Travel Log
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
APRIL 3-5, 2023
Sam and I arrived at the Belfast City Airport in the late afternoon of April 3. We orignally planned to take a train to our hostel, but the line was temporarily down, so we took bus to the city bus station instead. From there, we walked to our hostel Botanical Backpackers. Seeing as almost everything was already closed by that time, we just walked around the local area that night. We also met our other hostel roommate, a middle-aged photographer named Lizzie.
The next morning, Sam and I got up early to take the Belfast Rail to the Titanic Quarter. We weren't able to determine which platform we needed to be on at first, so we asked a local couple for help (we were on the wrong platform). As we were waiting, a man who was in Belfast to take his wife to the hospital asked us how to get to the Titanic Quarter, so we were able to help him. We had another mishap on the rail because our door wouldn't open at the stop, so we had to go back another stop on the next train. We were finally able to go through the Titanic Belfast Experience and SS Nomadic tour, but it was so busy, it took a while to go through the whole thing. When we got back to the area of our hostel, we walked around the campus of Queen's University Belfast, the Botanic Gardens, and Ulster Museum. We finally stopped for a late lunch at Maggie Mays, where we got chips covered in cheese and goujons. At the end of the night, we booked our ticketd on the Translink Enterprise train from Belfast's Lanyon Place to Dublin's Connolly Station. In the morning of April 5, we left Belfast for Dublin.
City Hospital Tram Stop
Titanic Belfast
Queen's University
Botanic Gardens
Ulster Museum
Maggie Mays
DUBLIN, IRELAND
APRIL 5-7, 2023
Sam and I arrived in Dublin on the afternoon of April 5. Once arriving at Connolly Station, we walked for 20 minutes to reach the Hilton Hotel. We dropped our bags off and headed across the street to see St Michan's Church. We were able to take an amazing tour of the crypt below the church, and our tour guide was incredibly funny and knowledgable. From there, we walked to see the Christ Church Cathedral, but they were in the middle of service. We then went to take a tour of Dublin Castle (where Joe Biden would speak just days later), but all the tours in English were sold out. However, we really wanted to take the tour because it went beyond public areas, so we signed up for the Italian tour. Three separate workers warned us not to take it, but we followed along using Live Google Translate. At the end, we asked our guide for clarification about a topic, and he was completely baffled as to why two Americans would take a tour in Italian. We grabbed lunch of beef stew at a pub called Lundy's Foot, where the waiter called Sam "Darling." For the rest of the afternoon, we walked around the area near Temple Bar, but seeing as it was the week leading up to Easter, it was super busy.
The next morning, we started early by visiting the General Post Office Museum about the Easter Rising and Troubles. This museum was incredibly informational to me, as I only had a surface level grasp of the content. From there, we walkd to Trinity College Dublin. It happened to be graduation day, so everyone was dressed in their robes and taking family photos. Next, we went to the National Museum of Ireland Natural History and Archaeology and the National Gallery of Ireland. For lunch, we got a sandwich from Hansel and Gretel Bakery and Patisserie. We chose to eat at Merrion Square Park, and the weather made the experience truly wonderful. To continue our walk around the city, we viewed the Umbrellas Art Installation of Grafton Street. We then walked across town to see the Famine Memorial, as one of Sam's classes had discussed it. A friend of ours had been to Dublin recently and suggested we get an Irish whiskey infused Gaelic chicken and chips dinner at Madigans. While there, we started a conversation with a pair of German siblings. That night, we hastily booked a ticket from Dublin's Hueston Station to Cork Kent Station for the next day. After running to the station the next morning, we were on our way to Cork.
St Michan's
Christ Church Cathedral
Dublin Castle
Lundy's Foot
Temple Bar
GPO Museum and the Spire
Trinity College
Museum of Archaeology
National Gallery
Merrion Square
Umbrellas
Famine Memorial
CORK, IRELAND
APRIL 7-9, 2023
We arrived at Kent Station in Cork on April 7 aftr having to book last minute train tickets for Good Friday. Since we didn't expect the shortage, we ended up having to book first class tickets (which only gave us reclining seats). Once at the station, we took a bus to the Airbnb we booked. We were unsure if the Airbnb would fall through or not, as the woman in charge didn't message us until the morning of our arrival. Thankfully, all was ok, and the Airbnb host gave us several suggestions for places to eat. We walked to the English Market in town and split a sandwich from Cafe Marius. The English Market had several places to eat, but it was mainly a meat and cheese market. Sam and I's mid meal show was a full pig butchering.
