Caitrin Kiley

Gainsborough, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews

My freshman year of college I was surprised on Christmas morning with a trip to Ireland, leaving on New Year’s Eve. This was my first time being to the “homeland” and I absolutely loved it. After signing up for this course the day of the first class meeting, I was excited to be able to explore new places in Ireland with a group of awesome peers. Walking into class on the first day I was nervous because I didn’t know anyone but was eager for the opportunity to meet new friends.

The six hour flight to Ireland was not something I was looking forward to. But the second I got on the plane I already felt like I was in Europe. All the flight attendants had British accents, and served us complimentary wine soon after we were in our seats. I was thankful that there were a wide selection of new movies to watch to make the flight go by faster. However, I ended up falling asleep for the entire flight except when the full course dinner meal came around. Waking up, after what felt like five minutes, at Heathrow having to rush to our connecting flight was definitely stressful in my groggy state. We ended up missing our flight and having to reschedule. Even though this might seem like a travel nightmare, I was thankful for the opportunity to start getting to know the people I was about to spend an entire week with. Once I was on the connecting flight, I went right back to sleep for what felt like a blink of an eye before landing in Dublin!

Landing in Ireland, we met up with the six people who were able to make it to the connecting flight on time and our tour guide for the week, Joe. I was thankful for my ability to fall asleep anywhere, even in an uncomfortable plane seat, because the sightseeing began right away. After dropping our bags at the hotel, we proceeded to take a walking tour of Dublin. I was amazed how different an experience Dublin was than the first time I went two years earlier, even though it was practically unchanged. Joe was informative, but corky, so the tour was never boring. We saw things like Sweny’s store, Oscar Wildes house, and a lot of beautiful architecture. Later that night we were able to experience night life in Dublin. It really felt like a different city at night, from the beautiful Irish music coming from every pub, to the drunk tourists running around in leprechaun costumes. We went to Temple Bar, which was recommended to us by many people. After feeling claustrophobic for about twenty minutes, we decided to journey to another Bar. We walked to Weelans Bar, which I later found out was where they filmed some scenes from P.S I Love You!!! The atmosphere at Pubs and Bars in Ireland is something unexplainable but so enjoyable.

One of the most memorable sites we saw in Dublin was Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Everything about it was beautiful: the architecture, the floors, the stain glass windows. There was a touching World War 1 memorial that had a sculpture of a tree and people can leave notes in memory of people who died during the war. While taking in the beauty, the all-boys choir walked out to practice before the next Mass. The choir is traditionally all young boys from the school across the street. Their voices were beautiful, paired with the deeper voices of a few men. The words they were singing were in another language, but even just hearing their voices was so touching.

The second day we were there was a Sunday, so I jumped at the opportunity to experience Mass in Ireland when Joe asked if anyone wanted to join him. It was just me and him, so on the walk to Mass I got my own little mini tour of Dublin. The Cathedral we went to was beautiful but I was surprised at its hidden location. Joe informed me its concealed location was because it was built when the Protestants didn’t want there to be a strong Catholic presence. The inside was absolutely gorgeous. I was surprised that the mass was exactly the same as Mass here in America, besides the strong accent of the priest. On the walk back from Mass Joe suggested a few restaurants that would be good for dinner. Me and a few others took his advice and went to Murray’s Restaurant which was on the main street in Dublin. There was live music and Irish step dancers that is there every night! When the band performed “Galway Girl” I was overwhelmed with joy because I have always loved that song since I was little. Every time I am in my dad’s car I ask him to play it. The Irish step dancers were so talented. Having taken Irish step dancing for six years when I was younger and not being nearly as skilled as these three dancers, I really could appreciate how talented they were. We clapped along to the music and stayed around even after we were done with our food and paid our bills.

The next destination was Blarney, a small town that I had previously visited. We stayed at the same hotel I stayed at with my family; the same exact room actually! I saw the same exact castle, ate at the same restaurant, and went to the same bar, but it was a completely different experience. I was able to appreciate this site in a different way this time. I and two others walked the nature path after climbing the castle. On the walk we saw a giant horse that came up to us and neighed in anger when we had to continue on our walk without him. The landscape was something I never wanted to take my eyes off of.

The Ring of Kerry was one of my favorite things of this trip. While we were on the bus for a long time, there was not a second that the scenery was dull or uninteresting. I had also been on the Ring of Kerry two years early, but like everything, it was a different experience. We saw the ocean, mountains, ponds, and lots of sheep. When we stopped to visit a house, a few of us wondered to explore what we thought was just a field. After crossing over a tiny hill, I was amazed at the site I saw. It was a beach with giant rocks, and the sun shining over the ocean. At that moment I decided I never wanted to leave.

Coming back to America all my friends and family asked “How was your trip? It looked like it was a blast.” To which I would always respond “I think it was the best week of my life!” I was able to experience the beauty of the land my family came from, learn the history of my heritage, and make new friendships. I would go again in a heartbeat!