I’ve been looking forward to this program for a few months now, having arrived this past Saturday (June 7th), so far Dublin has not disappointed. I’m currently living on the campus of University College Dublin (UCD), and it’s quickly becoming a comfortable home base. The campus is beautiful, and is a nice retreat from the bustle of downtown. Adjusting to life here has been familiar, reminding me of the time I spent going to school in the UK, which I’ve really appreciated. It’s been nice to feel like I can help other people learn how to navigate living abroad without feeling disconnected from friends and family back home. Grocery shopping in particular has been fun. I recognize a lot of brands from UK grocery stores, but plenty are entirely new to me.
One of the highlights of the trip so far has been visiting EPIC: The Irish Immigration Museum. Located in downtown Dublin, right on the river, our guided tour through EPIC was interactive and fun. While I knew a bit about Irish Immigration to the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, it was fascinating to learn about all of the other places Irish people did, and still are, emigrating to. EPIC also included the stories of people who immigrated to Ireland from elsewhere in the world, which was an aspect of immigrantion history I hadn’t considered before. The museum also included stories from very recently, one example being the rugby player Bundee Aki, who only became an Irish citizen in 2024.
Outside the mueum was a reconstruction of the Jeanie Johnston, the only ship by which Irish immigrants emigrated to other countries which never suffered any casualties. Most ships lost people to malnutrition or dehydration, but not Jeanie. She successfully crossed the Atlantic 16 times during the Irish Famine, and even when it sank in 1858, the entire crew survived, and maintained her record of perfect safety.
My internship at Carraighill has also been fantastic so far. Having another Bucknell student interning with me has been nice, and we’ve both been welcomed incredibly warmly. All of our colleagues have been so happy to have us there, and I think by the end of the program I will consider many of them to be friends. The work seems like it will be very interesting, and I look forward to settling in further!
Drinks with colleagues after our first day at work.
The view during lunch on day 2.
The menu for our welcome dinner after arriving in Dublin.