Welcome to Dublin! Fáilte go Baile Átha Cliath!

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of going on an open-top bus tour of Dublin! It was a rewarding and beautiful experience despite the cold weather. I managed to get so many pictures on the tour that I exhausted the batteries in my camera! Dublin has so many incredible and historic areas; my list of places to explore further kept getting longer as the tour went on. Since Dublin is a very pedestrian-driven city, and I got the chance to see a lot of it by bus, I feel that I can navigate my way through Dublin pretty well by now. I’ve also discovered some great places to eat and enjoy a cup of tea! One of my favorite places is called The Bernard Shaw on Rathmines Road.

Today, I had my first class—Perspectives on Northern Ireland. While we did not get into detailed specifics during the first class, I am very interested to learn about the conflict in Northern Ireland. Tomorrow, I will be attending a meeting with the director of my internship at the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. I have a great interest in advocacy groups for children; this past summer I interned with a similar organization in my community, and it was a very rewarding experience. My hope is that I can experience a work environment in a foreign country, challenge myself, and further my interest in child advocacy and the field of social work.

My next goal is to master the city’s transportation system—the bus and the Luas (a sort of electric train that runs all over the city). As soon as I pick up my student travel card, I’ll be off to museums and other towns in Ireland to explore!  I’ve always considered myself a museum-lover, so I am very excited to learn more about Ireland’s history not only in my classes, but also through my own experiences in Dublin itself!

Slán go fóil! (Goodbye for now!)