Program dates: 01/08/2015 – 04/16/2015
Focused in Dublin, the 20 students on the program concentrated on the history, literature, theater, and contemporary social issues of Ireland. An internship placement is given to each participant at a social welfare agency in Dublin. Excursions to western Ireland and Northern Ireland happen throughout the semester with students spending the majority of the time in Dublin living in apartments.
Recent posts [display all posts]
Celebrating what it means to be Irish - At 10:00am the streets of Dublin are quiet and peaceful with the standard hustle and bustle of a Tuesday morning gone. The citizens of Dublin have left the city or holed up in their homes to prepare for today’s events. By 11:30 the people start flooding in from around the world crowing the streets between […]
The Ownership of Suffering - We’ve been fortunate enough to have been sheltered in the Republic of Ireland for the majority of these past months, where the worst exchanges are still legal protests and healthy political debate. We have not seen rubber bullets or armor piercing rounds fall on the few who can’t run fast enough. We have not seen […]
Theatre Adventures in Mullagh - Last month, we went to Mullagh in county Cavan for a theatre workshop. Most of us had no experience with theatre and I was incredibly nervous for the weekend. However, Liam, Catherine and Alice, who were leading the workshop, were immediately welcoming and excited to have us. After making introductions, we played some warm up […]
Five Lamps Arts Festival, Dublin - Let the festivities begin! (Of the Five Lamps Arts Festival that is, an inner-city Dublin organization that I have been lucky enough to work with for the past 8 weeks) After months of preparation, thousands of emails, dozens of interactions with artists, countless cups of tea, and the dedication of one unwavering woman at the […]
It’s a Small World After All, Isn’t It? - I’ve been in Ireland for 61 days, 6 hours, 45 minutes, and 36 seconds. In that time I’ve become familiar with the streets of Dublin, hiked the cliffs of Howth, taken a ferry ride to Inis Mór, walked the rocky beaches of Galway, explored the strange and fascinating landscape of The Burren, and climbed […]
Home away from home away from home - In my life, I have found it difficult to leave, yet easy to go. I am always eager for adventure, but very much value a sense of comfort as well. This may seem like a contradiction (because it is), but I’ve learned to accept it. This being said, however, I still feel a sense of […]
Valentine’s Day in Dublin - I think I may have fallen in love this Valentine’s Day. Yes, I was lucky enough to get a visit from my girlfriend this past weekend, but it wasn’t her I fell in love with. Nor was it the big strong rugged men I watched play rugby that Saturday afternoon. No, it wasn’t any person […]
Roll With the Punches - It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to change your life. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. You won’t regret it. It’s going to be fine. It’s going to go by so fast. You’ll miss it when you’re gone. It’s something you don’t understand until you experience it. What I thought were empty […]
Fire Dance at the Masquerade Ball - In the Fall of 2012, I joined the Fire Arts Club on campus, without any expectations or knowledge, and it ended up becoming a really fun hobby. In May of 2013, seeing a woman using a long rope with a big fireball attached to it, also known as the poi ball, made me want to […]
Scones at Accent’s - Thinking about what to write about in this blog was tough since I had a lot of viable options. The whole adjustment to a new country, the weekend trips our group’s been on, and even working directly with heroin addicts were all topics that crossed my mind. When it comes down to it though, those […]