GEEO Ireland Google Earth Presentation Script

— Stop 1 —

USA

Today I’d like to share with you a great experience I had while traveling to Ireland through a non-profit organization called GEEO. GEEO helps educators travel abroad so that they can learn more about different cultures to share with their students. I was joined on my trip by teachers from all around the United States.

— Stop 2 —

Europe

We traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe. How many countries in Europe can you name?

— Stop 3 —

British Isles

Ireland is a country in Europe and part of the British Isles. The larger island on the right is Great Britain; the smaller island on the left is Ireland. Ireland is known for its beautiful landscapes, music, history, and mythology. It’s called the Emerald Isle for its green fields.

Five regions make up the British Isles, each with its own history, culture, and dialects. (Show this map of the isles.) Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales. Ireland contains Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. About 7 million people live on the island of Ireland—5 million in the Republic of Ireland and 1.9 million in Northern Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland is independent. The other four regions form “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland” (the UK). These regions have varying degrees of self-government but are ruled by the British Parliament and King Charles III.

— Stop 4 —

Ireland

Our trip included both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. We began in the Republic of Ireland, which takes up most of the island (83% of the area and 73% of the population). The official languages of the country are English and Irish (also sometimes called Gaelic). Most people in Ireland can speak a little bit of Irish, but only a small percentage of the population is fluent in Irish. Only about 1.5% of people in Ireland speak Irish on a daily basis.

— Stop 5 —

Dublin

Our trip started in Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland. With a population of over two million people in the Greater Dublin Area, it is also the most populous city on the island of Ireland. Dublin was originally built by the Vikings in 841, although it is possible that there was a small settlement there even earlier. The river that you can see here running through the middle of Dublin is called the River Liffey. The river divides the city into two parts, North Dublin and South Dublin.

Many famous writers lived in Dublin: Oscar Wilde (The Picture of Dorian Gray) and George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion) were born in Dublin, and James Joyce (Ulysses, Dubliners) is one of the city’s best known writers.

Here are some of Dublin’s most famous landmarks.

— Stop 6 —

Government Buildings and Leinster House

On the left, the “Government Buildings” complex houses the Taoiseach (pronunciation), Ireland’s Prime Minister, plus the Council Chamber where the cabinet meets, the Department of Finance, and the Office of the Attorney General.

The buildings on the right include the National Archaeological Museum, National History Museum, National Library, and National Gallery, plus Leinster House at the top of the lawn. Built in 1748 as a mansion for the Duke of Leinster, it has served as Ireland’s parliament building since 1922. Ireland’s parliament is called the Oireachtas (pronunciation) and fills a similar role as the United States Congress.

— Stop 7 —

Trinity College Library

This is the campus of Ireland’s most prestigious university, Trinity College. Many people visit the beautiful Long Room at Trinity College Library to see Ireland’s greatest treasure, the Book of Kells.

— Stop 8 —

Book of Kells

The Book of Kells is called an illustrated manuscript – an elaborate document with illustrations and other flourishes. The Book of Kells was created by Irish monks around 800 AD and contains the four Gospels of the New Testament.

— Stop 9 —

Dublin Castle

This is Dublin Castle, first built in 1204 by King John. The castle has a bloody past in Dublin’s history, including the impaling of Irish chieftains on its walls. It was the headquarters of the English and British administrations up until 1922 when Ireland gained independence from the UK after the Irish War of Independence. The castle now houses some government offices and is used for ceremonies.

— Stop 10 —

Temple Bar

The Temple Bar Area is Dublin’s cultural quarter. It was first developed in the 19th century with narrow cobblestone streets running close to the banks of the River Liffey. The area is full of character and charm, and it is popular with visitors for its variety of restaurants, live music venues, nightclubs, and pubs.

— Stop 11 —

O’Connell St. and The Spire of Dublin

O’Connell Street is the hub of Dublin’s shopping precinct in the city center. The median of the street is lined with monuments and statues commemorating many Irish heroes. Also in the middle of the street, you can see the Spire, the world’s tallest sculpture at nearly 400 feet tall. It was built in 2002 out of stainless steel and can be seen swaying on a windy day.

— Stop 12 —

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

St. Patrick’s Cathedral was founded in 1191 and rebuilt and modified over the centuries. It is the largest church in Ireland and the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland, the Irish branch of the Church of England. Jonathan Swift, the author of Gulliver’s Travels, is buried in the cathedral.

— Stop 13 —

Guinness Storehouse

The Guinness Storehouse is an exhibition and museum dedicated to Guinness beer called the Guinness Experience. The cylindrical buildings at the top of the screen are where the modern Guiness brewery is located. Guinness started in 1759 when a man named Arthur Guinness started brewing his famous porter beer, which is now produced around the world at the rate of over 10 million glasses each day.

— Stop 14 —

Kilmainham Gaol

Kilmainham Gaol (pronunciation) is a former prison converted into a museum that gives visitors insight into what it would have been like to be imprisoned in Dublin in the 1800s. The prison was open from 1796 until 1924. Leaders of five Irish rebellions between 1798 and 1916 were detained and executed here under the UK Government.

Men, women, and children were kept in prison cells with each other, five people in each cell. The prisoners were often kept in the cold and dark, with only a single candle for light and heat expected to last for two weeks.

— Stop 15 —

Killarney

After exploring Dublin, we traveled south to the town of Killarney. Killarney is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to experience the beauty and culture of Ireland. It is a picturesque little town surrounded by the stunning landscape of the Killarney National Park and the Lakes of Killarney.

