American College Dublin. A Graduate Intern’s Perspective: Maura Haverty

Hello everyone!  My name is Maura Haverty and I am working as Colum Cronin’s intern this summer at American College Dublin! I previously attended ACD during the Summer program of 2009 and I am currently a Graduate student at University College Dublin, obtaining my masters degree in Irish Studies.

After a crazy, hectic weekend of airport pickups and delayed flights, many members of the Summer 2014 American College Dublin Study Abroad group have arrived! It is hard to put into words what it is like to be on the other end of this amazing journey this time around. In 2009, I remember arriving in Dublin as a shy twenty year old who had never traveled on her own before, let alone in a foreign country. Now, as a 25 year old graduate student that has been living in Dublin for a year, the old feelings of excitement are beginning to resurface. As Colum Cronin’s intern this summer, I get to relive my amazing ACD experience through the eyes of this study abroad group. As an intern, I get to show this them how truly amazing the city of Dublin is and I would not want it any other way. I can only hope that this group of young adults falls in love with Dublin like I have. Most importantly, I want them to get the experience of a lifetime and enjoy every moment of their Dublin journey.

That being said, the first weekend of arrivals was a bit hectic. Many flights coming from the U.S were delayed or canceled and many students arrived a day or two late. However, once they arrived, excitement outweighed fatigue. On Saturday, the day when the majority of the students arrived, Colum and I brought the students on a hike from Dalkey to Killiney Hill. A gorgeous day in Dublin, the views that the student’s experienced were some of the best that Dublin has to offer. On Sunday, when the last of the student arrived, Colum and I held orientation for them and explained the ins and outs of the college and of Dublin city life. To end the weekend, I brought the students to a free comedy show on Sunday night which is held in the Stag’s Head pub in city centre. The Comedy Crunch as it’s called, is a free comedy show that is held every Sunday and Monday night and showcases Ireland’s newest up and coming comedians. Rated number one on Trip Advisor as a must-see, many of the students enjoyed themselves and had some good laughs. It was a busy weekend overall but I’m looking forward to the next couple of weeks and I am so grateful for this opportunity. So stay tuned because there is much more to come!

-Maura Haverty

Livin’ it up in Dublin: A student perspective on Ireland’s capital city

Summer 2014

This year I have an amazing opportunity to study in Dublin, Ireland at the American College Dublin. For the next four weeks I will be living and experiencing Dublin like it is my home.  Ireland so far has not been what I expected; it has been so much more.  These are just summaries of my day-to-day adventures, so that you can see an inside look at what Ireland is like from an outside perspective.

Day 1: Getting to Ireland

Flying can be difficult sometimes, there is no getting past it- delays and cancelations are bound to happen.  I suggest you plan an extra day of travel time just in you’re your flight gets canceled or delayed.  My flight to Ireland was canceled so I had to wait till the next day to fly out.  Most flights are at night because of the time difference.  Just make sure the receptionist helps you because it is their responsibility to find you a new flight with the least hassle to you. But, when I finally landed in Dublin airport it was defiantly worth the wait.

Day 2: We made it, now lets go hiking!

Since my original flight was canceled, I got to Ireland a day later then I planed, but it was a beautiful day.  So, instead of sleeping away jet lag, I decided to go on a hike with the rest of the ACD crew.   It was a great decision.  We first took a train to Dalkey, which is probably the most beautiful village I have ever seen (and also my future home J).  We walked through Dalkey, taking lots of pictures of course, in order to get to Killiney Hill.  Killiney Hill is defiantly a climb, but it is completely worth it!  The view is outstanding! And apparently if you climb to the top of “Killiney wishing stone” your wish comes true, so of course I had too!

Day 3: Orientation and ComedyCrunch

Orientation was today; it was very interesting and fun.  We walked to the school (it wasn’t far at all).  Colum (Dean of Students) showed us around, he told us a little bit about the school and showed where everything was.  After our tour he took us around the city, we walked for a bit, but of course, we ended up on Grafton Street.  For those who do not know Grafton has tons of shops and restaurants, it is such a fun street that should defiantly be visited.  After some much needed shopping we went to Nando’s for lunch.  It was excellent the chicken was so great! I defiantly suggest going there, if you have a chance.  Later that night we attended the ComedyCrunch, which was an amazing experience that I suggest anyone to go to! But make sure you get there early the seats fill up quick.

Day 4: First day of ACD and visiting Trinity library

The first day actually attending ACD, I got lost.  Make sure you know where a place is especially in another country before you leave the house.  DO NOT try to go off memory double check, because I was about thirty minutes late because I took a wrong turn.  Other then that mishaps in the morning, the first day went great.  We stopped early because we had a meeting about safety.  Some police officers came in to talk to us about what is okay and what is not okay in Ireland. The things that they said are really logical and need to be kept in mind especially when in another country.  Other countries have different rules, so abiding by those rules is vital or you could get in a lot of trouble.  The thing that surprised me the most is how strict Ireland is with weapons, pepper spray, which is common in the United States for girls to carry, is completely illegal here. Also, the common misconception about being able to drink on the streets is wrong; it is not legal to do that here like people usually believe.  After this meeting we stopped by trinity library on the way back to our house. The Trinity library is so beautiful and huge, if you love books as much as I do, you defiantly need to stop by, it is also super affordable!