Arcadia Ireland

A couple of months ago I posted a blog from my sitting room. We had a freak snow storm in March and Dublin was on lock down. I wasn’t able to get into work so was working remotely. It’s three months on and, once again, I’m not writing from my regular desk. I am much closer to work, but rather than sitting inside, I am out in the courtyard that our centre is built around and I’m sunning myself. It’s June in Ireland and we are experiencing a heatwave! It’s amazing. Unlike the snow (which drove everyone bananas!) the whole island is buzzing. People are spending as much time outdoors as is physically possible, and there are definitely a few burnt noses.

There’s no doubt that the summer students that are here are the luckiest in a long time. Although last summer wasn’t too bad, this time round they are seeing Ireland at it’s very very best. There’s one thing for sure too- they’re making the most of the good weather. If you follow the #ArcadiaIreland you will see all the amazing trips the groups have been on and how they’re enjoying sunny Ireland.

We have had a few brilliant nights ourselves since our summer students arrived. The first excursion to take place was one of our culture nights. Loved by students and staff, the culture nights are brilliant because they are such a good showcase of Irish culinary and culture. This summer, we went to see Riverdance. Before the show though, we went for a meal at The Whitefriar Grill and wow, does it need a mention. A seriously reasonably priced 3 course early bird, some of the best service I’ve ever had, and food that was honestly top notch. The chat around the table was on fire and everyone was having a great laugh. The best part had to be the menu translation though. We were all sitting down reading the menu and having a chat when everything went a bit quiet. I didn’t know what was going on until the questions started coming. Although the menu was in English, I needed to translate the whole thing! We call arugula ‘rocket’, eggplant ‘aubergine’ and the shrimp (which were in a certain style) were down as ‘gambas.’ Add to this a few ingredients that weren’t too well known (‘’is oxtail a vegetable?!”) and I can assure you the  laughs kept coming. Thankfully, everyone ordered things that they liked, and the meal went down a treat. When the warm double chocolate brownie came out at the end, I even think there were a few tears of joy! Full to the brim, we headed to the stunning Gaiety theatre where we watched the iconic Riverdance. I won’t lie, I was a little sceptical about the whole thing (thinking it was a touristy thing) but oh boy, was I wrong!! The show was nothing short of magical. The dancers were exceptional, the music was awe inspiring and combined they were mind blowing. This needs to be changed from a ‘tourist trap’ to something that everyone on the planet should experience!

Although the evening was going to be a tough act to follow, our next trip which brought us to Galway and The Cliffs of Moher did its very best to top it. My family home is on the east coast and I live and work in Dublin. Having said that, the saying ’west is best’ really is quite true when the sun is shining. We hopped on a bus and made our trip to the beautiful city of Galway on Saturday morning. On getting there we met our ever friendly, insanely knowledgeable tour guide, Denise. We rambled around the sunny streets of Galway getting some history, some popular culture, and lots of tips on where to go, eat and drink. After the tour students were let loose on the city and everyone got up to something different. I think sitting in parks was the common denominator though and everyone enjoyed soaking up the sun and the city’s atmosphere. The following day, we took the stunning costal route to The Cliffs of Moher. I have been to the cliffs a few times so had planned on just sitting and reading my book- sure they always look the same, right? WRONG! They were breath-taking. I have never been there on such a clear day and I cannot explain in words how magnificent they were. I think every single student agreed and as our two and a half hours (which is usually loads of time) drew to a close, we were all pretty sad that we had to get back on a bus. There were pictures galore, plenty of laughs and a few very memorable days. We ended the weekend with an ice cream pit stop in the famously named ‘Barack Obama Plaza’ on the way back to Dublin. It was a glorious weekend and one that I genuinely think everyone will fondly remember.

Next up we have session one students leaving (which makes us very sad!) and session two students arriving (which makes it a little easier.) We have another culture night organised, and also a trip where we visit the Giant’s Causeway and lots of Game of Thrones filming locations. If this weather stays we are in for such a treat. Bring on the rest of the summer!