Honors Program: A pathway to excellence.

HON 202/402 Experience Ireland

An introduction to Irish Studies, this course will explore Ireland's myth and folklore, early 20th century political and literary history through the poetry, drama and prose writing, as well as a sampling of Irish culture through traditional Celtic music, dance and the modern Irish language.

The first week of the course will be a survey of Irish studies through intensive reading and writing assignments, to be completed on-campus. The course will begin with an introduction to Celtic myth, fairy and folklore, works decisive in shaping the Gaelic Renaissance. Students will explore through assigned reading and class discussions the influence of these texts in relation to the Irish Literary Revival, which was, from the beginning, closely involved with the national independence movement, a movement which sought to promote the spirit of Ireland's native heritage. Students will see how an art, in this case writing, reflected the spirit of a people, influenced a revolution and ultimately helped to define a nation.

The central two weeks of the course will be spent abroad in various locations throughout Ireland. We will visit the sites we've been studying (note: these locations may change due to cost/availability): Dublin, the birthplace of W.B. Yeats and location of the Abbey Theater; a poetry tour of Sligo County, including stops to the Yeats Society in Sligotown, Lissadell, Glencar, Innisfree and the Drumcliff churchyard where Yeats is buried; the stoneage archeological sites, such as Knocknarea (Queen Maeve's grave) and the celebrated Newgrange monument; and sites of immense literary value, such as the Aran Islands and the Yeats tower. Along the way, we'll be sampling the Irish culture, land, and seascapes that inspired the texts we have studied. During this time period guided learning experiences will be combined with cultural activities and free time to explore the Emerald Isle. Students may elect to extend their stay in Ireland (or elsewhere in Europe) through Spring Break.

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Instructor: Rebecca Knotts (English) and Dr. Sean Eudaily (HPSS)

Prerequisite: WRIT 101

Substitutions: Possible course substitutions (subject to departmental approval):
From Rebecca Knotts: Though I would need to discuss this with my department, the 200-level course could substitute for LIT 162 Folk & Fairy Tales or LIT 266 Generations and Conflicts at the GenEd level; or the 400-level version for LIT 339 Literary Regions, LIT 361 Poetry & Thought, or LIT 494 Authors Seminar.
From Dr. Sean Eudaily: With the same caveat as above, the 200-level version could probably substitute for either half of the "Behavioral & Social Sciences" GenEd requirement, and the 400-level version for either PSCI or HSTR 494.

Time: Summer 2012, Block A (9:15-11:15am & 12:15-3:15pm for the 1st week on campus)