After lunch, we chose to walk around through town while heading to our planned destinations. First, we visited Fort Elizabeth, which gave us a great view of the whole city of Cork. We then walked next door to see St Fin Barre's Cathedral, which had amazing gothic inspired architecture. We walked through the hills of Cork to get to the campus of University College Cork. This campus was the prettiest college campus of the ones we got to see while on our trip. We snacked on some candy we purchased from the city's Tesco Superstore there. We finished our exploration at Fitzgerald Park, which was one of the prettiest, friendliest places in Cork. That night we got dinner at Oak Fire Pizza. We ordered a margarita pizza and dough balls, which were top tier.
The next morning we took a bus to Blarney Castle. The weather was absolutely perfect for seeing the castle, stone, house, and gardens. There weren't too many people there either. On the way back, our bus driver charged us for two children tickets (under the age of 16). We chose to be dropped off at City Hall so we could walk to Marina Market on the outskirts of Cork. The Market had many food and apparel stalls within one room. It reminded me a lot of American market places like the Factory at Franklin in Tennessee. While there, we bought milkshakes from Creme, Korean BBQ chips from Poulet Vous, and a ring from a stall. At the end of the day, we walked back to the Tesco to buy food for our Easter lunch in the park, as many places would be closed the day of.
Sam and I chose to sleep in on Easter because we'd been getting up early every day for travel. Around noon we walked to Fitzgerald Park with our lunch. While enjoying the last of the sunshine, my mom let me know my cat, Ripley, had passed in his sleep. I was pretty confident he'd pass while I was in Ireland, so I said goodbye the day I flew out. I couldn't help but still feel extremely guilty though, so I cried in the park on Easter Sunday. To distract myself we walked up the hills on the other side of the River in Cork. To our surprise, the Cork Gaol was open, so we got to tour the museum that covered those imprisoned there and the radio origins associated with the upper floors. That afternoon, we were picked up by family friends Bridgeen and Kevin McCarthy to head for Limerick.
The English Market
Cork City centre
Fort Elizabeth
St Fin Barre's
University College Cork
Fitzpatrick Park
Oak Fire Pizza
Blarney Castle
Blarney House
Blarney gardens
Cork Gaol
LIMERICK, IRELAND
APRIL 9-11, 2023
On the afternoon of April 9, Bridgeen and Kevin picked Sam and I up from Cork, as they were in the area for a hurling game. They drove us up to Limerick, as they agreed to house us between our dates at Cork and Doolin. They asked us questions about our home cities on the way up to Limerick. Once we arrived at their house, they introduced us to their children, Siobhan and Jack, who were around our age. We ate a chicken curry dinnr together while discussing our first impressions of Ireland and Northern Ireland. We also found out Jack is studying to become a business teacher, so we compared our experiences with becoming educators.
The following morning, we traveled to the outskirts of Limerick to attend Jack's Gaelic football game. I had never seen a game in person, but I had seen a clip or two on Tiktok prior to coming on the trip. The sport seems like a mixture of American football, soccer, basketball, and rugby. We didn't know many of the rules, so we tried to pick up on them as the game went on. Thankfully, Jack's team won, so we went into downtown Limerick that night for dinner at a pub. Jack and Siobhan also walked us around the city center and the castle on the river. Sam and I had to catch a train to Ennis, the first stop on our way to Doolin, so we got up early the next morning.
Gaelic
Downtown Limerick
DOOLIN, IRELAND
APRIL 11-12
In order for Sam and I to reach Doolin, we had to take a train from Limerick to Ennis. Then, we had to take a bus from the Ennis Train Station to Doolin. We stayed at the Allie River Hostel in Doolin, and thankfulkly there was a bus station right across the road. We grabbed lunch consisting of a steak burger at Fitzs Pub before heading to the Cliffs of Moher via bus. The weather was absolutely dismal, as it was in the low 30s, sleeting, and extremely windy. It was so cold, my fingers stopped respoonding and feeling for almost an hour. The next bus back wouldn't come for another three hours, so we hung out in the visitors' center to avoid the weather. As we were headed out to the bus stop, the rain temporarily stopped and the sun came out. We literally ran up the cliffs, against the wind, to snap nice pictures of the cliffs. While, waiting for the bus, we met a woman named Kelly who was from Seattle. We discussed our travels for a good bit. Before we went our separate ways, she gifted us €50 because she found it on the ground.
