Hello, hello, wonderful readers!
It has been a couple months now since I got out for summer break and I’ve been busy! I had the amazing opportunity to be part of the Irish Writing Program in Dublin, Ireland for the past six weeks.
The Irish Writing Program is through IES Abroad and the University of Iowa, and sends a group of students with a passion for writing to study, write, and explore in Dublin, a UNESCO City of Literature, just like Iowa City!
I took a class taught by Inara Verzemnieks, a professor at Iowa who traveled with us to teach a writing workshop based on the theme of resurrection. Then I took a play-writing class, and two literature/culture classes based on Irish literature taught by the staff of IES. We had an attic classroom that was the perfect setting for creativity. My finals were writing pieces for each class. We had class Monday-Wednesday from 10 am to 3:30 pm, which left plenty of time for homework and exploring! On our days off, we were free to travel, or had excursions organized by IES.
Our excursions included trips to Glendalough, Dun Laoighaire, Bellaghy, to name a few. All of these involved some sort of literary connection. Many poets like Yeats and Heaney grew up around these areas and wrote poems about them. We read parts of Ulysses by James Joyce for Bloomsday, the annual James Joyce festival. I bought many new books such as a Yeats collection because of how much I enjoyed them.
22 of us, mainly students at Iowa, were in this group. Some of us were already friends, most of us didn’t all know each other. I have made some life-long friends thanks to trip that I plan to hang out with on campus!
On the weekends, I planned trips around Ireland. I went to Belfast to see the Titanic Museum, Derry (“Derry Girls” anyone?), Dingle Peninsula for its natural beauty and to hold lambs, Killarney to hike Killarney National Park, Galway to shop, Connemara for Kylemore Abbey, and spent time in Dublin itself. Dublin has so many museums, like the Museum of Literature, that are fun to explore. I went to local pubs to hear some traditional Irish music, and spent time writing on the rooftop of my apartment. I cooked dinner with my friends, and had afternoon tea. I even went to a Hozier concert in Dublin!
Some people in my group traveled outside Ireland as well. A few places they went were Spain, Edinburgh, Amsterdam, and Paris to name a few!
Thanks to IES I also got to see a play called “Dancing at Lughnasa,” an Irish film called “That They May Face The Rising Sun,” and listened to a conversation with Johnny Marr.
Those six weeks flew by, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. It’s been just over a week since I left and I’m homesick for Ireland. Studying abroad changed my life. It made me more independent because I had to fend for myself in a foreign country. I had to learn the public transportation and make travel plans. It also made me realize that living in another country is a possibility for my future post-grad. This summer was magical in the best way possible, and I recommend reaching out to a study abroad advisor at Iowa about programs like the Irish Writing Program if you’re interested!
-Solenn
