Art Minor in Ireland: Transportation
Every weekday, Robert, one of the workers at the Burren College of Art, picks us up from our houses at 9am and drops us off at the studio. Then, at 5pm, he’ll drive us back to our houses. It’s less than a 10 minute drive, but if we want to go into the studio later or leave earlier/later, we can either walk or call Tom the cab driver, who lives right next to the school. It’s about a 30-40 minute walk from the house to the school, but I’ve found it to be really nice and relaxing to go on my own. I love walking around in Ireland; it really lets you look at everything around you, from the burren in the background to the farms and abandoned houses right by the road. And you can go at your own pace, so if you want to stop to make friends with some cows or pet some horses along the way, go for it! Just make sure to stay on the right side of the road (as there are barely any sidewalks here) and always walk on the outside of the bend whenever the road turns or curves. Cars move pretty quickly on these roads; the neon safety vests are not just a fashion statement here.
In terms of getting around Ireland, public transportation is pretty simple and cheap! In between Summer 1 and Summer 2, two classmates and I traveled from Dublin to western Ireland via trains and buses. Going from Dublin, which is on the eastern side of Ireland, back to western Ireland cost us about 20 euros each, and a bus from city to city is less than 20 euros round-trip (It’s about 10-15 euros for a one-way ticket). The buses and trains here are pretty clean, but they’re not always on time. However, they do have Wi-Fi! Additionally, to get to the Aran Islands, which are off the coast of western Ireland, you have to take a ferry. Speaking as a person who gets seasick pretty easily, the boat rides here aren’t bad at all! Being on a boat for an hour or more isn’t the most pleasant experience (pro tip: use the bathroom BEFORE getting onto the boat), but on the bright side, you can get a really nice tan if you accidentally fall asleep on the deck!
