GCC to Ireland 2012

Join Genesee Community College professors, Charley and Connie Boyd, on a two-week study abroad trip to Ireland to explore the native culture and human relations in the beautiful  Midlands of  Ireland. Participants will stay at Rathgillan Farm (http://www.rathgillanfarm.ie/)  in the rural town of Nobber in County Meath  (about one hour from Dublin).  Meath, the heritage capital of Ireland, is home to the historic Boyne Valley Region,  an area rich in legend and folklore.  Viking and Norman ruins, castles and crosses and numerous monastic sites enrich the Irish Midlands. Students will visit the historic cultural sites of Hill of Tara, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth Neolithic burial chambers, Malahide Castle, Trim Castle, Loughcrew Cairnsand the Hill of Ward (where Halloween began). Other excursions include a day at the Irish-American Folk Park, two or three days in  Dublin, Ireland’s largest city and its capital, to see the Book of Kells, one of Ireland’s finest national treasures. Students will also visit the Wicklow Mountains and participate in Irish music and language workshops . Optional trips to the Aran Islands and Blarney Castle may be offered.