corirhode – Armagh Project 2014

“From Blossom to Bottle” Pictures

corirhode — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 19:46:16 +0000

I had the chance to visit the Armagh Cider Company a few weeks ago to get some material for my story. These are just a few of the many pictures I got from that visit. Photo credit to Kelly O’Brien and Clare Bonnyman.

corirhode — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 22:33:06 +0000

To say I was excited to meet journalists at the BBC this weekend would be an understatement. It was my first official visit to an international news bureau, and even though we were only there for an hour and a half I learned a lot that will help me with my story and my career. The first journalist we met, Claire Savage, was someone I wanted to aspire to be. She has worked for the BBC for 15 years, and has worked in front of and behind the camera. We sat as a group and talked with her and two other journalists for a while. At lunch, however, I got to sit next to Claire and have a great one-on-one conversation with her about her career and the future of mine. We talked about our mutual love for Chicago, politics, and what I wanted to eventually do. She taught me so much in so little time, and I really hope I can keep in touch with her in the future.

Garth Brooks cancels all of his Dublin shows

corirhode — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 19:25:32 +0000

This story has been developing since I’ve gotten to Ireland. Garth Brooks was planning to play five shows in a row in Dublin at the end of July. He scheduled these shows. and sold tickets for them, without getting proper licenses from the Dublin government. After people from the neighborhood surrounding the venue began to complain about noise and traffic that the shows would bring, Dublin cut two of the shows and told Brooks he could only play three of them. Brooks had said that if Dublin did not let him play all five shows, he would cancel the entire series. Brooks announced today that he was cancelling all of his Dublin shows, but also announced the end of his retirement and a world tour. The cancellation is also resulting in the biggest refund Ticketmaster has ever had to give out. Kind of makes you wonder if he’s doing it “for the fans”, like he claims, or if this is just a huge publicity stunt.

What Nationality is to Me

corirhode — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 22:28:38 +0000

After being in Ireland for almost 2 weeks now, one of the biggest things that has stood out to me about the people here is how proud they are to be Irish. I realized I had never really thought about my nationality. I am Irish, Polish, and German, but probably the biggest part of my life is polish. I am very close with my grandparents on my mother’s side, and they are 100 percent Polish. At every birthday party, our family would sing a Polish song that meant “we wish you 100 years”. I grew up loving kielbasa, or Polish sausage, and I swear my grandma makes the best you’ll ever have. We also have a lot of family traditions that come from Polish origins. After reflecting on a few aspects of my nationality, I can see why the Irish are so proud to be who they are.

My Best Experience in Northern Ireland

corirhode — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 22:07:49 +0000

As a journalist, one of the hardest parts of an interview is actually getting people to talk to you. When I went to visit the Armagh Cider Company, I was expecting to have a hard time getting my subject to open up, which is usually what happens in the states. I was pleasantly surprised when the owner of the orchard opened up to me quite quickly and was very willing to answer all of my questions. I have found that this is true in almost everyone I’ve talked to in NI. They are so friendly and willing to welcome us into their town. I think that my best experience in NI hasn’t been just one event, but the people in general.

Martin Lynch Article and Questions

corirhode — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 21:52:21 +0000

Here is an article I found on Martin from last September. The article talks about some or the most shocking scenes from his latest play.
http://ulsterherald.com/2013/09/25/shocking-scenes-in-new-martin-lynch-play/

One question I would like to ask Martin is how long it took him to write “The History of the Troubles According to my Da”

My Time in Dublin: A Photo Gallery

corirhode — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 22:45:12 +0000

Dublin was absolutely amazing. It has definitely become one of my favorite cities in the world. I got to experience the culture, the food, and the people, which were all awesome. We did everything from taking a walking tour of Dublin’s bridges to learning how to taste Guinness like a professional. These photos are a small part of what a magical city Dublin is.

First Impressions: The Magnificent Dublin

corirhode — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 22:37:11 +0000

Coming to Dublin, I honestly had no idea what to expect. But upon my arrival in Dublin, I instantly fell in love. We started off our day with a rapid fire history lesson on Dublin led by an awesome tour guide. We then got a spectacular tour of the Abbey Theatre and its backstage area. Being a former thespian myself, getting a tour of the famous theatre was an awesome experience. My favorite part was standing on the stage and looking out onto the audience. Then a few friends and I grabbed dinner at a small cafe near our hostel that had excellent pizza and dessert. We finished off the night by grabbing a few pints and listening to authentic Irish music. Even after only one day in Dublin, I can tell that people will have to drag me to the bus kicking and screaming when we leave on Monday, because one weekend will definitely not be enough.

Armagh’s Hidden Treasure: The Armagh Cider Apple Company

corirhode — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 17:06:02 +0000

For my final project for the class, I decided to write about the local cuisine in Armagh. We stumbled upon the amazing place that was The Armagh Cider Apple Company. I don’t want to give away many details, since I’m doing my story on them, but I’ll give you the overview of our visit. When we got there, we were greeted by the owner of the cider company. He was very welcoming, and he took us through the orchard, and then through the process which he called “from blossom to bottle”. He showed us where they pick the apples, how they get the juice from them, the pasteurization process, and then how they package the bottles. But, this farm doesn’t just produce cider and apple juice. They also produce rosettes, which are large ribbons that are usually used in horse shows, and they collect semen from the stallion horses to impregnate mares across the country. Again, I don’t want to give all of the details just yet, but keep a look out for my full article on the amazing place that is The Armagh Cider Apple Company.

Regionalism: Why I Get that Northern Ireland is Different From The Republic

corirhode — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 23:13:45 +0000

When we were asked to write about regionalism, I had a hard time deciding what to discuss. But then, I realized that regionalism is a huge part of my life. I am extremely proud of where I come from, which is a small town outside of Chicago, Illinois. And, I am very proud to be an American. I love that whenever I say I’m from America here, people (so far) have always said something positive about the USA. I love how individual we are, and how people from other countries want to come to America to start a new life. I’m also proud of Chicago, the best city in the world (ok, maybe I’m a little biased). My parents have been bringing me to downtown Chicago for my whole life, and I love the history and culture one can experience there. People in Chicago genuinely care about the city, which I think is pretty hard to find elsewhere.

That being said, I can understand why people in Northern Ireland put an emphasis on the difference between here and the Republic of Ireland. If something were to happen and the world decided to combine Canada and the US and just call it “North America”, people would be pretty upset. While we, as countries, get along, we have such different cultures that we wouldn’t want to be grouped together. The longer I am in Armagh, the more I realize that this is true when it comes to NI and the Republic as well. Even though they are on the same island, they have different cultures, traditions, even different currencies. Before I came here, I thought “why can’t they just be called Ireland?” But, reflecting on my own sense of regionalism, I can see why combining them would drastically impact the society as a whole, and why separating them is so important to protect their cultures.