Well I have survived my first two weeks abroad here in Ireland!
The first couple of days were long having gotten no sleep on the flight over. Everyone was up for around 24 hours before we were able to go to bed. Most the irish students didn't arrive until the Sunday before classes so campus was quiet until then.
The first weekend the Saint Mary's girls went to Causey Farms out in the irish countryside. We spent the day making our own delicious irish soda bread, learning irish dances, checking out all the farm animals (I milked a cow!!), and checking out the farm's bog by going on a hayride.
The next day we headed into Dublin and got a city tour from an awesome tour guide Garvan. He showed us around and took us to major attractions in Dublin so we knew where to go the next time we went into town. When the tour was over, we ate at a local italian restaurant.
It was that next Monday we started classes. Classes here are different, all my classes only meet twice of week, some of which on the same day. At Saint Mary's most classes meet three or four times a week, and have homework somewhat regularly. Here most classes are not continuous assessment based and therefore have only one paper and a final exam. However, its the second week of classes and I feel like I am getting the hang of it.
Here in Ireland, irish students go out during the week (on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) and then go home on the weekends. Each night the students go out to a different pub. On Monday's it's Mantra, Wednesday its Brady's, and then Thursday it is The Roost. Weekends here end up being quiet. However, it is nice because it allows us to travel around Ireland or even go to other parts of Europe for the weekend without any worry we would be missing any fun back in Maynooth.
I lucked out schedule-wise because I have no class on Friday, so last weekend a group of us headed into Dublin to explore the city. We saw the Book of Kells, a manuscript of the four gospels written in 800 A.D. which is on display at Trinity College. Some also went to the Museum of National History and the Museum of Natural History which are open free to the public Monday through Saturday.
After a long day in Dublin we headed over to a coffee shop we discovered during our walking tour with Garvan, and got some coffee and a snack. Its called the Brick Alley Cafe and has about ten different kinds of hot chocolate and the best mocha I have ever had. It is located in a part of Dublin called Temple Bar. The pubs there tend to be overpriced and mostly tourists (irish people do not really go to pubs over there). However, we head over there specifically for this amazing coffee shop.
On Saturday, the same group of us planned a drip with a tour company to head over to Blarney and Cork. On our way we stopped at the Rock of Cashel. According to legend, it originated in a nearby mountain called the Devil's Bit. When Saint Patrick banished Satan from the mountain, the rock landed on what is now the Rock of Cashel. It was where the Kings of Munster resided before the English Norman's invaded and most of the buildings date back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
We then stopped at Blarney and explored Blarney castle where I got to kiss the Blarney stone! While I was a little too short to actually kiss the stone, so I kissed the air in its general direction while hanging over the side of the castle so I guess that counts? The picture looks like I am kissing it, so I'll just say I did. Only people who see this blog will know the truth. Allegedly whoever kisses the stone gains the gift of eloquence so lets hope that includes air kisses.
After Blarney we headed to Cork and explored the English Market which has been there since the 1700s. It was mostly produce and meats from local farmers selling their goods. I did not buy anything since it would most likely have spoiled in the three hour drive back.
I have also been cooking my own meals here. I'm on a steady diet of bananas, bagels, pasta, nutella and cereal. Although a group of us here have weekly dinners where we split the cost of food and cook a big meal so I get to break this up with other things once a week.
So far, Ireland has been fantastic and I'm excited to see what the rest of these four months will bring. I'll try and update this every couple of weeks so see you next time!
Kiera
The first weekend the Saint Mary's girls went to Causey Farms out in the irish countryside. We spent the day making our own delicious irish soda bread, learning irish dances, checking out all the farm animals (I milked a cow!!), and checking out the farm's bog by going on a hayride.
The next day we headed into Dublin and got a city tour from an awesome tour guide Garvan. He showed us around and took us to major attractions in Dublin so we knew where to go the next time we went into town. When the tour was over, we ate at a local italian restaurant.
It was that next Monday we started classes. Classes here are different, all my classes only meet twice of week, some of which on the same day. At Saint Mary's most classes meet three or four times a week, and have homework somewhat regularly. Here most classes are not continuous assessment based and therefore have only one paper and a final exam. However, its the second week of classes and I feel like I am getting the hang of it.
Here in Ireland, irish students go out during the week (on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) and then go home on the weekends. Each night the students go out to a different pub. On Monday's it's Mantra, Wednesday its Brady's, and then Thursday it is The Roost. Weekends here end up being quiet. However, it is nice because it allows us to travel around Ireland or even go to other parts of Europe for the weekend without any worry we would be missing any fun back in Maynooth.
I lucked out schedule-wise because I have no class on Friday, so last weekend a group of us headed into Dublin to explore the city. We saw the Book of Kells, a manuscript of the four gospels written in 800 A.D. which is on display at Trinity College. Some also went to the Museum of National History and the Museum of Natural History which are open free to the public Monday through Saturday.
After a long day in Dublin we headed over to a coffee shop we discovered during our walking tour with Garvan, and got some coffee and a snack. Its called the Brick Alley Cafe and has about ten different kinds of hot chocolate and the best mocha I have ever had. It is located in a part of Dublin called Temple Bar. The pubs there tend to be overpriced and mostly tourists (irish people do not really go to pubs over there). However, we head over there specifically for this amazing coffee shop.
On Saturday, the same group of us planned a drip with a tour company to head over to Blarney and Cork. On our way we stopped at the Rock of Cashel. According to legend, it originated in a nearby mountain called the Devil's Bit. When Saint Patrick banished Satan from the mountain, the rock landed on what is now the Rock of Cashel. It was where the Kings of Munster resided before the English Norman's invaded and most of the buildings date back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
We then stopped at Blarney and explored Blarney castle where I got to kiss the Blarney stone! While I was a little too short to actually kiss the stone, so I kissed the air in its general direction while hanging over the side of the castle so I guess that counts? The picture looks like I am kissing it, so I'll just say I did. Only people who see this blog will know the truth. Allegedly whoever kisses the stone gains the gift of eloquence so lets hope that includes air kisses.
After Blarney we headed to Cork and explored the English Market which has been there since the 1700s. It was mostly produce and meats from local farmers selling their goods. I did not buy anything since it would most likely have spoiled in the three hour drive back.
I have also been cooking my own meals here. I'm on a steady diet of bananas, bagels, pasta, nutella and cereal. Although a group of us here have weekly dinners where we split the cost of food and cook a big meal so I get to break this up with other things once a week.
So far, Ireland has been fantastic and I'm excited to see what the rest of these four months will bring. I'll try and update this every couple of weeks so see you next time!
Kiera
