Blogs from County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Europe - page 11

Okay, so maybe I didn't really visit with him. But he (Seamus Heaney, the Nobel-Prize winning poet laureate of Ireland) had a poetry reading at a branch of UL in town yesterday, and I went to see him! He was so cool-- I'm really glad I went! Seeing him was particularly exciting because I'm taking a class on him and WB Yeats right now and have become quite familiar with his work. And how often do you get to see the literary greats you read about and study and write papers on? I mean, really! So, yesterday was quite an exciting and fulfilling day! I've also had a fairly eventful week, for me. Not that I've done anything particularly exciting, but it's been enjoyable. Sunday, Chris and I made dinner together (we've decided our meals are ... read more

Here are some updates on my most recent adventures! Life is speeding along here in Limerick City as my semester begins to wind down. Though I have been busy writing papers lately, I've still found plenty of time for trips, dinners with friends, international student parties, tea breaks, and more! One of my new Spanish flatmates moved out (he wanted to be closer to the city centre), but I'm steadily getting to know the other one (Maite). My Irish flatmate Cliona says she fell in love with a Dublin boy last weekend, but by all accounts is doing well. So, let me see, what else has been going on... Last weekend, I went with my Spanish flatmate Maite to Cashel. Unfortunately, it was rainy and we mis-timed the buses so that we arrived in Cashel just ... read more

Hey, folks-- Belfast was great! I was up there Saturday through Monday and then the Guinness Factory in Dublin on Monday afternoon. Rachel's here, and we've been seeing the sights around Limerick. Today, we also went hiking in Killarney, which was very rainy, though. This is extra short because I still have to pack for my Dublin-London-Rome trip which commences tomorrow. So, I plan to give a giant update when I return next Monday (the 11th). Otherwise, everyone have a great week! Oh, yeah, and I got two new Spanish flatmates! Fun fun! They seem nice, but we'll see how we all get along for real after my trip!... read more

I have officially survived an Irish St. Patrick's Day celebration, and what a day it was! First of all, it's a national holiday, so no classes-- awesome! Second of all, I got to spend the whole day with Irish students (and one American), which was totally awesome, too! But, before I get into details on the funness here in Limerick, let me tell you about last weekend. Last weekend, I went to Clare Glens and Killaloe with the International Society. Several people I knew went, including my former flatmate Oscar and my French friend Audrey. Also, Rose, Sara (USC girls), Laura, and Liz went, all of whom I went to Doolin with. First, we went to Clare Glens, which has an absolutely gorgeous nature trail! Everything was so lush--it was terrific! Even with the 50 or ... read more

This weekend, I went to the town of Doolin (about a 1.5 hour bus ride from Limerick) with four other American girls (two of which are from USC). My original plan for the weekend had been to go to Adare (about 25 minutes from Limerick) for a day trip, but when the opportunity arose to go to a traditional music festival in Doolin AND see the Cliffs of Moher, I couldn't pass it up. Doolin is a small town with more pubs and hostels than anything else, but it was quite a fun place to spend a weekend. We went up there early on Saturday and got up there in just enough time to explore the pier and go to a 3-hour long traditional Irish music concert. That was quite a long time to sit, but ... read more