Arcadia Ireland
Learning more about Irish Culture through Orientation
Date
September 12, 2019
Throughout the past four weeks, the Dublin centre has hosted five different orientations sessions for all of the students coming to study throughout Ireland. Within each orientation, we strive to include a cultural discussion that will immerse the students into the land of which they will call home for the next four months. The discussions on culture is only the start and over the next while we will dive even deeper into Ireland. For Fall 2021, our cultural excursions include a day full of learning about the Gaelic Games and learning about Dublin and Ireland's history, exploring the landscape over the West of Ireland (at the beautiful Cliffs of Moher) and an exploration of Belfast City where we will learn all about the troubles of Northern Ireland and visit the place where the Titanic was built. Each event aims to give the students an insight to a different component of Irish culture that introduces them to the country in a different way.
Gaelic Games at Na Fianna GAA Club
Three of our orientation sessions ended with an afternoon spent with Experience Gaelic Games at the Na Fianna GAA Club. The afternoons gave the students the opportunity to learn about the strong connection that Ireland has to the Gaelic games, and to get an introduction on how to play each sport! The three official Gaelic games are Gaelic Football, Hurling, and handball. Students learned the basic rules of each sport, did several drills to improve their skills, and then played a match against one another. Our day at the GAA club was perfectly timed around the All Ireland Senior Football Championship match and replay that will take place this Saturday, September 14. Students will now be able to watch the game with an understanding of the rules and the intense amount of skill that this sport takes.
Just as the students, it was my first time experiencing each of these events as well. As an American living in Dublin, it's always nice to find new ways to connect with the culture here. For more cultural sites and tours to explore in Ireland, visit this link here.