Guinness, Rugby, and Lots of Craic! (Study Abroad Part 1)

Trinity College 

Trinity’s campus was incredible, with stunning old buildings, a huge athletic field at the center of campus (where many rugby games were hosted) and a famous, ornate library that looks like it came straight out of the Harry Potter movies! Founded in 1592, Trinity has a rich history as Ireland’s oldest university and boasts several impressive alumni (Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett, to name a few). 

One of the biggest differences between Oberlin and Trinity was the student population. While Oberlin’s student body is less than 3,000, Trinity’s sits at over 20,000. My classes in Dublin usually had more than 70 students and took place in a large lecture hall, and it was a common occurrence to head to the library to study and not find any empty seats! I think it was good for me to experience such a different academic environment from Oberlin, and it made me really think about which aspects of each I felt were helpful for my learning. 

I took 5 classes throughout the semester, including a super interesting course called “Christology,” which viewed the historical figure of Christ through feminist, Black, and queer liberation frameworks. It actually reminded me of some of the classes I took at Oberlin! I guess the two schools aren’t so different after all. 

People 

In terms of housing, I was assigned a room in a section of student accommodations shared by 8 students, all in the same study abroad programs from different schools around the US. We all had our own rooms and bathrooms (my first time ever having my own bathroom) and shared a common kitchen space with couches and a TV. As I did with my Oberlin roommate, I got pretty lucky in terms of who I was living with in Dublin. The 8 of us had such a great time sharing meals with each other every night and chatting, sometimes to lament the cold and rainy Dublin weather, and other times inviting each other to Trinity events like poetry readings. A few of my roommates I even recognized from Oberlin! I also met one of my best friends through the program, Gabi, who I’m going to visit at Vassar later this year. I felt so grateful to have such a strong support system as I explored the city. 

Irish Culture 

Learning about Irish culture was a truly invaluable experience. The study abroad program I was enrolled in did a great job at hosting various events, weekend trips, and activities in Dublin and beyond. One night, we got to have (free) dinner in Dublin’s famous Temple Bar area, see a live band play traditional Irish music, and watch some Irish dancing. During a trip to the nearby town of Kilkenny, we learned about the sport scene in Ireland and even got to try our hand at the traditional sport of hurling! My study abroad program also gave us free tickets to see a rugby match, which I (along with most of my friends) was both fascinated and wildly confused about in terms of the rules of the match. 

If you’ve ever visited Dublin, you know there’s basically a pub on every street corner. Pubs are a huge part of the culture in Ireland, as explained by tour guides, study abroad directors, and locals alike. The vibes in Irish pubs are very different to that of clubs and bars in the US.  In Ireland, pubs act primarily as social spaces, where you can meet up with friends after work and spend hours chatting every day. It can even be a family space, with some families coming to pubs after mass to share a Sunday roast. It’s not a place you go just to drink, but rather a place to socialize and connect with others. (Before you ask, I did drink a good amount of Guinness, and I still don’t really love it. My deepest apologies to all the Guinness fans.) 

In addition to exploring several pubs throughout the city, I also spent a few weekends visiting some museums, art galleries, monuments, and walking tours to get a better sense of Dublin’s history. Most of these were free or offered discounts for students! 

Trips outside Dublin 

I also took advantage of my proximity to the many cities and towns outside of Dublin to explore. I’m going to write my next blog post about all the lovely trips I went on throughout the semester, including my Spring Break trip to Amsterdam, Rome, and London, so keep an eye out for that! 

As for now, I’m back in Oberlin for my senior year, so I doubt I’ll be doing any live hurling any time soon. If you couldn't tell, I had an amazing experience in Dublin and would totally recommend it. That being said, I’m happy to be back in Oberlin, since I missed it dearly. At least here I’m able to find an available seat in the library!