Category Archives: Irish University

When the sun goes down o’er Dublin town

The transformation from winter to spring in Ireland is unlike any seasonal change I have experienced.  When I left Dublin in March for a respite at home in the States, I left gray skies, damp air, and chilling cold.  When … Continue reading

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Humour and Solitude

I will long remember my time in Ireland—no, in Derry, specifically—by the geniality of people and palatable genuineness in our interactions. I learned very quickly that dry or sarcastic humour is often taken as quite rude (and I hope to keep … Continue reading

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Spring

Spring has arrived. After a long and dreary winter, the clouds have parted, the rain has ceased, and the sun finally shines. And, what a beautiful spring it is! Students have taken to Limerick’s many green fields to play sports, … Continue reading

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“Oh! The Places You’ll Go”

The other day, I took my camera into the fire station with me because I had not taken any pictures all year with the guys on “D” watch, but then everybody kept asking me if it was my last day. … Continue reading

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Surfing in Lahinch

I never understood why so many people loved surfing until last month. Growing up without access to an ocean, I went through the obligatory middle school phase of purchasing my first skateboard, riding around, and jumping off and onto sidewalks. … Continue reading

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Connemarathon

I always have difficulties with “reflections.”  Thoughts and images that seem so bright and flexible in my mind stiffen when I write them down.  On the page, heartfelt feelings become artificial. So instead, I’m going to write about the Connemarathon.  … Continue reading

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Blaze of Glory

So I feel like it has been a small lifetime since we last spoke. The second half of our year in Ireland started with a mid year retreat in Belfast. Earlier in the year, Stephen, Kyle, and I had met … Continue reading

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The adventure continues

As January comes to a close, it is hard to believe that we are already on the other half of our time in Ireland. It seems like only yesterday that I ventured onto a Dublin City bus headed for the … Continue reading

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No Longer a Tourist

Every evening these days, we get a knock at the door a little after dinner.  At the door often stand two people, sometimes older, sometimes younger, and they politely ask for a moment of my time.  Am I by any … Continue reading

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In Dublin’s Fair City…

An American, a Czech, two Germans, and a Kosovan walk into a bar…  This isn’t the start to a joke; it’s a Friday night in Dublin.  Though the Irish are said to have left the island in droves since the … Continue reading

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Bloody Sunday

Last Sunday, I attended the annual march to commemorate the events of Bloody Sunday, 39 years ago to the day when the British army shot unarmed civilians protesting for their civil rights in here Northern Ireland. As I walked up … Continue reading

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And Away I went

Robert Louis Stevenson said “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake.  The great affair is to move.”  Those are words I have tried to live by in the second part of my Mitchell adventure. … Continue reading

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