Week 1 Reflections

Week one is over and what an amazing week it has been. It is my first visit to Washington D.C. (which I hope will be the first of many). Despite our busy schedule we still found time to do some sightseeing. I visited the most of the monuments, Capitol Hill and the White House in the past week.

The highlight of the week for me was holding a letter written by Thomas Jefferson (author of the Declaration of Independence and third president of the United States) dated from 1793, and holding the telegram which was given to F.D.R to inform him of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. In Washington D.C. you never feel that you are far away from history.

One element of the program which has surprised me is the lack of knowledge among Northern Irish students about the Republic of Ireland. This lack of knowledge is mutual. Few Northern Irish students study in the Republic of Ireland. Despite being geographically close to Northern Ireland, it is far removed from the daily lives of the citizens of the Republic of Ireland. However the Irish government has the same strategic interest as all the stakeholders in Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. A stable, just and fair Northern Ireland is in the interests of all.

It has become clear to me in the past week that we in the Republic of Ireland have built up an psychological barrier between ourselves and Northern Ireland. We must do more to reach out to both traditions in Northern Ireland and instead of seeing them as a problem from our past to see them as asset of our future. To begin, let us view all the citizens of Northern Ireland, be they Unionist or Nationalist, as our friends and partners.

Brian Feehily Bio.