Once we got back to Doolin, we walked a mile or so into the fields to find the ruins of Killilagh Medieval Church. The weather was absolutely gorgeous as the sun began to set. Whenever I pictured Ireland, Doolin captured my imagination. Before the rain came in again, we headed to a pub called McGann's Doolin. While we ate our chicken tagliatelle, a live trad band played wonderful music. It seemed like the whole tiny town of Doolin was present as well because everyone seemed to know each other.
Cliffs of Moher
Killilagh Church
Doolin
McGann's
GALWAY, IRELAND
APRIL 12-14TH
In order for Sam and I to get to Galway, we had to take a bus back to Ennis, then a bus to Galway. The bus to Galway was very packed, so we had to put our bags on our laps. There was also no air, so we got very car sick. Thankfully, our hostel was just around the corner from the bus and train station. We chose to stay at Snoozles Hostel, and it seemed very busy in comparison to other hostels we stayed at. After dropping off our bags, we got lunch at Hyde’s Bar. We saw signs in the hostel lobby advertising a pub crawl that night sponsored by the hostel, so we signed up.
That night, we joined multiple hostels in Galway for the pub crawl. There were about 20 people who signed up. We planned to visit three pubs, but at the first one, our guide left four of us behind. The other two girls left were high school exchange students from Italy. We’re still not sure how they left us all behind, but it served as a bonding moment for us all. We had to call the hostel to find out where the next stops would be. Once we caught up, we were able to take in the live music at Taylor’s Beer Garden, which just consisted of the US’s top hits from 2016. Every pub sticks to the same songs, so all you hear is old American pop in Galway. When we returned home, our hostel mate had moved my stuff to take my bed, so I had to sleep in a dirty bed from her previous night.
The morning of the 13th, Sam and I chose to walk around town to see the shops and sights. We stopped at Esquires The Organic Coffee Co. for brunch. The restaurant was extremely busy, but it was full of only locals. The owner knew each patron and their familial situations. He talked to the family sitting next to us for several minutes about a recent cancer diagnosis within the family. Everyone seemed happy to see him. The food was also top tier.
As we walked through town, we were able to see the Spanish Arches, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop, Galway Cathedral, and University of Ireland Galway. Byrne’s Bookshop was a winding layout full of books written only by Irish authors. We had a quick snack on the University campus after stopping by Tesco.
That night, we met up with the two Italian girls from the night before for dinner. They brought other friends from their study abroad program. Our group consisted of two Americans, three Italians, two Germans, and a Belgian. We discussed their studies and the differences in the education systems from their home countries. We finished the night by grabbing crepes in town. Sam and I caught a bus to Westport the next morning.
Galway Cathedral
University of Ireland Galway
Esquires
Galway's Latin Quarter
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 14, FRIDAY
Sam and I took a noon bus from Galway to Westport. The bus ride took about 2 hours. We were dropped off in the town square, so we needed to walk about 25 minutes to Broadlands Bed and Breakfast. However, it began to rain halfway through the walk, and we arrived to the house soaking wet. Most of the girls were at the house, so Sam and I introduced ourselves to the Ohio group, Louise, and Tasha. We learned the layout of the house and the roommate situation. Sam, Alex, and I are roommates.
Seeing as it was Friday, Henry was in to make dinner. We had a wonderful chicken curry with pea soup. We stayed up late that night to help Claire and Kaylee bake their Guinness chocolate cake with Baileys icing. We had problems at first when converting the metric measurements and Celcius temperatures. Thankfully, the cake turned out beautifully.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 15, SATURDAY
All the other girls who were at the house planned to go on a cruise around Clare Island. Since Sam and I hadn’t been able to see the town, we chose to walk down for the afternoon in search of new teaching clothes. We stopped by a charity shop called Curiosity first. Unfortunately, we weren’t warmly welcomed by the women running the shop. I’m not sure if it was because we were American, but I know the Irish, local shoppers were given a more friendly treatment. We did end up buying a few items before heading to the Hospice Shop. Throughout the day, we purchased a few more items and visited several stores.
