Harbus

Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Nick Taranto (KSG) HBS Rugby atop the Cliffs of Moher

Foregoing section trips to Mexico, Colombia, and other exotic destinations, twenty-nine HBS men spent their Spring Break braving gale-force winds and driving rain while leaving their mark on the Emerald Isle for HBS Rugby's 2008 tour. Though met with mixed success on the rugby pitch, the social tour allowed HBS to consistently amaze the Irish opposition with its array of songs and love of fraternizing.

After arriving on a red-eye flight into Shannon on Saturday morning and taking a quick tour of the massive Cliffs of Moher on Ireland's west coast, the team traveled directly to Limerick for its first match against the Old Crescent RFC. Lack of sleep was clearly evident, as HBS quickly conceded two tries to the seasoned opposition. Determined to put points on the board, Craig "The Real Craig" Canton (OJ) stormed ten meters through the Old Crescent defense on a penalty play to narrow the margin to 10-5 at the half. Unfortunately the second half brought more of the same, and though Joel "Dr. Evil" Hartel (NB) put another try on the board, HBS fell 25-10. While disappointed in defeat, the team quickly rallied to enjoy a wild first night out in Limerick with the host club, whose social song "The Music Man" was quickly adopted into the HBS repertoire.

With the first game out of the way, the team spent the next several days touring the Dingle countryside, enjoying magnificent scenery, fresh seafood, and traditional Irish folk music. Drives along Dingle's treacherous mountainside roads provided stunning views, though Rafa "Maradona" Soto's (OF) creative driving style terrified his unfortunate passengers. John "Seamus" Lacy (OD) and Jeff "Millhouse" Miller (KSG) impressed all with many fine strokes in a round of seaside golf on a traditional links-style course amidst the cow and sheep pastures of Castlegregory. Jon "Three-on-three-on-three" Oka (OJ) and the rest of the team celebrated Jon's birthday that evening at the Yellow Pub with a friendly game of "Chug in your Face." Once the game ended, the team crawled to the Hillgrove, Dingle's hottest (and only) nightclub, where Matt "Wounded in Action" McCourt (KSG) demonstrated how to recycle pint glasses and Brian "G.I. Joe" Clymer (NH) showed the Dingle girls his dance moves.

The men bade farewell to Dingle on Wednesday and traveled to Cork for the evening before hopping on a short flight to Belfast for a more urban flavor. Whisky enthusiasts Tim "I'm from Michigan" O'Rourke (OD) and Mark "The Assassin" Cuthbert (OA) led the charge to the Bushmills Distillery, where the tour guide noted that in his decades of working for (and drinking) Bushmills, the HBS boys were the most inquisitive group he had led, peppering him with questions on cycle time and process bottlenecks. Bellies full of whisky, the team wrapped up the day's touring with visits to Dunluce castle, a 14th century manor dramatically perched on cliffs overlooking the sea and a walk across the Carrick-A-Rede bridge, a traditional rope bridge that has been used by Northern Irish fishermen for generations. The next day's bus tour of Belfast offered an absorbing history of Northern Ireland's "Troubles" and an appreciation for its impressive progress on the path of peace and reconciliation.

Continued...

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