luxembourg in January for another Model UN. That will also give me much more information I can carry into the future."

The opportunity to talk to students from different countries was part of what Ella Doyle describes as a 'really cool' experience. "Everyone mixed together, and I made friends with people from Luxembourg, Spain, America, from all over the place. It was new for most people, and it was cool to hear about their school life, their home life, and the different languages and cultures."

Staying with a Polish family was one of the unique aspects for James Meehan, and he says it gave him an insight into the customs, routines, and everyday life of people in Poland. "Aside from this, I made fantastic friends from across Europe and beyond, and learned about the cultural, educational and societal differences between life in Ireland and other countries." The MUN itself, he says, introduced him to the world of international affairs and politics. "Although the conference only lasted three days, the experience allowed me to understand better my strengths and weaknesses in public speaking, debating, collaborative work and cooperation skills. It really stimulated a love for this type of work."

Michalina Nikelewska, whose family background is Polish, was impressed with how everyone at the event helped each other. "I thought it was going to be really stressful, but everyone there was understanding, and most people were doing it for the first time." In her designated role of speaking about women in poverty in Ethiopia, she says it was hard to find out in advance what the official policies were there. "Every website says something different about it, so it was hard to pick one that was true. But I learned enough for the conference." Her highlight takeaway from ToMUN was meeting people from different backgrounds. “We all made friends in our committee and had our own little groups of people.”

A third-year student, Jan Keating, was the youngest in the CPC delegation. His best memories are of meeting people from different cultural backgrounds and sharing common interests. "I found people I could talk with about my hobbies, and they were also very friendly to others.” As a representative of Kenya in the ToMUN, he said the country is quite developed, and there was enough material to research. His new companions also impressed him as having future political potential. "I definitely think a lot of those there were very sensible ... if they were in parliament, I'm sure they could do sensible things."

Teacher Niamh Thorpe, who runs the recently established MUN Club in CPC, says the trip to Poland was an excellent opportunity for the Irish students to meet peers from around the world. "Especially having the Ukrainian and the Palestinian students there opened their eyes. Speaking to them and their teachers brought home that these are real situations we were dealing with." The MUN Club is an after-class activity on Mondays, and Ms Thorpe says that, having attended two MUN trips this year, the college is more aware of what is required and the terminology used. "Many European schools have been doing this for years, and hopefully we'll get to their level."

Students attending the MUNs will be navigating, and in some cases running, a very challenging world in the future. The MUN initiative is a valuable introduction to that.

Debriefing back in CPC: Ms Thorpe, Ruth, Eleanor, Ella, Michalina and Jan (James was unavoidably absent).

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Out of Town: Heywood Garden

 

The Heywood House Garden is a small gem inside an hour's drive from Kilcullen. Close to Ballinakill, Co Laois, it is managed by the OPW and the woodland grounds have pleasant walks with surprises around the bends. Our short video here offers a taster. 

A Rough & Ready Production by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Podcast: Light Up the World

The house was made of adobe mud, the land around it high altitude Bolivian desert. From all I'd seen in previous days, the owner likely eked out a very subsistence existence. But on a pole poking out of the roof I could see a photovoltaic solar panel. Produced by Brian Byrne.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Out of Town: Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens, Tramore

 

Less than an hour and a half's drive south of Kilcullen are some Japanese-themed gardens that look and feel as if they have been there for hundreds of years, writes Brian Byrne. But they were only opened in 2015.

The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens in Tramore, Co Waterford, were built to commemorate the life and works of Hearn, born on the island of Lefkada in 1850 to a Greek mother and Irish military father. He spent an extraordinary life across three continents, including childhood summers in Tramore. A journalist in America, and a translator of French classics, he eventually became a Japanese citizen and lived out his days in that country as a writer and university lecturer.

The idea for the gardens came in 2012 when Professor Bon Koizumi, great grandson of Hearn, came to Tramore with his wife Shoko to retrace the steps of his famous ancestor. A visit to the grounds of Tramore House led to the concept of developing a memorial garden there.

