Final Thoughts

What Does it Mean to be Irish?

When I think about it, before this trip, I don’t really remember ever meeting anyone from Ireland, or even thought about their identity. I had no idea that Irish history was so rich and dramatic, full of life changing events that carry on through history to today. While we learned about the history of Ireland and the Irish people before we came to the country, actually being there and hearing real Irish people talk about it made everything much more clear and easy to understand. 

Since the beginning of Ireland’s history, Protestantism was the majority religion in Ireland, and Catholics were widely discriminated against. Starting with the Penal Laws, which restricted Catholics from having land, owning horses, having education, and eventually resulted in their loss of the right to vote, throughout history, and continuing today, most recently with the Troubles in Northern Ireland, religion plays a huge role in Irish identity. 

We can see from all of the events that have happened throughout Irish history involving religious tension, that religion is a huge part of the Irish identity. What does it mean to be Irish? To me, it means to be proud. It means understanding loss, and being strong when faced with adverse conditions. And I truly feel that this applies to all Irish people, not just Catholics, because not just the Catholics were involved. Every person living in Ireland has some sort of Catholic or Protestant background, and every person living in Ireland during the times of these events was affected. 

So to be Irish, from what I have been able to tell, means being proud of where you came from. It means accepting your history, along with the history of other people. While there are definitely some people who still discriminate, either against Catholics or Protestants, they still all share a history. Everyone has been affected, and that brings a sense of identity to the Irish people that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. 

Now that we have returned from our trip, I was able to really think about the experience as a whole. Before going to Ireland, I didn’t really have a reason to go, other than I thought it would be a fun trip, and I wanted to travel. I had no idea that Ireland’s rich history would affect me so much personally. 

“That’s what being Irish is a lot of the time, passing for something else – the Paddy, the European, the peasant, the rocker, the leprechaun. It’s sometimes funny; it’s sometimes dangerous and damaging” (Doyle, Home to Harlem). This isn’t done by the Irish people themselves, its done by all the other people who truly have no idea what it means to be Irish. It is so easy to believe a stereotype when you don’t know the history behind them. And while some Irish people will laugh and joke around about being drunks, or conform to stereotypes in order to make money off souvenirs, that’s not what it truly means to be Irish. 

Studying Abroad

My study abroad experience is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. In Ireland, I feel like I was able to get in touch with myself more, as well as understand more about the world outside of the United States. 

Sometimes, we forget that we aren’t the only country in the world, and we are often not taught of any other history than our own. That was the biggest benefit of the trip, to me; being able to learn about a history other than the one I grew up learning about, and learning it from people who have been personally affected by it. 

Being able to actually sit in the Parliament building, where leaders gather to make legislative decisions, that’s not something you get to experience in America. Some people in America may never even see the White House in real life. 

Another benefit, and my favorite part of the trip, was being exposed to scenery that we could only dream of seeing in America, at least for me, coming from South Bend, Indiana. (By the way, someone literally referred to South Bend as the “armpit” of Indiana while we were in Ireland.) I’ve seen the ocean before, but never like the sights I saw in Ireland, especially at the top if Killiney Hill and the Cliffs of Moher, and even at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. These are some of the best memories I’ve made from this trip.

Dear Future Candidates,

If I had to say something to pass on to future study abroad candidates, I would say, first of all, do it. When I first heard about the trip, I was interested in it, but didn’t really look into it. It wasn’t until the professors sent me an email after the initial deadline that there were still spots open, that I knew I had to take advantage of the opportunity.

 My next question, then, would be why not? Why not take the chance to experience a different culture and history? Sitting in a classroom can be boring, and let’s face it, how much of what you learn in a classroom are you going to remember after college? Or even 6 months from now? Studying abroad gives you an experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. 

If you never study abroad in college, you may never get the chance to travel after college. Once you get a “real” job, and start a family, you may never get the chance to have a trip like the one we just took. So, my advice, or “words of wisdom” to future candidates would be just that:

Do it! Why not?

The Derry and Dublin Journey: A Retrospective

Last Thursday I was in a pub enjoying a pint of Guinness while talking to a local from Bogside. How did the subject change from the queen attending of the horse races to Bloody Sunday? I don't remember, but I do know that I didn't ask. And it didn't take long. The topic of the Troubles felt a heartbeat away each day we were in the Derry.


"I was 11 years old on Bloody Sunday. Our house at the time was directly across the street from the church where those 13 coffins were lined up side by side. When the reporters came to ask my mother if they could use our house she said, "Yes. Yes I want the world to see what has happened here. As much as I want a united Ireland I don't want to lose a boy over it. And I don't want a mother on the other side to lose a boy either..."

