Ireland Summer 2013: Documentary Response 3

We recently went to Kerry for the weekend, and it was such a beautiful place. Also the ring of Kerry was rich with all kinds of history.

One major piece of history I learned from going to Kerry is the story of Daniel O'Connell. He is compared to George Washington, because he was so important as the political leader in Ireland just like George Washington was to American! It all started when he was born in Carhan which is near county Kerry. He was born into a big family and got adopted by his very wealth uncle, Daniel Charles, Count O'Connell, and was raised by him.

These are the old ruins of the O'Connell house. Where Daniel O'Connell was born!

After getting his law degree he started on his political journey. His first campaign was for Catholic Emancipation. He campaigned through all of Ireland and getting the support of all Irish people helped him tremendously, because of his supporting the British gave in! He was the first catholic to serve on Parliament. He had two more campaigns in his life. The second one was for The Tithe War, he was strongly against violence. He was sicken to see all the violence in his people. However, he got the sides to come to an agreement. Then his third campaign was for Repeal of the Union. This turned out to be his least successful campaign. During this campaign he got arrested and was sent to prison for a year. however, he was released after three months. Even though the stay was very short it affected his health and he got very sick. He died on his way to Rome on May 15th in 1847. He said right before he died that his heart goes to Rome, his body to Ireland, and then his soul to Heaven!

Then we got to see the amazing St Mary's Cathedral, in Killarney. It is a Roman Catholic Cathedral. It started being built in 1842 and was not completed until 1855. The famous English Architect Augustus Welby Pugin. However, after the interior was damaged in 1973 it was removed and re-done by D.J. Kennedy.

St. Mary's was designed in the Gothic Architecture Style!

In this picture you see the Rose Window which was a very important part in Gothic Architecture.

Also inside St. Mary's there are Arches running along the entire Cathedral!

Again you see the Rose Window. And from this angle you start to see the shape of the building. If you went above the church you cold see it was designed in the shape of a cross which is the most important characteristics of the Gothic Architecture!

Then we went to Blarney Castle which is nearly six hundred years old. It is located near Cork, Ireland. The Castle dates back all the way to before 1200. However, in 1210 the wood was replaced with stone. Now it is big tourist spot. Especially when it comes to Kissing the Blarney Stone which is suppose to give you the gift to speak with eloquence. Walter O'Leary, one of our wonderful tour guides, said that if you got the gift of eloquence then you could tell someone to go to hell and they would look forward to the trip!