Experience Ireland and its culture for six weeks while earning a combined 6 hours of SMAD, ANTH, and/or ENG credits. Selected students will visit major landmarks and cities and come to appreciate Ireland’s rich culture and society by analyzing its films, media, and community dynamics.
During their stay, students will collaborate on a community and media based project with the Galway division of the nonprofit organization Foróige in order to examine the perspective of young people in today’s Irish society. Students will also examine the social and cultural context of Galway with a special focus on gender studies. The program will provide students a special opportunity to help document the stories of local youth and their communities in Galway.
Throughout the trip, students will also document the impact of their own journeys and experiences by creating reflexive content in various media formats. This study abroad program is designed to help develop participant’s analytical, media, and cross-cultural skills while gaining a greater knowledge of Irish society/culture and self.
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After an overnight flight across the Atlantic, we arrived at Trinity College in Dublin bright and early at 6 am, ready for the adventure that awaited us.
Dublin was tourist-filled and busy, with something new at every corner. Our experience in Dublin consisted of film viewings, walking tours, and exploring what the city had to offer.
After a long bus ride up the east coast, we arrived in the chilly, northern city of Donegal on tiny Inch Island, where we stayed at the Inch House, which oversaw calm water and farmland full out bleating sheep.
While staying in Donegal, we took day trips over to the city of Derry in Northern Ireland, which was full of a rich, troubled history that was glaringly apparent from tall city walls and murals.
Our second stop in Northern Ireland was Belfast, a bustling city on the water, where we had the opportunity to visit Northern Ireland Screen, the production company of Games of Thrones.
A few hours away from our lodging in Derry was the breathtaking and beautiful Giant's Causeway, where we spent the day marveling at the sights and exploring for hours on end.
After a long trip down the west coast of Ireland, we arrived in Galway, our new home for the next four weeks. Galway is considered the arts capital of Ireland and sits on the water with abundant art, music, and culture at our fingertips.
While in Galway, we collaborated with youth empowerment organization, Foroige, where we created documentaries about the youth living in Galway.
Inishbofin Island was a short ferry ride from where we stayed in Galway. The tiny island had spectacular views and a new experience on the Wild Atlantic Way.
The Galway Film Fleadh is a yearly world-famous film festival, showing films from dozens of countries and in various languages. We had the opportunity to view unique and eye-opening films, while meeting people from all over Europe, including directors, actors, and travellers alike.
The Galway Arts Festival ended our experience in Galway with musicals, plays, parades, art installations, and more. The festival proved to us that Galway truly was the arts capital of Ireland.
After six long, but life-changing weeks, it was finally time to return back home. As we all said our goodbyes to new lifelong friends, the trip to Ireland was something that would never be forgotten and would forever make us yearn to go back one day.
Andy Strassel
Faith Whittemore
Tessa Lawrence
