Joining Irish Society

Studying abroad can be a scary thing. Leaving what I knew behind to start a new adventure comes with tons of questions and uncertainty that made me want to sit on the airport floor. A million questions ran through my mind as I waited for my flight to Dublin. What will it be like when I get there? Will I make friends? 

I spent the first couple of weeks getting over jet lag and getting to know other people in my program. My first opportunity to experience what real social life at Trinity College Dublin was like came during Freshers’ week, the week after international student orientation. In Freshers’ week, every society and club sets up a booth so that you can browse different tables while people pitch why you should join their organizations. It can be overwhelming and scary to be presented with so many options. I didn’t want to miss out on anything so I did what anyone would do. I joined 17 organizations. Is that not what anyone would do? Oh well, it’s what I did. I called my parents and told them about all of the things I joined and all of the things I was going to do, and they laughed at me and said call them back in a week. I was convinced I would call them back and say “I’m active and involved in every single organization.” As you may be able to guess, I did not get to say that. Instead, I had to choose. I made a pros and cons list, I looked at the timetables, and I made decisions about what organizations I wanted to prioritize. There were four: ultimate frisbee, the Historical Society, Co-op with DU players, and traditional music society. 

My weeks became a routine, ultimate frisbee on Mondays, Hist maidens debates on Tuesday mornings, Co-op rehearsals on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and trad tune class and sessions on Wednesdays. Of course there are also classes, which can be a great way to meet people, but most of my socializing was done through the societies I joined. Between the rehearsals, meetings, and practices, there were social events like pub quizzes, karaoke, and movie nights that help you really connect with the people in your orgs. When I told my friends and family which organizations I decided to dedicate time to, there was some confusion. I’ve never debated in my life, I don’t know the rules of ultimate frisbee, and I haven’t been in a play in years. The only thing that made sense was my involvement in trad soc. 

When I was leaving home for Ireland, I knew I wanted to do something with music. I even brought my violin with me as my carry-on. Although I grew up playing classical and American old time, I thought there would be some overlap between Irish trad and my styles of playing. I was unprepared to actually jump into sessions, but spending the semester learning to pick unfamiliar tunes up by ear and meeting 

people from all over Ireland was such a great opportunity. Beyond the joy of creating music with others, getting to engage in conversation with locals was such an incredible experience. There are things you can only understand when you experience them. From little things like language usage to getting recommendations for places to visit, my friends in trad soc gave me new perspectives on Irish life. It was a space where I could ask any of the questions about Ireland I had been curious about. I got the compare notes about the differences between different people’s experiences in Irish schooling and my experience in high school and learned about their lives and families. One of my classes is an Irish language course, so I often asked for help from my friends who were native speakers. Any questions they had about the US, I would do my best to answer. There was a real cultural exchange happening alongside the music. 

That is just one of the many examples of the connections made between my peers and myself throughout my time in the different organizations. I did not really know what I was getting into when coming to Ireland, but I have loved every second of it. As I get ready to head home, I know I will keep these

memories and connections with me and any time I’m back in Ireland I know I’ll have friends that will extend a warm welcome.