As the weeks go on, I am experiencing more and more of Ireland. On October 12^th, I traveled with the International/ Erasmus students, for a hike up and around the beautiful Comeragh Mountains.  The Comeragh Mountains are a glaciated mountain range situated in the south east of Ireland in County Waterford.  The twelve mountains which form the Comeragh Mountains are very popular with mountain climbers and hikers.  I have not hiked in a very long time and was excited to get out for some fresh air.

Comeragh Mountains, Ireland

Our travels began at 10:00 am, with approximately 50 students. It was a 30 minute drive and a short hike through the forest to the base of the mountain. We then hiked about 30 minutes up the mountain on terrain which became steeper and steeper. Along the way, there were plenty of sheep running around, hopping through the bushes, and bleating (baa-ing) at us while we passed. It was fun trying to get close enough to take a good photo as they kept running away, but I tried not to bother them too much. Sheep are my favorite animal so it was really neat to be so close to so many! However, as fun as it was, the mountain was covered in sheep droppings, and you had to be careful where you stepped. Arriving at the first cliff, we could see the stunning view of the landscape of Ireland. It is one thing on a photo, but entirely different when you see it with your own two eyes.

On arrival at the top, many of us ate our lunch and took a moment to take in the scenery. A small group of us then travelled further up the mountain, wanting to go as far up as possible as it was such an amazing experience and you only live once. We eventually hit our stopping point as it became too windy and slippery to continue and we were literally up in the clouds.  I got some amazing photos of Lake Coumshingaun, which was surrounded by the mountain. Our travels back down the mountain were a little more difficult as we were a little weary but we made it down in one piece.

The next day, I was feeling the repercussions of the hike and my legs were stiff and sore. I should have stretched a lot more than I did as every movement was a constant reminder.  That being said, I was excited for the evening to come as I was getting together with some Canadian friends to share the Thanksgiving experience with our German friends. We explained to them that this is a Canadian holiday dedicated to being thankful for a good harvest, but nowadays, it is just generally being thankful. We had a delicious meal prepared to by our Canadian host, Jason Khasow. This was a nice refresher of Canada and our culture and it was nice to share it with others!

James Copping

This week has been spent focused on my studies. School has now fully started and is getting quite in depth. For my studies at WIT, I have chosen Probation, Victimology, and Personal and Professional Development (PPD).

My courses are proving to be very interesting. In Probation, we study theory and practices around the world, with a major focus on Ireland. However, Ireland is fairly new to this practice. This was a great choice for me because I do have some interest in this area and am learning so much from it. We are currently looking at how people are able to stop criminal acts. This is known as, desisting from crime, and it is a Probation Officer’s duty to encourage this. Probation is a second year course and was offered to students as one of two electives. The other elective is Counseling and Intervention.

Hallways of Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT)

Victimology is a second year course. It is the study of the victim of crime and is essential for anyone working in law enforcement.  This course contains a lot of theory but it is very necessary and important information. There are many things that people might not understand in how one becomes a victim of crime but this course will give the framework. Unfortunately, the teacher for this course is not able to teach at this moment, so the substituting teacher is our Probation teacher, Niame Maguire. On a practical note, this does give good insight in regards to Probation and the victim, as they often overlap. Furthermore, because these two courses are both second year, I am with the same students which is helpful when I do not understand something. My classmates are all very friendly and encouraging.

PPD was off to a bit of a rough start and was cancelled for the first two weeks because they could not find an instructor to teach it. They have now found an instructor, Frank Keating, a retired Social Worker. He likes to use his experiences as case studies to discuss in class. On a personal note, as a youth from government care, I find Frank to be quite interesting as he was a board member for the International Foster Care Organization (IFCO). The organization that I volunteer for, The Federation of Youth In Care Networks, plays a significant role at these conferences and it is quite likely that we know some of the same people. What a small world!  The only problem I have with this course is that the instructor has a thick accent, which I am not used to, and at times it is difficult to follow.  With the use of my notes and the assistance of other students who are willing to help interpret, I am getting along fine though.

The courses I have selected as part of my studies are well worth it.  They will give me the skills and knowledge to benefit me in the future.

James Copping

As the Irish would say, my time here has been “grand”.

Last weekend was one of the best so far! It began at 7:30 am on a beautiful sunny morning for what was going to be my first day outside of Waterford. I had much anticipation the night before which lasted throughout the morning. I grabbed my backpack, jumped on my bike and headed out the door. I was on my way to Kilkenny for a bike tour with a group of international and Erasmus students (students from Europe who are part of the European Union student exchange program).

Kilkenny Bike tour

After leaving my place at 8:00 am, knowing that I had to meet the other students at 9:20am, I headed to school to print off my bus ticket. Unfortunately, the morning started off a little rocky as I spent an hour looking for a working printer. Thankfully, I was eventually helped by a staff member who kindly allowed me to use their personal printer. Knowing that I had 20 minutes to meet my friends, I jumped on my bike and pedaled as fast as I could to town.

I made it! There were about 22 students on the trip which made for a lot of fun. During the bus ride, we passed rolling green hills with lots of stone bridges and walls. There were also a lot of sheep and cows. After an hour on the bus, we arrived at Kilkenny and the weather couldn’t have been better… slightly cloudy with a bit of sunshine.

Cathedral – Kilkenny

We met our tour guide and were off on our bikes. During the tour, we saw much of the town. It was very historical with many buildings and monuments that were hundreds of years old. Our first stop was at an old Cathedral, and one interesting point about this Cathedral is that while it was being built, it started to sink. In order to finish it, the roof had to be built flat because if it was any taller, it would sink. This was different than the other Cathedrals which all have pointed roofs.

Our second stop was at Kilkenny Castle which was remarkable.  It was built in the early 13^th century. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the smell. It was an old and slightly musty smell which is difficult to describe, but reminded me of school which is also very old. It had a lot of its original pieces, but some of it had been renovated over the years. The third stop was at another Cathedral. We went to so many that I don’t recall all the names, but I can tell you that they were all very impressive with great architecture.  We stopped at a few more places along the way and finished the tour with time to spare.

While we all walked around in a very large group, we stopped at the local shops and explored the streets. The people of Kilkenny were very friendly. One fellow came up to a few of us and invited us to watch a game at a pub with him. He said he would pay for our meal and I said, jokingly, “what about our drinks?”. He replied with, “I will bet you 100 quid and pay for your drinks that you can’t drink as much as me.” Frankly, I had to deny the offer and move on with the group but he was a funny guy.  We finished up the day and were soon back home in Waterford, ready for some much needed rest after a long and exciting day.

James Copping