A spring break trip to Ireland led by Presbyterian College history professors Dr. Roy Campbell and Dr. Rick Heiser offered PC students—and one alumna and her husband—a rich, immersive journey into Irish history, culture, and memory.
The course, part of the long-running “Encounters Afar” travel program, focused on the “History of Irish Nationalism” and took participants from Dublin’s revolutionary landmarks to the divided communities of Northern Ireland, where echoes of the Troubles remain tangible.
Stepping Into the Struggle
In Dublin, the group visited Glasnevin Cemetery, the final resting place of legendary nationalist leaders like Daniel O’Connell, Constance Markievicz, and Michael Collins. They walked the streets where the 1916 Easter Rising unfolded, guided by historian Lorcan Collins, and toured the haunting halls of Kilmainham Gaol, where many rebels were imprisoned and executed.
The journey continued in Belfast and Derry, where students explored more recent conflicts. A “Conflicting Stories” walking tour gave them a rare look at both sides of the Troubles, beginning in the Catholic Falls Road neighborhood with a former IRA member and crossing through the “peace wall” into the Protestant Shankill area, where a loyalist activist offered a contrasting perspective.
“What I found most intriguing is the degree to which the tension and separation between the two communities in Northern Ireland remain,” said Campbell. “Despite the Good Friday Accords of 1998, Belfast remains a divided city.”
In Derry, students visited the site of the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre and saw locations featured in the hit series “Derry Girls,” which dramatizes the lives of Catholic teens growing up amid conflict.
A Journey of Discovery
Heiser, who had never traveled beyond Dublin before, said the beauty of the Irish countryside and the complexity of local perspectives on nationalism were eye-opening.
“The weather was made to order with sunshine for eight straight days,” he said. “It was fascinating to hear the different perspectives from actual participants in the struggle for union or independence.”
Heiser said one of the trip’s greatest gifts was watching students embrace a new environment.
“It gives students a chance to realize the world is big, diverse, and complex. Ireland is not shockingly different from the U.S., but it’s enough to stretch our comfort zone,” he said. “It’s a confidence-building experience.”
This trip marked the fifth “Encounters Afar” collaboration between Campbell and Heiser, who have taken students to Istanbul, Lisbon and the Azores, Cairo, and Jerusalem. Campbell called the Ireland trip “close to a masterpiece,” noting the meaningful presence of alumna Robyn Dohn Havard ’02 and her husband, Ben.
Bridging Generations
For Havard, returning to international travel with her former professors was both nostalgic and enlightening.
“I had an unforgettably fantastic time on my Maymester trip with Dr. Heiser and Dr. Mike Nelson in 2001,” she said. “I wanted to share the experience with my husband. We were excited to be ‘students’ again.”
Havard said she was fascinated to learn the deeper history behind events she remembered from news stories during her school years, including IRA bombings in the 1990s. But what stood out most was the chance to connect with students on the trip.
“I loved watching them ask challenging questions of our tour guides,” she said. “We would discuss our impressions together over dinner, and I was impressed with their reflections. That’s when we connected the most as humans.”
She was also grateful to relive her PC history experience. “My favorite part was knowing my husband could see why I still treasure my time in the history department at PC so much.”
A Student Perspective
Junior Kaitlin Marquis of Rock Hill, S.C., said the trip revealed a powerful history she hadn’t known.
“My eyes were opened to so much after physically seeing places like Kilmainham Gaol where many Irish political prisoners were kept,” she said. “Traveling to Ireland was also a chance to see how other cultures live. I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with Irish natives and hearing their perspectives.”
Sophomore Cree Augustine of Moncks Corner, S.C., described the trip as “a dream come true.”
“It’s one thing to learn about rebellions and executions, but it’s completely different to stand in the same prison cells that some of the most influential characters spent years in,” she said.
Both students emphasized the value of building relationships with their professors and peers in a different setting.
“You get to see a different side of them when they’re not in a school mindset,” Augustine said. “You learn things about them you would’ve never known otherwise.”
A Lasting Impact
Campbell praised the group’s curiosity, noting how their thoughtful questions and eagerness to engage enriched the experience for everyone.
“This was one of the best, if not the best, trips I’ve been on,” he said. “Traveling with such a wonderful group of students, Robyn and Ben Havard, and my dear friend and travel compadre Dr. Rick Heiser made it all the more special.”
For Havard, the trip was more than a vacation—it was a return to roots.
“It was a bucket list trip,” she said. “I’d travel with the PC history department anywhere.”
