One of the main goals of the European Solidarity Corps is cultural exchange. Understanding the history of local communities and the country helps you connect with people around you. It’s fascinating to walk on the street and suddenly realise it served locals for a few hundred years; all this time being a silent witness to their everyday life.
Ireland is an Island with a rich, captivating and complicated history, and GEAI volunteers embarked on a fascinating journey to explore it. We travelled up north, to Belfast, one of the largest cities on the Island.
We were welcomed by the vastness of Belfast’s Docks, one of the largest to have been built in the 19th century. Belfast is the cradle of the famous ship Titanic and its sister ship Olympic, so our first stop was Titanic Belfast, as what is a better place is there to explore the story of those ships than in their origin?
“Personally, I was astonished how well the Museum works with so few artefacts from the Titanic itself! The exhibition was done in a good, clever and engaging way. I can only admire the effort put into it”, said Ilya, GEAI volunteer. Titanic Belfast explores not only the story of the rise and fall of the Titanic, but the history of Belfast during the long 19th century as well.
Belfast’s history doesn’t end with the Titanic. Recent history is marked by the Troubles, a period of conflict between protestant-loyalist and catholic-nationalist paramilitary groups that lasted for 30 years. The Black taxi tour helped us explore this turbulent time of Irish history; we were able to see the Peacewalls, one of the relics of those times that still separate catholic and protestant areas from each other. Despite those fresh scars in the streets of Belfast, it is great to see that progress has been made towards peace and stability.
Without a doubt, exploring history is exhausting. A few pints of beer or glasses of wine, good company and a little stroll after dinner is what you need to relax and reflect. Belfast is a beautiful city worth visiting.
However, Northern Ireland doesn’t end in Belfast. After a good night’s rest, our team ventured towards the Giant’s Causeway. This area of basalt columns is under the protection of UNESCO and is perfect for hiking and exploring. According to legends, the columns were built by giants, hence the name. It was a good example of how humans can reconnect with nature and protect its beauty.

It was a fantastic trip, full of great memories. Now it’s time to reflect, post pictures and plan another one, as there are a lot of things to see and stuff to do in Ireland. Volunteers are grateful for this opportunity to Good Energies Alliance Ireland and European Solidarity Corps.
Written by: Ilya Linevich