Museums in Dublin: a Few Highlights

By Jessica Murphy, Summer Study Abroad Blogger

My name is Jessica Murphy and I am a rising sophomore at Brown University from New York City. I am still not sure what I am majoring in—or as we call it, “concentrating”—but I am interested in fields ranging from international relations to development studies. In fact, I was initially drawn to the Brown/Trinity summer study abroad programme in Dublin because of my interest in political science. The possibility of studying contemporary international politics, participating in an internship, and living in a completely new country sounded like a remarkable opportunity. I am so glad that I decided to sign up, because it has truly exceeded my (already high) expectations! Dublin is a fascinating city with a rich and layered past, and I have really enjoyed learning and exploring every single day.

A Visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland

By Jessica Murphy, Summer Study Abroad Blogger

My name is Jessica Murphy and I am a rising sophomore at Brown University from New York City. I am still not sure what I am majoring in—or as we call it, “concentrating”—but I am interested in fields ranging from international relations to development studies. In fact, I was initially drawn to the Brown/Trinity summer study abroad programme in Dublin because of my interest in political science. The possibility of studying contemporary international politics, participating in an internship, and living in a completely new country sounded like a remarkable opportunity. I am so glad that I decided to sign up, because it has truly exceeded my (already high) expectations! Dublin is a fascinating city with a rich and layered past, and I have really enjoyed learning and exploring every single day.

Exploring Dublin: The Abbey Theatre is a must

By: Viviana Lletget (Visiting Student, Study Abroad Blogger)

In Dublin there is so much to do involving art, music, and street performance, but no matter how long you are visiting Dublin, I suggest going to the Abbey Theater. The Abbey Theater today is not the same original one that was founded in 1904 by the Irish writer W.B. Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory, but the reconstructed Abbey is still spectacular and carries on the Irish Literary Theater culture in full force on the same site. The historical Abbey Theater was damaged by a fire that took place in 1951, so the Abbey Theater that exists today is an updated version that still reflects an old feel of history. The Abbey Theater was a venue where Irish writers showcased plays that became an essential aspect, a medium, that helped the Irish Literary Revival take place; it was the place where physical manifestations unfolded through performances that gave the Irish and Irishness new form from political and surrealist theater performances. The Abbey Theater is a must to visit while you are in Dublin because the plays are always wonderful, and offer a window into Irish culture.

Exploring Ireland: The Cliffs of Moher

By Madison Tucky (Visiting Student, Study Abroad Blogger)

In Ireland there are a lot of different places that people told me I should visit, and the most frequently mentioned one was the Cliffs of Moher. The people that I talked to who had been to Ireland before said that I had to visit the Cliffs, that it would be an unbelievable experience I needed to have. I’ll admit, I was kind of skeptical. I’ve seen cliffs before. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon in America. I didn’t think that the Cliffs of Moher would be anything crazy special. They’d be really cool and I was definitely going to go, but to be honest I had very low expectations for my trip out there. While there are a few different companies that take tours to the Cliffs from Dublin, I actually took the bus to Galway and used a tour company there, as I have a friend studying there who wanted to go with me. It was a very nice, easy, and early bus ride to Galway, and then the bus for the tour left from the bus station that I’d been dropped off at, so it was a very easy start to the excursion.

St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland

By Madison Tucky, Visiting Student, Trinity Department: English, (Home University: University of Southern California, English and Narrative Studies Major)

When I told people that I would be studying abroad in Dublin this term, the main thing that everyone wanted to talk about was how excited I was for St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve never made a big deal out of St. Patrick’s Day before, but I was also really looking forward to spending it in Ireland. I assumed the atmosphere would be really fun and that there would be a lot of tourists visiting the city. I was right on both counts and had a really wonderful day. I slept in late but eventually got up and got dressed, wearing lots of green of course and a shamrock stick-on-tattoo on my cheek. My friend and I went down to the parade route that goes through Dublin and hung out there for a little while. There were so many people who’d been waiting for the parade for hours so we were just standing at the back, but we just wanted to be out with everyone and didn’t care how much of the parade we actually saw.