On our visit recently, there were performances as part of Tramore's inaugural Festival of Legend & Lore,  of music by the Duo Frizzante — Cathy Desmond on violin and Marian Ingoldsby on piano — with stories and poetry read by Keith Guinan and Stan Phillips. Clips from these accompany my images in the short Rough & Ready Production above.

The Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens are a community-run not for profit social enterprise. They are well worth a visit.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Myth and Science at The Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway in County Antrim is a geological fact that triggered the tale of two giants, Finn MacCool and a rival across the sea in Scotland, Benandonner. The unusually-shaped columns of basalt rock were formed many millions of years ago in a river valley when the now island of Ireland was a part of a larger continental mass.

A Kilcullen Diary production by Brian Byrne, in association with Irish Car+Travel Magazine.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Mount Usher Gardens - a dream that became a treasure

 

In 1868, a Dublin businessman took over the lease on an acre of land and a mill at Mount Usher near Ashford, in Co Wicklow. Today, thanks to generations of the Walpole family, and since 1979 the work overseen by then new owner Mrs Madeleine Jay, the Mount Usher Gardens are spread over 20 acres and host some 5,000 species of plants and are a botanical treasure.

A Kilcullen Diary production by Brian Byrne, in association with Irish Car+Travel Magazine.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Day Trip: The Old Rail Trail, Westmeath

The Diary went on a short visit to part of the 42km Old Rail Trail, accessing it from Moate Station in Co Westmeath. The Trail runs on a converted stretch of the former Midlands Great Western Railway between Athlone and Mullingar and is part of the proposed Galway to Dublin Cycleway.

The facility is both a cycleway and easy walkway, and offers safe access at several points along the route. There are views of farmland, stretches of disused track, bridges and a tunnel, and lots of habitat for wildlife and wildflowers.

Definitely recommended to bring your bike. More information, maps, and brochure can be found here. 

Photos and production by Brian Byrne for Kilcullen Diary.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Can your family solve the Mystery Trail?

If you're stuck for something to do with the kids for a day, why not take them on a Mystery Trail in a local town? writes Brian Byrne.

The Mystery Trails provides sets of clues which have to be solved by touring on foot around the town. It's a different way to see a place that you may already know (or think you do). Or to explore somewhere you haven't been to before.

The series was developed by a couple with four children who always tried to get them out and about on a small budget. Now that their children are older, they get away on their own and continue to find out stuff to develop new mysteries.

Each Trail set costs €9.99 and can be bought online here. They are themed as Treasure Hunt, Mission Impossible or Detective Mystery, depending on location.

There are 60 trails available for towns  and city areas in 26 counties.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

A minute on The Burren

Another minute of so of peace ... reflections of a walk on The Burren in Co Clare.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Podcast: In Bilbao, back in the Pub

My plan was that I'd rent a bike and take to Bilbao on wheels for the day. Instead, I ended up in a pub early that Sunday afternoon. That wasn't as bad as it sounds. It was research, of course. On how the Bilbaoians spend their Sundays. Produced by Brian Byrne.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Podcast: Happy Birthday, Tommy Two Scoops

Tommy used to sell carpets. Then he opened a fastish-food place, concentrating on his ice-cream made on the premises. He called the place Tommy Two Scoops. The name stuck. On him as well as the business. He doesn’t mind. Tommy is good on marketing, and he knows good marketing happening when he sees it. Produced by Brian Byrne.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Podcast: The Little Shophouse

In these pandemic days, it's maybe a good time to recall some of my travels, to give people ideas of where to go when travelling once again becomes part of our normal life. In this short episode, I'm reminded of a very small business that doesn't cater for the big market tourists. Produced by Brian Byrne.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Level 3 and travel restrictions

AA Ireland has put together a comprehensive and easily understood guide to what the Level 3 restrictions mean for domestic travel, writes Brian Byrne. The Diary re-publishes it below.

While the Level 3 measure are in place, you’re advised to stay within your county of residence except for essential journeys for education, work or medical reasons, or to provide vital care to a family member. All non-essential travel out of your county should be avoided.

