From City to Country

Unlike some other Dialogues, in which students stay in the same place for the entire trip, this Dialogue has involved a great deal of moving around. Although having to move from place to place can be a bit of a hassle, it has allowed us to see various parts of the country, and has also let us experience many different types of accommodations. When we first arrived in Dublin, we stayed at Generator Hostel in North Dublin. This was a surprisingly nice hostel. I stayed in a room with four others, which featured two sets of bunk beds, a single bed, and an en suite bathroom. It was nothing fancy, but it certainly met our needs. The hostel also had a lobby, which was great for sitting and chatting with others or reading during downtime, as well as a café that we could grab breakfast at and a bar. I also liked our hostel’s location at Smithfield Square, where there were cafés and other shops nearby that we could walk to. The location was a little removed, since it was in North Dublin and we spent most of our time during the day in South Dublin, but the center of the city was still within walking distance. We were also conveniently located next to the Jameson Distillery, which meant there was a stop for the hop on off bus right by our hostel.
We spent three nights at that hostel, and then on Sunday we came to Ring, a parish in Waterford county on the southern coast, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We’re staying at Coláiste na Rinne, which is an Irish immersion boarding school that places an emphasis on Irish language, culture, and traditions. Here, we are being lodged in houses. Our two professors are staying in a house adjacent to the one where the three boys in our group are staying. The fifteen girls are down the road in an eleven-bedroom house, where there are generally one or two people per room. Despite poor cellphone reception and minimal wifi, everyone has had a fantastic time here. The school’s situation in the Irish countryside just down the road from the sea is beautiful, and the staff have been very friendly and welcoming, going out of their way to plan activities for us and provide an excellent experience. Everything about small-town Irish life has impressed us, from the endless pastures of cows and sheep to the breathtaking scenery and delicious food.
Today, Friday the 26th, is our last night at Coláiste na Rinne, and we’re all feeling reluctant to leave, though I’m sure we have great things in store for us. Tomorrow we head to a town called Kilkenny for two nights, and on Monday we’ll arrive back in Dublin at our most permanent accommodations for the trip. We’re going to be staying at dorms at University College Dublin, which is located just outside of the city. We’ll be in apartments with individual bedrooms and bathrooms and shared kitchens and living rooms. This is where we’ll stay for the remainder of the trip.
One of the best parts of this trip so far has been the bonds that my fellow classmates and I have forged. We’re a small group, 18 total, which means that it’s been easy to get to know everyone. I’ve talked to everyone in the group, and I feel like I’ve come to know almost everyone pretty well. We spend all day together and have eaten almost all of our meals together, especially while we’ve been here in Ring. Our isolated location here and lack of technological distractions has been especially helpful in forcing us to spend time together. I’ve also really enjoyed having us all living in one big house, and it’s been great having a living room to gather in in the evenings to relax and talk. I can only hope that we will continue to grow closer throughout the duration of the trip, and I expect that I will come home in a few weeks having made many new friends.