We returned home to meet up with the other girls for an unofficial lunch. They proposed we go out to the local pubs for dinner that night, as Sarah S. and Morgan would be returning from Dublin that night.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 16, SUNDAY
Louise came to tell us she planned a trip to one of the beaches in Westport with her dog Freya. Seeing as there were nine of us, we had to take three car trips to collect everyone. We ended up at Bertra Beach. We walked the shoreline with Freya, letting her play in the cold water. Once all the girls arrived, we began a hike towards another small, grassy island we had access to at low tide.
The entire time we hiked, the sun slowly set. This scenery was one of the most gorgeous views I had ever seen in my whole life. My number one view has been the sun setting over the Petrified Forest in the US. This scene is fighting for that number one spot.
The majority of my hike was spent talking to other girls, as I didn’t know much about them, even my fellow WKU students. I feel like I was really able to make connections to the girls and pick up on their interests and values. For example, Sarah W. and I discussed how cancer had drastically impacted our lives in the past year, seeing as I lost my aunt and she lost her step mom.
We finished the night at Yum Yum, the Asian restaurant in Westport. We were all so hungry, it felt like one of the best meals we’d had in weeks. We all walked back to Broadlands together before getting ready for our first day at school.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 17, MONDAY
This morning, Mr. Patrick, principal of Scoil Muire agus Padraig, picked us up from Broadlands. Louise had told us we really needed to knock his socks off, as his last student teacher from the US had to be sent home for behavioral problems. We weren’t too worried, but we still tried our best to show up and show out. Mr. Patrick brought his wife and son with him, as they’re both teachers. His wife works at Davitt College, while his son, Cian, teaches English, Irish, and Russian at our school.
During the car ride, we discussed our travels around Ireland and the general Europe. We also discussed the what to expect from Scoil Muire agus Padraig in terms of the student body. The school has around 325 students, so the whole school compares to one class size in typical American schools. Most children’s parents work in the town, in the local pharmaceutical factory, or in farming. The majority of students are white and are native to Ireland. However, Ireland accepted many Ukrainian children due to the war, so there are a few at our school. There are also a few children from the Middle East and South America.
Once arriving at the school, Sam and I were introduced to many of the administration and staff. Seeing as the school is smaller and more rural, the principals also teach classes. The first class I observed was the Assistant Principal’s chemistry class. I then observed an Irish history class, where the teacher, Mr. Kelliher, would ask for my approval when referencing American history or culture. The third class I observed was world religions, and their focus for the day was the morality of abortion. This topic would’ve never been brought up in a public American school.
Sam and I took the bus home from Swinford to Westport. Mr. Patrick walked us down to the stop, introducing us to locals along the way. Mr. Patrick knew everyone, their children, and their stories. While this could be due to the size of the town, Mr. Patrick has a genuine care for his people. Our bus ride took about an hour, and we had to walk back to Broadlands. In total, our travel time was about an hour and a half.
All the WKU girls discussed their first days at the schools and what we observed that stood out. That night, Henry made sweet potato soup and salad. Later, Alex and I walked down to Centra to get snacks and a dessert. We also stayed up a little late playing charades with each other.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 18, TUESDAY
On our morning drive with Mr. Pat, we discussed Irish poets, playwrights, actors, and celebrities that made Ireland proud. Sam found out that Cian met her idol, Cillian Murphy, at a school event a few years ago. It’s clear both Mr. Pat and Cian are extremely well versed in literature, and Sam observed one of Pat’s classes today.
I observed an elective music class, where students were practicing for a piano, guitar, singing, and sight reading exam. The teacher was really hyping the students up by saying, “Remember how amazing you are. Don’t bring any negative energy. It’s normal to have butterflies, but channel it into performing.” This seemed to settle their minds a little. During a geography class, I saw the first paraprofessional working with one of the SPED students. Unfortunately, most of the class period was spent trying to correct misbehavior, even though students were moved seats.
I also observed a sex ed class, a rarity in the US. The legality of sexual relationships, statutory rape, sexting, and consent were covered in class. I really wish the US would be more open to having sex ed in public schools. Ireland is majority Catholic, and they can do it, why not us? Then, I observed a 5th year history class where students have begun person research projects for the rest of the semester. The parameters reminded me a great deal of a mini version of Jennifer Hanley’s research paper for the history undergrad thesis.