Public transport will continue running for essential journeys only, with reduced capacity. You should only use it for essential reasons and if you do, wear a face covering, and pay with a contactless method if possible.

The government plan advises walking or cycling where you can, in order to leave public transport for essential workers. If you’re driving, remember too that pedestrians and cyclists still need extra space for social distancing, so be particularly careful. And if you’re going to be parking your car up for a while during this time, make sure you leave enough space for pedestrians and for the emergency services to get past in a hurry.

When making any journeys, you should continue to observe social distancing and public health guidelines: avoid crowded areas, and wear a face covering if you’re on public transport, or if you must share a car with someone outside your own household.

This advice also applies to international travel – you should not leave your county to travel abroad unless it is for an essential purpose. Anyone who returns to Ireland from such a journey should restrict their movements for 14 days. This excludes the small number of countries on the government’s Green List.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy

Out of Town — Kilkenny Medieval Mile Museum

When you're used to going to a place from time to time, you can fail to notice when they add something new, writes Brian Byrne. That's what happened to me recently in relation to Kilkenny. They've added a Medieval Mile Museum which is now the go-to starting point for any new visitor to one of Ireland's most historic cities.

Set in the building and churchyard of the 13th century St Mary's Church, the Museum was a vision of the Heritage Council and the Kilkenny local authority in 2005 that became a reality just three years ago (but I never noticed in the several times I've been there since then). It's under the management of the Kilkenny Civic Trust, originally set up to manage the Butler House and Gardens and Kilkenny Design Centre properties in the old yard opposite the city's castle.

The museum is compact, but chock full of information and visual elements from as far back as Neolithic times, long before the original monastic settlement founded by St Canice. From then, it became a Norman stronghold following the arrival of Strongbow as an invited invader to Ireland.

The curator is Grace Fegan, who came to Kilkenny in 2001 to work as an archaeologist. By her own admission, she has been 'enthralled' by the city since then. Which is very evident when she enthusiastically takes the time to provide an arriving visitor with an introductory chat.

The city's story is fascinating, especially its growth as a fortified space where the wealthy who had been gifted land in the area could live in safety and comfort, and how those same families left important legacies to the city in business, ecclesiastical, architectural and archaeological areas.

The cruciform church itself is one of the best examples of its style and time. As a museum it uses both the original building's old graces and state of the art modern technology to enable visitors gain a solid foundation for further exploration of the city's 'Medieval Mile'.

It also houses Kilkenny's civic treasures, ranging from the Liber Primus Kilkenniensis of 1231 (above) to the charter bestowed on it in 1609 by King James I to the Mace and Sword that are the ceremonial symbols of power of the city. These are kept in a 'Kilkenny Room' built beyond the church chancel (below), on an area which would have been part of the chancel up to the mid-18th century and was demolished after Cromwell forced Protestantism to Ireland.

The foundations of an original tower which was on the site of the church have been uncovered, and are visible as you walk across glass panels on the floor. High above, the roof space has been partly opened up so that the very skilful carpentry work of the original builders is on view. The oak beams were hewn from trees which had grown in the region for more than two hundred years.

Exhibits include human remains found during five years of excavations, representations of the famous Ossary high crosses, and there's a chapel within the church dedicated to the Rothe business family which offers a range of ornate memorial tablets and other artifacts that help to bring history to life.

An interactive table touch-screen allows users to visually travel through Kilkenny's time and space and see where the old is only barely hidden behind the facades of today's city streets. Stories of artifacts and people can all be listened to on simple self-tour handsets provided to visitors, activated by pointing at relevant exhibits.

A visit can be as long or as short as one likes. Tickets are valid over a number of days, so if you're in Kilkenny for a couple or three days, you can keep coming back to remind yourself of detail or add more substance to what else has been seen in the Medieval Mile.

In the days of easy and affordable international travel, we may have forgotten how much there is to see and learn about ourselves in our own country. With the changed circumstances of 2020, places like the Museum of the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny can rectify that in a most enjoyable way.

I plan to return there, probably several times, over the coming months.

Photographs use Policy — Privacy Policy