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Fan-girling in Dublin

If there is one thing you need to know about my friends and I, it’s that we are very dedicated to the things and people we love. In this case, my friend Helena and I are VERY dedicated to the band Inhaler. If you are unaware of this Dublin-based band, you may be aware of the classic Irish phenomenon U2. The frontman of Inhaler, Elijah Hewson, is Bono’s son! My friend and I have seen Inhaler many times in concert, and when we heard they were playing a show in Dublin, it felt like fate. 

Since Helena decided to book a ticket from Boston to Dublin just to see Inhaler (and visit me of course), I knew I had to show her around and make the most of her weekend trip to the Emerald Isle. I started showing her around by stopping at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which was absolutely breathtaking on that sunny day. We then made our way over to the grounds of the Dublin Castle. Here I caught a photo of Helena in the gardens.

Making our way across the River Liffey, we made it to the Hugh Lane Gallery. Since I’m currently taking a class at University College of Dublin called “Dublin: It’s Museums and Collections”, I’ve been studying a lot about Hugh Lane and the works he collected while he was in Dublin. If you’re looking for a fascinating class combining Irish history and its art, this class is for you. Helena and I walked around the museum during its exclusive Andy Warhol exhibition. We got inspired and decided to take a shot at photography while viewing the art. 

Finally, after stopping at Tower Records foreshadowing our evening, we made it to the 3Arena to see the concert of our lives.

We made so many fun friends waiting in the line with us, listened to our favorite songs of all time, and never stopped jumping throughout the entirety of the concert. I’ve been incredibly grateful for my study abroad experiences thus far, and I’m so lucky to share these moments with some of my best friends. 

The Inhaler Concert!

Thanks for reading, and stream “Dublin in Ecstasy” by Inhaler on any streaming platform.  

My best friend and I
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A Trip Up North!

 

Belfast City Hall decorated with Christmas lights for the Christmas markets
Belfast City Hall

I’ve been studying at the University College of Dublin for about 3 months now! I’ve loaded up on my Irish literature, art, and history modules, so while I may not be the most knowledgeable person on Irish history- I’d like to think I’m almost there!

Dublin has been absolutely phenomenal, and is of course vital to major Irish historical events, but what better way to gain a deeper understanding than to take a train up to Northern Ireland? Fellow friends and I studying at UCD (University College of Dublin) from Holy Cross went all the way up to Belfast. Because the Titanic was built and launched here in Belfast, we of course went to the Titanic museum where we learned a lot about the process of making the boat as well as the aftermath of its sinking. 

After that, we went on the infamous Black Cab tour where we drove around Belfast and its different neighborhoods. Ireland has a rich and complex history with religion. Tension arising from British Imperial rule has taken the form of religious unrest for centuries, and because of this, there has been a major divide between Irish Catholics and Protestants. This divide still remains in Belfast, and the tour brings you through the Catholic and Protestant neighborhoods which are still to this day divided by walls with hundreds of murals between them. 

From Belfast we took an all-day bus tour up to the Giant’s Causeway! This coastal route brought us through the most beautiful views of the Irish Sea and was close enough to see Scotland. On the way to the Causeway we went to the Dark Hedges, which any Game of Thrones fan may recognize. The Causeway was absolutely beautiful, but a bit difficult to walk on since the stones are very unique and uniform. 

I’ll be writing more about Dublin, and the excursions I’ve been on here. My semester in Dublin has already been one of the best experiences of my life, so be sure to check out my blog if you’re interested!