At the end of the school day, I observed a home economics class, another US rarity. Students were working on sewing projects during class. The projects featured flowers, tractors, scenery, and even the Ferrari logo. Students also wanted to know a lot about American culture and what Americans felt in regards to Joe Biden’s visit to Ireland.
After our classes, Sam and I walked down to the school’s uniform shop to see if we could find some shirts to represent the school or Mayo Co. The shop owner, Diane, was extremely kind, and she helped us pick out Mayo Co. football jerseys. She also gave us a little red, green, and white rope that locals typically put on their rear view mirrors in their cars to represent Mayo. We told her we’d wear them at graduation and put them in our car.
A few days prior, Louise asked Sam and I if we’d tutor a local secondary student, Eleanora, in history and geography. We had been very willing, so she stopped by for an hour and a half. Since we couldn’t solve all her problems in such a small time, we provided her with resources to get caught up. We have her many sources our students in the US use like Crash Course videos and GeoGuesser. I helped her chunk decades in European history so she could generalize movements of the decades and situate herself in exams. We told her we’d be willing to meet with her again if needed.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 19, WEDNESDAY
This morning’s car conversation consisted of Mr. Pat telling us about school sports. The 1st Year boys team had a big game scheduled for this afternoon. He explained Scoil Muire agus Padraig and Mayo’s successfulness in sports (not the best). The games are held during school hours, so the athletes and supporting students leave to go watch instead of going to class.
During a geography class, students received their mock exams to review, as they’re strictly in review mode. Student teachers were in charge of grading mock exams. In an older geography class, two Ukrainian students had to use Microsoft Translate and a class buddy to get through class. Teachers here mainly have their students read out of textbooks in every class. There are rarely hands-on lessons or group work.
In a social class, students were tasked with cleaning the school art room as a form of community service. I wish this was more common with US schools, as it would create more respect for the school and rooms. In a history class, the teacher discussed American politics with me. He had a weird set of commentary on different US presidents and the government, even though he had never lived in the US.
After school, Sam and I went to the Tesco Superstore across the street from the school. Some of the girls and Broadlands requested we buy travel shampoo and conditioner. While there, we also bought snacks for the trip home on the bus. Henry made onion and pea soup with a beef and potato stew. That night, a group of us walked down to the quay to see the sunset in the water.
Me, Maddie, Kaylee, Sam
Westport Quay
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 20, THURSDAY
Sam and I discussed the 1st Year’s game from the previous afternoon with Pat. Apparently, the boys played abysmally. We also discussed funeral and wedding culture in Ireland due to the circumstances. Two of the Scoil Muire agus Padraig students’ mothers chose to take her own life over the weekend. My own uncle passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday. The expectations for events highlights the cultural differences between Ireland and the US. Drinking culture is more common following funerals here.
Sam and I didn’t have a first class, so we chose to work on a lesson for the 1st and 3rd Year geography students about the US National Park system. We tried to choose parks that could reflect different features, temperatures, and regions. Our selection included the Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave, White Sands, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Hawai’i Volcanoes.
I observed an Irish history class covering the Good Friday Agreement and the main players. Half the students were asleep, and there was no acknowledgement of that. Of the 13 total students, only six remained awake for the lesson. While walking between classes, students had to be quiet due to the music exams. During a geography class, the teacher asked students to use a ruler when drawing diagrams, as examiners will dock them points for poor presentation.
In a 2nd Year history class, the teacher talked about what Ireland is known for world wide, and he asked for the American opinion on Ireland. In the 5th Year history class, students continued to work on their research projects. This is the first time I had seen laptops in a classroom.
Henry made spaghetti with beef sauce for dinner. Afterwards, Louise, Tasha, and Bridget took all of us to see the Sun Rolling down the side of Croagh Patrick Mountain. It only occurs two times a year - today and August 24. As the sun sets, it aligns with the angle of the mountain slope. We weren’t the only ones at the lookout rock pile. We then spent an hour at Old Head Beach to see the rest of the sunset.
Croagh Patrick
Old Head
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 21, FRIDAY
This morning’s conversation consisted of us discussing Cian’s silent retreat experience from Easter break. He talked about how it felt like a reset for his body and mind. Lousie, a practicing therapist, had also discussed her time at a silent retreat earlier this week. Both Cian and Louise recommended taking part in one at least once in life, but I know I would never be able to do it.
