The Mitchell Scholarship

The Mitchell Class of 2020 met in Belfast February 28-March 1 for a weekend full of city and country exploration. This mid-year “retreat” is one of three structured gatherings organized by the US-Ireland Alliance for the twelve scholars during their year on the island. The weekend activities began with a historical tour of the city led by Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) professor Dominic Bryan, a long-time friend of the Mitchell Scholarship and an expert on historical monuments. The group visited the peace walls on the west and east sides of the city along with a brief tour of the docks, which were once the economic engine of the city. After the tour, the group had dinner at Buba, one of Belfast’s most popular restaurants.

On Saturday morning, the group departed their Belfast hotel for Seamus Heaney’s Homeplace. Located in Bellaghy where Heaney grew up, the center celebrates the life and poetry of one of Ireland’s greatest writers.  The Scholars toured the various exhibits and were treated to a delicious meal before departing for the Antrim Coast.  

After a windy hike around the basalt columns that make up Giant’s Causeway and a quick visit to Dark Hedges (made famous by the Game of Thrones series), the group returned to Belfast and ended their busy day by attending the Clannad farewell concert at Waterfront Hall. 

On Sunday morning, the group visited the Titanic Museum, which continues to be Northern Ireland’s top tourist attraction, before returning to their host universities. Belfast continues to be a special place for the Scholars to visit and the US-Ireland Alliance is thankful to our local friends that make the visit possible year after year.