— Stop 16 —

Muckross House

One of the historic landmarks near Killarney is the Muckross House and its traditional farm. It is a Victorian mansion built in 1843 and sits in the heart of Killarney National Park, surrounded by gardens and parkland, with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and lakes. The nearby Muckross Traditional Farms are full working examples of rural life in the 1930s.

— Stop 17 —

Ross Castle

Ross Castle was built in the late 15th century by the chieftain of the local ruling clan, the O’Donoghues. It is built on a rocky outcrop on Ross Island by the shore of Lough Leane. It has had a long and distinguished history, and the Irish had a prophecy that the castle could never be taken unless a warship attacked it from the lake, which seemed impossible:

Ross may all assault disdain

Till on Lough Lein strange ship shall sail

During the Irish Confederate Wars in the mid-1600s, English forces sailed a warship from the ocean up a river to Lake Leane, and the fortress was defeated.

— Stop 18 —

Ring of Kerry

We also took a day to experience some sights along the famous Ring of Kerry near Killarney. The Ring of Kerry is a circular route around the Iveragh (pronunciation) Peninsula in County Kerry. Here are some of the things we saw on the drive:

— Stop 19 —

Kenmare

This is a street in the town of Kenmare. The little town is noted for its food and pubs and is popular with tourists.

— Stop 20 —

Waterville

This is the coastline in the village of Waterville. Charlie Chaplin and his family used to vacation here at the hotel on the left side of the image, called the Butler Arms Hotel.

— Stop 21 —

Glenbeigh

Another stop on the Ring of Kerry surrounded by hills is the village of Glenbeigh, another small town popular with tourists.

— Stop 22 —

Rossbeigh

These are the sandy beaches at Rossbeigh near Glenbeigh on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The beaches and sand dunes are being eroded by rising sea levels over the last couple of decades.

— Stop 23 —

Galway

Following our time in and around Killarney, we traveled north to the small city of Galway on the west coast of Ireland. Galway is known as the “cultural heart” of Ireland. It is home to a number of festivals and events each year, and it is famous for its vibrant art scene, traditional Irish food and drink, folk music, and literature as home to several notable Irish writers and poets.

— Stop 24 —

Cliffs of Moher

The next day, we drove along the Wild Atlantic Way, which is a very long driving route along the Irish west coast. We then hiked from the town of Doolin to the breathtaking Cliffs of Moher. The cliffs are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ireland because of their breathtaking views and unique geological features. The highest point along the cliffs is 702 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

— Stop 25 —

Cliffs of Moher View

We walked along the edge of the cliffs and took in the amazing views.

— Stop 26 —

Dunguaire Castle

Dunguaire Castle is a 16th-century tower house located between the Cliffs of Moher and Galway. It is a popular tourist location because of its picturesque setting on a hill overlooking Galway Bay. The castle was built in 1520, and much of the original structure and features have been preserved over the centuries. The castle later became known as a favored gathering place for Irish literary icons like George Bernard Shaw and W. B. Yeats.

— Stop 27 —

Derry

We drove north into Northern Ireland, part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has experienced conflict between Catholics and Protestants, with many Catholics wanting to unite with the Republic of Ireland (Irish nationalism).

Google Maps placemarks in the Republic of Ireland are orange—one of the three colors in the Irish flag. Northern Ireland’s placemarks are red, referencing Saint Patrick’s Cross.

We stopped in a small town whose name exemplifies the divide: Catholics call it Derry, Protestants call it Londonderry.

— Stop 28 —

Dark Hedges

On our way to Belfast we stopped off at the Dark Hedges, a hauntingly beautiful avenue of twisting beech trees. The site was used as a location for the Kingsroad in The Game of Thrones.

— Stop 29 —

Belfast

Belfast is Northern Ireland’s capital and largest city. The Industrial Revolution had a major impact on the city’s development, and by the early 19th century Belfast had become a major port and center for linen, rope, and shipbuilding. It became the world’s biggest linen producer, earning the nickname “Linenopolis,” but foreign competition eventually killed these industries.

Belfast was one of the world’s most dangerous cities during the final three decades of the 1900s, when Catholic-Protestant conflict turned violent during a period called the Troubles. Protestant Unionists (who wanted to remain in the UK) and Catholic Nationalists (who wanted to reunite with Ireland) carried out terrorist attacks, bombings, and assassinations. Belfast was a main center of conflict. In 1998, the two sides established a power-sharing government through the Good Friday Agreement (also called the Belfast Agreement). Since then, Northern Ireland has had relative peace, and Belfast is safe and flourishing again.

— Stop 30 —

Titanic Belfast

Shipbuilding was a key industry in Belfast, and the Harland and Wolff shipyard built a ship you may recognize: the RMS Titanic. RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship, and although the Titanic was mainly a passenger ship, it also carried mail for the British Royal Mail and the US Post Office.

Some of us visited the Titanic Belfast, a museum that explains the history of Belfast and the creation of what was at the time the world’s largest ship. The Titanic struck an iceberg on its very first voyage and sank on April 15th, 1914, in one of the worst maritime disasters of all time. More than 1,500 people died in the accident—two-thirds of all the passengers and crew.

— Stop 31 —

Giant’s Causeway

We also traveled about an hour north from Belfast to visit the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most stunning coastlines in Europe. Do you know what a UNESCO World Heritage Site is? It is a landmark or area designated by the United Nations for having cultural or historical significance. The program is intended to conserve sites for future generations.

This area is known for its unique, polygonal column rock formations that were created by a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago.

— Stop 32 —

Bushmills Distillery

We then took a guided tour of the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest working distillery in Ireland. The company prints the date 1608 on their label, because that is the date when the first license was granted to distill whiskey in the area. Finally, we returned to Belfast for one last dinner together.