Arcadia Ireland

Last weekend many of the summer 2019 students embarked on the Galway & Cliffs of Moher co-curricular. On Saturday morning we left the Dublin Center and drove across the country to Galway City. First, we were taken on a walking tour to learn about the history of the city. The guide explained the foundational history of Galway, telling us how the city came to be what it is today. He even told us some stories, which at times seemed more like myths, such as when a monkey allegedly saved a baby from a burning building just near Eyre Square, in the center of the city. Whether or not these stories were entirely true, they were quite entertaining to hear. Stories such as these actually play quite an important role in Irish history, as myth and folklore have been kept alive for thousands of years in Ireland and passed down through generations.

            Students had free time to explore the city and were given the opportunity to try out some of the best restaurants in the country, and perhaps even take advantage of Galway to see how the pints compared to Dublin. On Sunday morning we departed for Poulnabrone Dolmen Portal Tomb, the oldest Megalithic monument in Ireland. Students also got a feel for the Burren National Park, a seemingly barren rocky land which is actually home to 75% of Ireland’s native wildlife. Between miles and miles of rocky limestone ground, countless wildflowers and other plant species thrive. After the portal tomb, we headed for lunch Doolin, a charming town on the West Coast of Ireland.

            Next, we went to the Cliffs of Moher and were challenged by the wind and rain of the Wild Atlantic Way. Fortunately the cliffs were still quite visible despite the weather, so students could enjoy the beauty and come to appreciate the tamer weather they would return to in Dublin. The Visitor Centre at the cliffs has exhibits on the natural and cultural history in the area as well as plenty of shops to find authentic Irish gifts in, which many of the students visited. If anyone hasn't been yet you should pay The Cliffs of Moher a visit. 

            After the cliffs we began our journey back to Dublin, but first made a necessary cultural stop at the Barack Obama Plaza in the middle of the country. Since Barack Obama actually had a great deal of Irish ancestry in his family, nothing other than one of the most American things possible, a truck stop, was created here in his honor. Featuring cardboard cutouts and bronze statues of the Obama’s, visitors can make a pit stop and get a photo-op all in one. A quiet and tired bus departed from the truck stop and returned to Dublin for a good night’s rest.