The previous day we had gone on a walking tour to view the murals which depicted the Troubles. I wondered how the people that lived there felt about groups of strangers walking through their neighborhood every day. I felt like I was intruding on something incredibly personal, but perhaps many of the residents felt just like this gentleman’s mother: let the world know.

Maybe it was because we spent most of our time (when not on a bus) in tours and lectures, but everyone we met was incredibly knowledgeable about Ireland’s history and very open to sharing it. As Robert Bell noted in “Document B”: “After the labours of the day they never sat looking at each other in sulky silence; the aged would smoke one after another out of the same pipe, and entertain each other with stories...”







Today’s Irish undeniably continue their long history of bards and storytellers, but for the most part it would appear that they have replaced their pipes with pints.





The entire study abroad experience has been…exhausting. I know you were expecting something else, right? Exciting! Life-changing! Experience of a life time! After a lot of sleep I may pull out those words, but not just yet.

Dublin was an amazing city – the storefronts and cathedrals were amazing and breathtaking (respectively). The presence of so much dark oak in a world of sheet-rock and Ikea furniture was a welcome sight and feel. But Dublin also made me a bit sad. (A wee bit?) We had discussed its globalization in B-399, but I had thought that for the most part that would be contained to the Docklands. I was wrong.

So much of what we heard while riding, walking, and stumbling from site to site while in Dublin felt very familiar. The same variety of languages and accents, and the same music. That was hard. One of the things I had most looked forward to was immersing myself in Irish music. Everyone, including the street performers, seemed to prefer pop music. And not the current kind…

But still, the vast majority of the city is unchanged, and I hope it remains that way.

I believe that the biggest challenge to studying abroad is finding a way to see the city as anything but a “tourist trap” when you are constantly being led through tours. Travelling in a large group is incredibly isolating because there is no reason to interact with strangers or the environment around you.



I feel like my most “I'm not in Indiana anymore” experiences actually happened when I doing the things I do at home every day. The cultural differences were definitely more prominent and enjoyable when talking to local people that shared my interests.

They also happened when trying to get directions...

Who are the Irish?

Ireland is not just leprechauns and green beer. After visiting both Derry and Dublin, I have come to find out about he Irish culture. Meeting and interacting with the infamous, hospitable Irish was really what I experienced in my time in the country.

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and I could tel why that is. It is full of vibrant and lively culture with people who love to interact with tourists. One way I experienced this was when we explored the city of Dublin and learned about the tough history from a charismatic Irishman, Dr. Frank Cullen. He explained to us how the Vikings first took over Ireland, specifically Dublin and was called the "black pool". In Gaelic, black pool is translated to "duvh lin", which is now known as "Dublin".

Temple Bar is also a location we strolled through during our history lesson, which is a major tourist attraction. It is filled with pubs, restaurants, shops, and more that give off the Irish culture. The pubs were streaming with traditional Irish music and if you were lucky, even Irish dancing.

Temple Bar

Visiting Dublin lit a lightbulb in my head because I truly understand the Irish identity. In Robert Bell's "Document B", he discusses the characteristics of the Irish by stating, "...every man's door was open to a neighbor or a stranger" (72) and "...and if he could play on any instrument of music, or tell tales of old times calculated to excite the admiration of his hearers, the inhabitants of every neighboring cottage vied with each other for the honor of entertaining him as a guest" (73). I would agree with Bell because I have experiences this first hand.

Meeting Irishmen who were happy to help with directions or happy to talk to us Americans, treating us like we were friends. Also, watching music players entertain others at pubs or on the streets just for the fun of it, was what I saw in Ireland.

In Derry, we visited the famous Giant's Causeway. We first learned about this in William Carleton's, "A Legend of Knockmany". It was beyond beautiful and unique to be able to tour this location. Also, having the opportunity to visit a place we once read about in class was fascinating as well.

Giant's Causeway

During the lectured we had we learned about, "The Troubles" Derry faced. The one that stood out to me most was Bloody Sunday. It was a major event that is still commemorated to this day. Citizens were killed, fighting against internment and the ban on marches. 14 were killed and 13 others were injured.

Meeting Irish people in Derry was easier than in Dublin, since Dublin has more tourists there. I was fortunate enough to become friends with one in particular and she proved that the readings and my impressions of the Irish were correct. She showed kindness, willingness to help, and hospitality. It was a nice change to be able to meet authentic Irish people rather than meeting other Americans.

This study abroad experience has altered my life because I was shown there are more patient people who are willing to help strangers that I'm not used to much in America. Meeting professors in both Dublin and Derry benefitted my experience because I learned more about the history and culture of the Irish.

Cliffs of Moher

If you ever get the chance to study abroad in Ireland, you will have no regrets.