While observing a 1st Year history class, Ms. Duffy shamed her students for not coming prepared with pens and paper and for trashing the back half of the room. She told them a letter would be sent home to all parents notifying them of the students’ bad behavior. This is the strongest, if any response, to bad behavior I’ve seen this far.
That night, we had lasagna for dinner before we headed out to a pub in town. We have gotten into playing card games recently, and one pub in town has a heated outdoor space that is good for card games. While playing, Mr. Patrick showed up at the same pub. He introduced himself to all the other student teachers, and bought a round of drinks to welcome us to Westport.
Alex, Maddie, Sam and me
Me, Sam, and Pat
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 22, SATURDAY
Louise planned a trip around the Northeastern region of Ireland. We headed out to Connemara to take a tour of a sheep farm that had been in the area for over a century. The property also had rock huts dating back 1,000 years. There was also a mass grace on site that was used heavily during the Famine. We were able to see their border collies at work herding sheep.
We were having lunch at Kylemore Abbey, but we stopped at several viewing sites along the side of the road while driving there. One location in the mountains, Doo Lough Famine Memorial, looked like the scenery of New Zealand where Lord of the Rings was filmed. Kylemore Abbey was absolutely gorgeous, and we were so lucky the weather wasn’t too bad.
That night, we went to dinner at Cobbler's Bar in Westport to celebrate Kaylee and Morgan’s birthdays. Louise joined us at the restaurant as well. Afterwards, she took us to the famous bar Matt Malloy’s - a favorite of Joe Biden.
Sheep Farm
Doo Lough Memorial
Kylemore Abbey
Matt Malloy's
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 23, SUNDAY
Unfortunately, I got sick for the first time since being in Ireland. The downside to living with many other girls is that illness spreads quickly. Thankfully, I was able to go to the urgent care a block down from Broadlands. My experience with the Irish healthcare system was very interesting. No matter what issue you have, everyone pays €50 for the appointment, and that’s all. You may be charged for any medicine given, but it’s typically never more than €10. I was given a prescription that needed to be picked up at a pharmacy in town, which cost €18. The whole experience cost me €78, and I know it would’ve been double or even triple the price in the US, even with insurance. The only downside to me is that pharmacies are not associated with grocery stores like in the US and that simple medications like Sudafed may require a prescription or pharmacist approval.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 24, MONDAY
Our morning car conversation with Pat revolved around my family drama. I had previously mentioned the issues to Pat, and he’s been keeping up with updates. We also discussed the poeticness of death and birth.
I observed a health and sex ed class that covered the topic of alcoholism. The teacher compared the legal drinking ages across the countries represented by people in the classroom including: Ireland (18), Lebanon (17 for non-Muslims, never for Muslims), Morocco (18, but all ages can be served), and the US (21).
The first history class of the day focused on the cultural national movement, which caused countries like Canada, Ireland, and the US to rename words or sports to create distinction from their British colonizers. The second history class had students break into groups to read different content sections, then highlight important information for the whole class. This lesson has been the closest reflection of the US than any other class.
That afternoon the WKU professors came to visit Broadlands. We got to catch up on both our and their travels. It was also Morgan’s birthday, so threw her a party. Louise’s nephew, Christian, is also in town, so he took some of the girls to a small pub by the quay. Kaylee, Claire, and I all stayed back, as we were all recovering from illness.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 25, TUESDAY
Cian was absent on our car ride this morning. So Pat, Sam, and I discussed some heavier topics. The major topic revolves around racism in the US and Ireland based on our observations. People in Ireland remind me of Southerners. If they’re racist, they’ll let you know. On the other hand, American Northerners keep their racism hidden for a while. We’ve had many Irish men come up to us in pubs and just tell us their thoughts on Ukrainian immigrants without any hesitation. They then act shocked when we don’t agree because, “doesn’t the US have worse immigration problems?”
During a 1st Year geography class, Sam and I taught a lesson on the US National Park system. We had just visited an Irish National Park, Connemara, and wanted to compare the two systems. Afterwards, the students had a lot of questions about the differences in weather, travel, and schools. In a 5th Year history class, a student told me she’s doing her bus research project on the JFK assassination and wanted to know if I had any good sources for her. I told her about the government slowly releasing information and documents from the event as their protection laws time out after a certain amount of time.
