University College Cork’s award-winning and enthusiastic International Student Society organizes a number of trips within Ireland each year. The first of the trip of the semester, to the scenic town of Killarney, proved so popular that it an additional fifty-person trip had to be organized. With just 50 tickets available on a “first come, first serve” basis, two friends and I managed to squeeze into the first trip in the 44th, 45th, and (you guessed it) 46th available slots.
Killarney is picturesque small town in County Kerry, itself known for its gorgeous scenery. Kerry, or Ciarraí in Irish, is the most southwestern county on the island of Ireland. Here not only are “forty shades of green” evident in the scenery, but extraordinary views of the ocean. Dotted among the hills are plenty of sheep, beehive huts, and other historic settlements. I admit, though our tour guide was wonderful, the term “monastic settlements” started to lose its novelty after the third mention or so. Our stops included the Ross Castle popularized by a visit from Queen Victoria, Torc Waterfall within the Killarney National Park, and drives along the famous Ring of Kerry and Dingle Peninsula.
Dingle, while it gets a lot of laughs when I say the name to Americans, is perhaps the most beautiful place I have ever been to. It is impossible to take a bad picture anywhere along the Dingle Peninsula. The town of Dingle also has a bit of character, including but not limited to ours to see the famous local dolphin, Fungie, an artisan distillery, and an award-winning (?) supermarket. The “kingdom” of Kerry is also notable for the local accent, a “jewel in the Irish crown.” You may have seen this viral video of a sheep farmer as further evidence.
Our weekend in Killarney was memorable for the company, as much as the people. From the friendliness of hostel-goers on vacation, to encountering other random UCC students unexpectedly, to a couple prone to hilarious banter who owned a bar downtown. Of course, this included getting to know the forty-nine other international students who made up our group. This included perhaps an equal number of Erasmus students from all over Europe, Americans participating in various study abroad programs, and a decent number of students from other regions.
Prior, to arriving in Ireland, I was determined to prioritize making Irish friends, not wanting to end up an international student who was only friends with other international students. Easier said than done. Not only because I lived in a building with other international students and greatly enjoyed the events the ISS put on, but because Irish students tend to travel home almost every weekend. However, I have come to appreciate the chance to meet students from so many other countries beyond Ireland. Not only did it keep my social calendar fuller on the weekends, but there was perspective to be gained not only from comparing my own experiences with fellow Americans, but students from other backgrounds.
My initial hesitation stemmed from a desire to be “present.” Students abroad in Europe are somewhat infamous for constantly partying, jetting off every weekend to see a new country, and coming home with blemished GPAs and a very superficial understanding of the country where they lived for a semester or two. I wanted to make a point to understand the country where I would be living, doing domestic travel within Ireland, rather than squeezing in every European capital during my weekends. Admittedly, I had the privilege of having seen a decent bit of Europe, therefore less pressured to make the most of my semester in that way. Participating in International Society events was a less overwhelming way to broaden my understanding of the country beyond Cork, and meet others who wanted to do the same.
In this past spring semester alone, official society excursions were organized to Galway, Belfast, Kilkenny, Killarney, Cobh, and other town and cities I am probably forgetting. That does not exclude school trips to Gaeltacht regions or independent outings to places like the Aran Islands and Dublin. It goes to show that even in a relatively small country like Ireland, there is plenty to explore without crossing any borders besides the Northern one. In my opinion, the convenience of domestic travel lends itself to weekend travel more easily than ambitious trips abroad, even to countries only a few hours away.
Still day-trips and domestic outing do not preclude you from having to balance being “present” in your destination of choice, and remaining in world events at large. A recent weekend trip to Belfast immediately comes to mind. My choice to “unplug” and simply enjoy the city caused me to find out about the Korean War peace announcement days after everyone else. In the age of the Internet, there are fewer barriers between keeping connected to news of home (and the rest of the world), while cultivating a life abroad. Still that conflicting dynamic remains present.
