When in Doubt, Follow the River

June 27, 2017

I arrived in Dublin on Thursday, May 18th. We were staying at a hostel just north of the river Liffey. I got my first real glimpse of the city Thursday evening as we headed out to a nice restaurant for a group dinner. We were supposed to be walking at a brisk pace, but many students (myself included) were perpetually falling behind, as we were distracted by taking in the scenery and snapping photos. Initially, the prospect of navigating a foreign city without the aid of Google Maps was a bit intimidating, but after a few trips between the hostel and the center of the city for dinner and class I quickly started to get my bearings. We didn’t have any sort of formal orientation, but we were given a few helpful tips at dinner the first night and class the next morning before being set off to explore on our own for Friday afternoon and all of Saturday. One of the first pieces of advice that we were given was to orient ourselves using the Liffey as a landmark. Although it’s surprisingly narrow, it is significant in that it divides the city in half into North Dublin and South Dublin, meaning that it can be key in helping you figure out where you are at any given time. We were also given a few other warnings to help us stay safe. Although Dublin is a relatively safe city (it is likely as safe or even safer than Boston), we were warned against certain types of crime, such as theft, which happen in any major city. We were advised to keep our valuables on our person, rather than on the table or in an open bag, where they could more easily be grabbed. Our professors also urged us to stick together, stay in groups when possible, and not let anyone wander off alone or get left behind. So far, I have felt very safe, and all of the members of our group have been doing a great job of making sure to look out for each other.

Although Dublin is the capital city and the largest city in the country, it is not particularly huge. I have already explored it pretty extensively, having ridden a hop-on hop-off bus, wandered around Trinity College’s campus and the Temple Bar district, and gone on a self-guided tour of North Dublin, and I feel like I’ve started to get a pretty good feel for the city. In many ways it feels rather American, especially because everyone speaks English and the city is generally quite modern. Walking down some streets I might even be able to momentarily forget I’m in Europe, if it weren’t for certain aspects such as the Irish accents and the use of the Euro. The lack of skyscrapers and presence of many old churches and other buildings also serve as a reminder of the city’s European history. So far, my first impressions of Dublin have been very positive. I’ve found it to be a fun city with plenty to see and do, full of interesting history, friendly people, and lots of options for dining and entertainment. I’m excited to be spending the bulk of my time in Ireland here, and I can’t wait to see what all I’ll discover.

Written By

Brendan Lewis

I’ve always loved traveling and exploring other cultures, so I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point during my time as a college student. When deciding on a program, I wanted to find an opportunity that would allow me to earn credit toward my major, English. I chose Ireland as my destination especially because of its rich literary tradition, which had great appeal for me as an avid reader and writer. I am thrilled to have the chance to study some of the English language’s greatest works of literature, both classic and contemporary, at the sites where they were written, as well as delving into other fascinating areas like film and culture. I’m particularly excited for the chance to get to meet and connect with local authors and filmmakers. I hope to come away from the program with a newfound knowledge of and appreciation for Irish literature, film, and culture, all while also having honed my reading and writing skills, as well as sightseeing, experiencing the culture hands-on, and having a lot of fun.