Category: Ireland

I took my first official trip in Ireland on Sunday, September 8th!

My friends and I were trying to figure out where we could go for a day trip, since classes were starting that Monday. We eventually decided on the Cliffs of Moher- a very “stereotypical,” “touristy destination,” but if you have the chance to go, do not skip it. This is without a doubt a bucket-list place.

The Cliffs are located on the western coast of Ireland in County Clare, approximately two and a half hours from Cork. So it’s a bit of a drive. We ended up booking a bus tour through a local company (they run tours for a lot of popular tourist destinations in Ireland) which included transportation both ways, our tickets and access to the Cliffs, a stop for lunch, and a brief visit to Bunratty Castle.

My friends and I were up bright and early Sunday morning (6 AM, unfortunately), and were on our way to the bus stop by 7 AM, since the “meet-up spot” was about 20 minutes away. We left on our bus around 7:45 AM and got to drive through a part of Cork that I hadn’t seen before. (The city is a lot bigger than I realized, so I’m still getting my bearings). I thought I would sleep for the two and a half hours to the Cliffs, but my eyes were glued out the window. The Irish countryside is so beautiful- everything is so impossibly vibrant and green, even underneath the perennially-cloudy sky. It looks exactly how I pictured it in my mind: rolling green hills, herds of cattle, soft grass.

We eventually picked up more passengers in Limerick, another fairly large city. From there, it was about an hour to the Cliffs. It was such a beautiful day: it was cooler, there was a slight breeze, and the sun came out from behind the clouds from time to time. We were given our tickets once we arrived at the Cliffs (which no one ended up checking), and were given about two hours to explore before we needed to leave for our next stop. (The two hour limit is a way for the site, and the country as a whole, to limit the amount of pollution given off by the buses, so it is in effect for every one).

It was quite a hike to get up to see the actual Cliffs, since the main portion of the attraction is up a very long, very steep, hill. The trek was worth it, though. Looking out over the wall for the first time took my breath away- the view was indescribably beautiful. The day was clear so I could see for miles out across the water, and all of the intricate faces in the rocks of the Cliffs. Even the surrounding landscape was worthy of looking at- there are so many different types of plants and flowers (some of which are only native to Ireland), and animals.

(I believe that this is a Scottish thistle, though it wasn’t in full bloom).

(And the yellow flowers are most likely birds-foot-trefoil. The plant on the right might be yarrow, but it wasn’t in bloom either).

County Clare is a rural area- mostly farmland- so naturally, there was something to see on that front:

And there was a bit of history involved, too. On the site is O’Brien’s Tower, which was built in 1835 and was constructed to offer a higher observation point for tourists. The view from the top is definitely impressive:

Two hours initially felt like more than enough time to see the Cliffs from every possible angle, but towards the end of our tour we hadn’t had enough. The atmosphere was incredible. There were even live musicians- a fiddler and an accordionist- who were playing traditional Irish music to enhance the experience even further.

The Cliffs of Moher are a breathtaking sight, truly an astounding feat of nature, and I’m running out of adjectives to use to describe such an incredible place. Maybe the Cliffs are meant to be indescribable, because their existence is a bit unfathomable. For there to be such a place in the world- such a beautiful and awe-striking wonder… it is truly surreal to think about- even more so to actually see it.

I was definitely reluctant to go, but I left with a few postcards and about fifty more photos on my camera roll. It’s safe to say that I won’t be forgetting this experience any time soon.

After we left the Cliffs, we stopped for lunch in town nearby and then continued on to Bunratty Castle (which was built in the 15th century, and seems to be one of the most well-preserved castles in Ireland). We were only given about an hour to check out the grounds- which wasn’t nearly enough time to get inside and take a tour- so we settled for poking around in the gift shops. We got back to Cork about 6 PM.

It was a long day, but it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. This is a formal suggestion: if you ever happen to be in Ireland, please check out the Cliffs of Moher. I’m so glad that this place was my first official introduction to the country because I think the Cliffs really embody what Ireland is: an impossibly beautiful place that has endured the test of time.

Yesterday (September 3rd), I finally arrived in Cork!

It took two days worth of traveling- and a lot of nerves and anxiety- but it was not exactly the intimidating experience I was expecting it to be.

