Hello and welcome to the lovely and historical city of
Dublin located near the east coast of Ireland! My name is Katrina Sutton and
what I thought would be a trip to learn about my ancestry became a liberating
experience learning about the true differences between cultures. Arriving in
Dublin, I was greeted by the University College Dublin crew to get us on buses
to the university and settled into our apartments. Once settled in, my American
friends and I explored city centre Dublin (what we refer to as downtown or
uptown) and I was greeted by a massive, bustling, and crowded city. I have
never been to New York, but Dublin, to me, felt like an Irish version of New
York City with all of the business men and women going to work, the college
students hurrying to the nearest coffee shop to get in their studies, and the
mothers and fathers picking up their daily groceries. My friends and I ate at a
traditional Irish pub and my first meal was a toastie and chips (sandwich and
fries) and, to get into the spirit of things, I ordered a famous Guinness and
it was delightful.
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I found a mural on campus. This represents the science department.
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The next few months gave me a million different
experiences I never would have be exposed to had I not travelled to Dublin. I
took a student-led tour of the Dark Hedges, Giant’s Causeway, and the
Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, all of which are located in the Northern part of
Northern Ireland. On the tour, I ran into a student from Singapore who told me
a lot about her experiences growing up there and how different the economy was
from the United States. The most rewarding part of the conversation was the
realization that my culture did have an influence on the world. This opened my
eyes to how drastic the United States could affect other countries and how we
are not exposed at all to these cultures that we are directly affecting. It
made me have insight as a person to become more curious about learning the
other student’s home countries a lot more than I already was. On the tour, Tori
and I laughed our butts off trying not to fall down the rocks of Giant’s
Causeway, saw the beautiful country land, posed as a boy band with some
students from India, and were blown away by the intense mythology and history
of these places.
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My Singapore friend and I are BLOWN away by Giant’s Causeway.
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The Women’s March in Dublin was one of the biggest
displays of unity among people that I had ever seen. Men and women of all
different ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, races, nationalities, and
disabilities. Everyone was chanting, holding up signs, hugging, laughing, and
smiling. It was extremely moving to be in the middle of this crowd and hearing
speeches from people of all different walks of life. I left the march with tears
in my eyes and a newfound respect for the people of Dublin fighting for equal
rights.
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The people of Dublin have a more liberal approach to social issues while the rest of Ireland has a more conservative view.
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| One of the most striking signs of the Women’s March. |
In my three Irish classes, I’ve learned so much about
Irish history, contemporary issues, the language, and how the culture was
shaped into being what it is today. I learned that “the troubles” were more
than just Protestants vs. Catholics and that it was this fight for freedom that
had been implemented in society for centuries when Ireland was under English
rule. I discovered that a small percentage of Ireland still speaks fluent Irish
and that there is a current movement to keep that national language alive.
There are also movements in the community of women where many are fighting to
repeal the 8th amendment. This amendment dictates that it is against
the law for a woman to get an abortion in the country, and many individuals are
now fighting that law and one of the biggest protests I witnessed for the
movement was in the Women’s March.
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This is Dublin Castle which extended to the famous garden and library.
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| I also explored Saint Patrick’s Cathedral! |
What I knew of Ireland wasn’t at all what I came to
discover about it. This was a country of nationalism, rebellion against the
monarchy, pride, acceptance, unity among all individuals, and most important
community. I created a family here that will live on past my short visit and I
will never forget the lessons I learned and the people I have met.
Katrina Sutton
University College Dublin
Spring 2017