That afternoon, Sam and I tutored Eleanora again, as her big end-of-the-year exams will occur in two weeks' time. We discussed the topics of show/Moscow trials and the Cuban Missile Crisis. She told us to stop by the restaurant she works at in town on Friday, so we can see her before we leave.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 26, WEDNESDAY
This morning, Pat let Sam and I know that the junior cycle boys would be playing a Gaelic game tomorrow in Westport. He wanted to know if we were interested in attending. The games occur during school hours, but we thought it was worth it to see the game. We also discussed a group of 3rd Year boys who had been suspended for inappropriate behavior. Pat said he’d never seen behavior like that before, but the actions were typical for American students.
Sam and I presented our lesson again to a geography class of 3rd Year students. This group of students were less enthusiastic about our lesson, but they seemed to pay attention more deeply than the 1st Years. They asked several questions about the sizes and dangers of American wildlife. I also observed a 3rd Year history class, where they covered the Kristallnacht as a lead up to the Holocaust. The teacher had to clarify the definitions of genocide as a purposeful action, citing the Final Solution as evidence.
That afternoon, Sam and I went to the Tesco across the street from the school to purchase candy and snacks for my friends and family at home. I tried to pick as many brands of chocolate that we don’t have at home.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 27, THURSDAY
Pat picked us up this morning with a bit of pep, as today was the day for the junior cycle Gaelic football game. Our conversation in the car revolves around the game and the geography lesson we’d given about American National Parks the day before.
We left the school at 10, as the game began in Westport at 11:30. The junior cycle team consisted of boys from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Year classes. However, when compared to the opposing team’s size, Swinford was already at a disadvantage. The opposing team, Louisburgh, seemed larger in number and size. While watching the game, I picked up on many of the students’ names and began to cheer for them individually. Thankfully, Swinford was able to pull out an underdog win. Pat joked that he would FaceTime us during next week’s game because they’d be playing for the final.
After school, most of the Broadlands girls met up in town to do some shopping before we start leaving for home. Kaylee and I went to Castlebar with Louise to look for luggage. Once we returned home, we made dinner as a group because Henry was out of town. That night, we met our advisor, Tasha, at a pub in town to serve as a final hurrah. Three of the nine girls will be leaving tomorrow, so it was the last time we could hang out as a group.
WESTPORT, IRELAND
APRIL 28, FRIDAY
Pat expressed his sorrows of our departure this morning. He said he was just getting used to us being in and out of classrooms. We made sure to thank him for his efforts throughout the last two weeks. Once we got to school, we put a thank you card for the other teachers in the staff room to extend our gratitude towards those who let us observe and teach in their classrooms.
I observed and taught a 1st Year gym class. The group began their track unit today, and the kids were learning how to start off the block and pass a baton. I ran the mile, 4x400, and 4x800 on the track team when I was in school, so I helped explain how to tackle the complicated handoffs in relays. I eventually had the kids actually race each other in teams, practicing their handoff skills. I observed a 5th Year gym class as well, and students played a hand ball game.
That afternoon, the majority of the Ohio girls were leaving for Dublin. We sent off Sarah S., Maddie, and Morgan. It was extremely sad to see them go, especially since we all got along so well. Sam and I leave tomorrow, so the rest of us girls decided we’d go out to a local pub one last time. We talked about our impending graduations and how we’re handling the end of our undergraduate degree.
IRELAND TO NORTHERN IRELAND
APRIL 29, SATURDAY
Sam and I fly out of Belfast tomorrow at 11. In order to get there on time, we would need to take a train from Westport to Dublin Heuston Station. We’d then need to transfer to Dublin Connolly Station to catch a train to Belfast. Our journey started at 10 am in Westport. We arrived in Dublin at 2:30, and we had 50 minutes to get to Connolly Station. We ended up taking the LUAS Red Line to make that connection. We departed Connolly for Belfast’s Lanyon Place at 3:20. However, our train ride ended early, as an accident on the tracks caused us to finish the last leg of our journey via bus. At the end of the day, Sam and I were just glad to make it to Belfast.
NORTHERN IRELAND TO ENGLAND TO USA
APRIL 30, SUNDAY
We left for the Belfast City Airport at about 8:30 because our flight to London was at 11:45. However, we were unaware of the impending Belfast Marathon. All the bus lines were down, so we had to scramble for a train ride to the airport. We then had to hike about a mile to the actual entrance. Thankfully, we not only made our flight out of Belfast, but our London connection too. We arrived back in the US at 7 pm, and we easily went through customs.