The night before I left, though, I was a complete mess of negative emotions. I was so anxious about the traveling process- not so much the flying part, as I fly back and forth to DU from my home state New Jersey- but about traveling internationally. Before this year, I had never even owned a passport. I was so worried that my luggage was going to go missing, or that I was going to miss my connection from London to Cork. And though I typically fly alone and have no problems with it, I was agonizing over completing the process by myself. Sometimes it’s just comforting to go through a brand new situation with other people who are also unsure of what they’re doing.

I flew out of Newark Airport September 2nd, on a flight that was supposed to take off just before 6 PM. But, of course, travel days do not go off without a hitch. The plane didn’t actually take off until around 8 PM due to an air traffic control malfunction, which meant that we would be landing in London (Heathrow) at about 7 AM the next day- seriously cutting it close to my connection at 9 AM. Two hours seems like more than enough time, but after getting off the plane, getting on a bus to go to a different terminal, and going through security and border patrol, it was almost 8:40 by the time I found my gate. I had about 10 minutes to sit down before we started to board.

At that point, I was completely exhausted. It had been a six hour flight from Newark to Heathrow- including a five hour time jump- and I had only gotten an hour or two of sleep. Heathrow to Cork was only about an hour flight, and I don’t think I opened my eyes until after we landed.

And then it was time to worry about getting through passport services. I knew exactly what I needed to bring in order to show the officers that I would be studying abroad, and getting a residence permit eventually. But it is a situation that, ultimately, is out of your control completely. I was standing in line for a few minutes, and then I started to notice that a few people- who looked about my age- were being told to stand to the side and wait. Eventually, it became pretty clear that these were all study abroad students from the U.S, and they were all studying at UCC (University College Cork), like me. I was so relieved that I had been lucky enough to be on the same flight with so many other people who were in the exact same situation I was. We all got to talking and I soon realized that it truly was dumb luck that I wound up on the same flight as them- they were all part of some third party program that had scheduled a group flight so that they could make their way to their accommodations together.

Their advisor/coordinator had already told them that he would find taxis for them, so I hung around in the hopes that he could point one out to me, too. After all, there were a few of us going to the same accommodation, so I was looking to split the fare with someone. But unexpectedly, the coordinator ended up paying for me and the other person I shared the taxi with- who happened to be from DU as well. It was so surprising and so generous that the two of us were taken aback. We couldn’t do anything more than thank him profusely, rolling down the window and calling out to him as we drove away.

Somehow- although the jet lag makes this somewhat plausible- I had forgotten that in the UK and Ireland, they drive on the left side of the road. I’m not sure if this counts as my first culture shock, but it was definitely disorienting. Every time our taxi driver turned right and then ended up on the left side of the road, I had to remind myself that he was not purposefully putting us in any danger.

Eventually, we reached our accommodation. We’re staying in a renovated building- formerly a furniture store- that has been converted into flats with shared kitchens and separate bedrooms and bathrooms. (You may be able to imagine that I am thrilled about the Irish cultural stance on roommates and living situations). I unpacked my things as quickly as possible- which was made even more convenient by shipping things like bedding and cooking supplies ahead of time- because I was so exhausted I was afraid I’d fall asleep standing up if I stopped. With most of that taken care of, and nothing to do for the foreseeable future, I accidentally took a nap. Which, apparently, you’re not supposed to do if you’re in a similar traveling situation as me. So I won’t officially endorse doing what I did, but I don’t think I would have gotten through the rest of the day if I hadn’t taken that two hour nap.

Later that night, I went to dinner with a few of the people I had met in the airport. We walked around the city for a while, looking for a place to eat. There are so many food options, which pleasantly surprised me. And all of the buildings, homes, and restaurants are so charming, with that quintessential style of architecture that I expected of Europe. That’s when it started to feel a bit surreal- I couldn’t believe that I was there. I had been planning on studying abroad for so long, wanting to do it so badly, that realizing I was actually there was a bit dreamlike.

We ended up finding a restaurant/pub called “The Woodford.” The interior had so much character- stained glass decor, interesting sculptures, and statement pieces like antique furniture which created a really comforting atmosphere. The food was really good and the staff were extremely welcoming and friendly. I was a bit apprehensive about being so obviously from the U.S., but Cork is somewhat of a melting pot. Walking up and down the streets, we noticed people from all different cultures- whether they were just visiting or were actually locals.

I just got back from my first day of orientation. The campus is beautiful and everyone I’ve met so far has been so friendly and welcoming, which is doing a lot to ease some of my worries. Even though I’ve only been here two days, I already love Cork. It is such an awesome city with so many people of different cultures, with so many things to do and see, and I can’t wait to explore more soon!