From South Bend to Dublin

When I think of Irish I instantly think of the color green and leprechauns due to the extreme stereotypes of St. Patrick’s Day. It did not help living in a town that religiously celebrates a college team called the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to enhance these views. In downtown South Bend, Indiana I have been going to the annual St.Paddy’s Day Tent Party and Pub Tour, where the whole town goes from bar to bar drinking green beer on the way. This event always gave me a sense of community that I also believed was a strong aspect of the Irish culture.

Plastic Paddys enjoying the South Bend Tent Party

Now that I have been learning about Ireland (for 3 weeks) with Indiana University of South Bend, I now know my assumptions were not completely accurate. Green beer would be a travesty in an Irish pub, to waste a good beer by tainting it with food coloring. I did not realize that both the GuinnessStorehouse and JamesonDistillery are located in Dublin, Ireland. Along with these two major alcohol corporations, I noticed by looking at google maps that there is a surplus of pubs in Dublin.

I am interested to see different places and try different foods. Hopefully we might run into some famous Irish celebrities such as U2 singer Bono, UFC fighter Conor McGregor, or former One Direction member Niall Horan to name a few. Seeing that the geographical size of Ireland is roughly the size of Indiana, and that the majority of the population resides in Dublin, it is a possibility to be star struck while out enjoying a pint of ale on our literary pub crawl.

Real Irishmen on a pub crawl

The Gift of Gab- Fairytale Storytellers of the Irish

My first impression of Ireland when was I was just five years old. Not that I remember much from that trip, I can still reminisce about the green fields and open water when I was able to experience the Cliffs of Moher. I also vaguely remember the Blarney Stone and acquiring the "gift of gab".

Cliffs of Moher

My heritage is primarily from Ireland so I was excited to learn the history behind this culture. Throughout the course at IUSB- Everybody's Irish, we have been well informed about the struggles the Irish went though in order to gain independence from the British in 1921. While reading the fairytale stories that the Irish culture grew up learning and sharing from generation to generation, such as Legend of Knockmany and Condy Cullen and the Gauger, it helped me open my eyes about how this culture is about entertaining each other through stories. Through these stories, I became knowledgeable about how witty and hospitable the Irish culture is.

Dublin Castle

I am excited to take adventures in Ireland when we go in a week and to experience the culture we have learned through class. Going to the Giant's Causeway, the Guinness Storehouse, Dublin pub crawls, seeing castles and churches,
and the country side. It will be a great trip abroad for an experience we will never forget!

What is everyone else excited about in Ireland?