In the spring of 2007 a group of Comparative Criminal Justice students from Marshall University spent 10 days in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, studying the justice, police, and prison systems both north and south of the border. In the south students met with the Gardai (the police force in the Irish Republic), visited a trial in session at Dublin’s Four Courts, and toured Kilmainham Gaol and then Mountjoy Prison for insights into the penal system both past and present.
After traveling north to Belfast, the students met with members of the Northern Ireland Police Force to learn about both current day policing and the police system during the Northern Ireland “Troubles”. The next day they visited the divided communities of West Belfast and had the opportunity to meet both with an ex IRA prisoner and an ex-British Army officer. Their final stop was in Derry, Northern Ireland, where they visited
the historic City Walls, the Bloody Sunday Memorial, and the Bogside Community. While in Derry, the group met with Ivan Cooper, a leader of the Irish Civil Rights Movement, whose story served as the centerpiece for the highly acclaimed 2002 movie
Bloody Sunday.
"Aisling Tours did a fantastic job organizing the trip for me
and my Criminal Justice Students at Marshall University. I have heard nothing but praise from my students after their return, much of this is owed to Aisling Tours. This was my third faculty-led study abroad trip with students, and this was by far the most educational, rewarding, and fun so far."
