FAQs

Trip details (since people keep asking):

I leave this Tuesday (the 26^th), but will arrive in Ireland on Wednesday (the 27^th). I will be in Limerick, Ireland and taking one class at the University of Limerick. My class is Screening Ireland: Film and Television in Ireland, and no, I don’t know what exactly that means we’re covering yet. I will explain better once I know myself.

The program lasts three weeks (until June 17^th). In those weeks I have three excursions through the program; one around Limerick, one to Dublin and one around western Ireland (I’m not exactly sure what that means yet). Otherwise, I’ll be spending most of those three weeks in Limerick. While there I’ll be living in a dorm (that’s almost more like an apartment). I’ll have my own bedroom and 5 other roommates (excuse me, flatmates) with their own bedrooms. There is a common room and a kitchenette that from the pictures appears more like a small kitchen.

For the other five-ish days, I’ll be traveling around Ireland with another Central student. We’re keeping our plans up in the air for now so that we can have people there recommend what we should see. I’m thinking Galway and Cork (where the Blarney Stone is) for sure. We’ll be staying at hotels or hostiles.

Trivia!

The flag of Ireland:

The Republic of Ireland map:

Limerick is on the western cost, below Galway, along the Shannon River (the river is not labeled on this map). The capital is Dublin (eastern Ireland across the island from Galway). Ireland and Wales are separated by St. George’s Channel. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.

Size:

The whole island of Ireland is just smaller than Indiana (about 3,000 square miles less). The population is about 5.5 million including Northern Ireland. Michigan’s population is about 10 million.

Other trivia:

Though used less the first official langue of the Republic of Ireland is Irish. English is the other official language. It is estimated close to 100% of the population can speak English, but there are Irish speaking only communities in Ireland. Most of the signs are bilingual.

The Republic of Ireland’s anthem is The Soldier’s song (or Amhrán na bhFiann in Irish).

Lyrics for The Soldier’s Song:

Soldiers are we,
whose lives are pledged to Ireland,
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave,
Sworn to be free,
no more our ancient sireland,
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the "bearna baoil",
In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal,
’Mid cannon’s roar and rifles’ peal,
We’ll chant a soldier’s song

Link to The Soldier’s Song (the anthem is only the chorus):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OyX3DHYtkY&feature=related

Link to Amhrán na bhFiann:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7HwMuuIgZo&feature=related

(If you're getting blue text for the links, I apologize for it being so hideous. The font color for links is saves as yellow, but for some reason it's messed up now, and I can't seem to fix it)

The most dominate religion of Ireland is Roman Catholicism.

The climate is cooler than here. It will be anywhere from 50-75 degrees in May and June (it’s supposed to be 59 degrees on Wednesday when I arrive, and stay in the low 60s for that week). Though, of course, they use Celsius, but I don’t feel like figuring that out right now. It’s very rainy, but May and June do happen to be the least rainy months (though it’s supposed to rain Wednesday too).

Ireland’s currency is the Euro. Right now 1 US dollar = about 0.71 Euro. Northern Ireland uses pounds as does the rest of the UK.

Ireland if five hours ahead of Michigan. So if it's noon in Michigan, it'll be 5pm in Ireland.

Check out the first post if you want to see a list of famous people from Ireland (at the bottom of the post).