It was a relaxed combination of history, sport, and low‑key socializing this week—not life‑changing, but certainly fun and memorable.
I went to Kilmainham Gaol one afternoon. Taking a tour around the old jail, viewing the dark cells, and listening to tales of prisoners—from 1798 rebels to leaders of the 1916 Rising—was surprisingly compelling. Kilmainham Gaol served a significant function during Ireland’s fight: it imprisoned common criminals and nationalists alike, was actually reopened during the War of Independence and Civil War, and eventually shut down in 1924. It’s now Europe’s largest disused prison, restored to contain a museum chronicling Ireland’s national narrative. Though I wasn’t overwhelmed with sentiment, I enjoyed how the tour blended concrete history with a sense of location, and how simply strolling through it was like walking backward through decades of Irish history.
Sunday was a lively change of pace. I tried my hand at hurling and Gaelic football for the first time. Hurling is an ancient, hyper-speedy sport—some say it’s one of the fastest field sports on earth. You take a wooden stick (hurley) and whack a wee ball (sliotar), typically flying hundreds of kilometers per hour. Gaelic football is a bit of a mix between soccer and rugby—physical, skilled, amateur-only, and intensely local. In both sports, I loved the rush of chasing down the ball, shouting with my teammates, and trying not to feel like a complete awkward-pants when I inevitably dropped a catch or got my hurley tangled. The atmosphere wasn’t competitive—it was casual, communal, and full of laughter. It was like a strand weaving me into local life, if only for an afternoon.
That evening culminated in an Irish house party. A small, laid-back gathering in someone’s house—grub on the table, music exchange, casual conversation that wandered from travel stories to silly jokes. It was informal and spontaneous: going to a good friend’s house, not a tourist. No need to “perform”—just the joy of being part of a conversation. That simple shared experience had more cultural impact than I expected.
