Travel to Ireland (2015)

My Love Story Begins

I’m not sure if you believe in love at first sight, but I can tell you with certainty that I do. From the moment I landed in Ireland, I was in love with this new experience of travel. 

Learning Through Travel

Back in 2015 I signed up for a course on the Irish Famine through my college. An exception was made for me to join due to my enthusiasm for the subject, as freshmen typically weren’t allowed to join a course at that level, and the registry was near capacity. 

At the end of the semester, the class took a trip to An Spidéal, a town in County Galway. We had the privilege of being the host family’s first American group of students; they typically hosted Irish students learning Gaelic, as An Spidéal is in a Ghaeltacht region of Ireland.

What is An Ghaeltacht and why does it exist?

A Ghaeltacht region is one where the first language of the area is (Irish) Gaelic. These areas exist as Gaelic was at one time the language spoken in all of Ireland. Following British occupation and the Famine, the language was nearly eradicated. These areas are important for keeping the historical language alive. They came to be recognized following the Gaelic revival by the government as areas where Gaelic was the predominant language.

For me and my classmates, this meant our host family was used to hosting those needing to learn Gaelic for school. Their main objective when hosting is typically immersion into the language, typically for for the summer break. We even had the option to attend a mass given entirely in Gaelic while in the area.

Gaelic Lessons and Irish Music

One of the best parts of traveling through a school program was the connection we made with a local institution. We got to experience a crash course in Irish Gaelic (honestly can only remember how to greet folks in the language, and how to order a pint of Guinness…).

Because we were connected through a music school, we also learned different dances and got to hear Charlie Lennon and his daughter, Eilís perform not only in the classroom, but at a pub in town! For those who are unaware of Charlie Lennon and interested in Irish folk music, I encourage you to look him up. While writing this blog I learned that he sadly has passed, and I’m even more grateful that I got to meet and learn from him.

Irish Sites to Visit

While we were based in Spiddal in County Galway, our class visited these other cities and sites:

• Galway City
• Strokestown Park (the Irish National Famine Museum)
• Blarney Castle
• Aasleagh Falls & Erriff River
• Cobh
  • The Titanic Experience Cobh

Planning a Return Trip to Ireland

My first trip abroad gave me just a taste of the beauty of Ireland. Little did I know that just one year later I’d be planning a second trip to the country ahead of a semester abroad. In my next post, I’ll dive into my over and underrated things to do in Ireland, as well as mistakes made and advice for a successful trip.