"Selfie" Tour of Galway-- My First Homework Assignment

We had a lot of free time this weekend to explore the city and get to know our way around.  Our professor assigned us a walking "selfie" tour of Galway to complete by Tuesday, where we had to take pictures of ourselves at 11 different places around the city.  We had to find Kenny's Bookshop (to give us a point of reference to find the Garda/Immigration office), Lynch's Castle, The Galway Theater/ Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, Cathedral, Bus Stations, City Museum, Spanish Arch, Salthill Promenade/Black Rock Diving Platform, Pearse Stadium, and NUIG Engineering Building. 
After walking around the city for more than 8 miles on Saturday we found a burger joint that made us all feel a little more at home.  The assignment was really useful in helping us to situate ourselves in the city and get our bearings.  I know that I feel much more confident in navigating the streets after having done legwork of exploring. 

The Eireann bus station for traveling around Galway

Crying room sign inside Galway Cathedral

Outside the Galway City Museum

At Black Rock Diving Platform-- a couple of people from my group decided to jump off but I couldn't bring myself to take the plunge...too cold!

NUIG Engineering Building

goBus Station for traveling around Ireland

Kenny's Book Shop and Art Gallery

Lynch's Castle

The wall at the end of the Salthill Promenade-- when you walk to the end of the Prom you kick the wall for good luck!

The Galway Theater

The Spanish Arch-- Fanta was having a party by the bay and giving out free soda.  Apparently Fanta is a big deal over here...who knew?

Pearse Stadium is home to the Gaelic Football clubs.  We didn't get to see the match that was going because we were too cheap to pay admission, but I've been told that it is like soccer/football but there is a field goal above the net and you can use your hands.  I'll have to get to a game soon!

 

This assignment was all for Professor Nick Ruth's class.  Nick is an art professor at HWS and a printmaker.  His family is with him too and they met up with us to play soccer down at "The Swamp," which is the name given to the fields down by the bay in the Claddagh area of the city.

A group of us all playing football by the bay

NUIG Campus Tour

The Quadrangle.  This building had an Irish name I couldn't remember but I think it's the oldest one on Campus (ca. 1570?)

Currently under construction, as are many other places on campus.

Marine Biology Building

Student Union Center-- Aras na Mac Leinn

View of the Corrib River from inside Aras na Mac Leinn

More streams to the river

James Hardiman Library

Arts Millennium Building

NUIG Engineering Building

Aras na Gaelige-- Irish Studies Building

The view from the walk to campus

The first day here we saw some crazy Irishmen jumping in the lake when it was 60 degrees and the sun was out.  Nobody swimming today, though.

 Today I took a tour of campus after finishing up some of the orientation sessions for international students.  Even though it was raining the campus was beautiful and I found all the places I'll need to be going for classes.

Day Two!

Today finally felt like the Ireland I had been expecting! I had International Student orientation early this morning, where we received a barrage of information about classes, Garda (the police), dining, student life and more.  Then we were able to go into town and got the cheapest and crappiest phones possible to use while we are here amongst our group.  It will take some getting used to not having a full keyboard all the time but we'll live! 

We grabbed soup, sandwiches, and some pints at Taaffe's. Great people, good food, and better beer.  We ended up finding our way back there later after stumbling into a bar that was too much of an older crowd and deciding to go back to Taaffe's. 

A woman and her boyfriend (Jill and Mark) who were on holiday from Waterford sat down with me at the bar and talked to me about Galway, Ireland, some sights to see, and even the religious tension in Northern Ireland. It was great to meet some Irish people finally and get a real feel for the city! 

More details and pictures tomorrow! 

Goodnight, all!

Mary

Apartment at Gort na Coiribe

Some pictures from the apartment! Thanks to the Dunnes Store for having cheap bedding!

Day One in Galway

So first impressions: Ireland is even GREENER than it looks in pictures!  We had amazing weather for our first day, with blue skies and no rain.  After arriving at Shannon Airport around 9:00 this morning our group of HWS and Union College students hopped on a bus and took the hour long drive to Gort na Coiribe in Galway.  We are all being housed throughout this apartment/townhouse complex.  I am living with another girl from HWS with room for one more student in our apartment.  After settling and buying bedding, towels, etc., we had a nice walk onto the campus followed by a welcome reception from the University.  Dinner was great but we are all exhausted and can't wait to go to bed tonight!  Tomorrow morning is the beginning of International Student Orientation and then the real fun starts with picking classes and all that fun stuff. Wish me luck!

One Week to Go!

One week left and the packing panic has officially set it! With any luck I'll get this disaster area neatly tucked away into two suitcases in the next two days.

Service Learning Placement

Hi all!

Part of my study abroad program is to complete a service learning placement with one of the community partners in the city of Galway.  Today I found out that I will be working with Enable Ireland, an organization for children with physical disabilities.  I won't know the specifics of what I'll be doing until I get over there (in two weeks!) but I am excited to see what I can do to help out.

Here's a link to Enable Ireland's website for anyone who is curious: http://www.enableireland.ie/galway/childrens