Dublin Baby! The International Student Society on Tour

On Saturday 28 January the International Student Society headed to Dublin.

The time had come for us international students to find out if it was a good choice to study in Ireland's West, or if we should have picked it's busy capital. For now it didn't look too good for Galway because the rain was pouring down and we were huddled under the doorway of the Quadrangle like a herd of sheep. Luckily our large orange double-decker bus arrived and our exciting journey to Ireland's capital could finally begin.

After dropping our bags in the hostel, we headed at the Natural History Museum to see the large collection of stuffed animals, though we already had gotten in contact with wildlife on the way there! At a crossing we had met a man with a bail of straw under his arm and a cow on a leash (and people dare tell us that Galway is a village!). The poor cow must have felt like a real superstar because the cameras of all tourists, (including ours) were pointing at her in a second. We explored the Natural History museum, with its common and exotic animals alike, which served to be more educational than what we would have experienced in Galway (at the very least on how to take silly photos of yourself and an animal... which again you could also learn in Galway).

After that experience, everybody split and went for some lunch in the city. We all met in front of “The Spire” a bit later, where we witnessed a protest against the ACTA and SOPA laws led by some young people who were equipped with banners and Guy Fawkes masks. Soon our friendly bus driver arrived and gave us a ride to the Guinness factory along the Liffey river, following a horse-cart that looked a bit lost in Dublin's large streets.

As we passed the gates of this old building we began an awesome and tasty journey that would last us through the afternoon. After a short introduction we got the chance to climb the Guinness glass inside the factory to learn about “The Black Stuff”: how it's made, where it comes from and what's in it. We really enjoyed that tour, especially the part where we got to taste the Guinness, an experience that was especially great for the Guinness enthusiasts, owing to the fact that people who didn't like their own black liquid gold were giving us theirs (Thanks by the way!). But no matter if we liked the stout or not, we could all enjoy an amazing view of Dublin by night clouded by mysterious steam from the factory in the Gravity Bar at the top of the building. By the time we had to leave, we were all quite cheerful, (for some obscure reason) and returned to the hostel to get ready for a night out. Then our “tour guides” Ruth, Hannah and Cillian took us out to explore Dublin's night-life. At first, we went to the Workman's Club, and then to Fitzsimon's, where a great band was playing! We were quite amazed by the size of these places compared to Galway, however the events after that are strictly secret... what happens in Dublin, stays in Dublin!

The next day was full of people with tired faces, who unwillingly offered us great picture material, but we, International/Erasmus students, don't let a long night out stop us from being active the next day. So, by morning, (morning in this case refers to a relative point in time when you wake up) we were out and about, exploring more of Dublin. Some of us went to see Trinity College, some went shopping and others enjoyed the great traditional music that was on everywhere in Temple Bar because of the Tradfest that was going on. In the end, our minds were made up: there is a lot more to do in Dublin than in Galway, but I don't think any of us could say that they are bored with whats going on in Galway. Upon returning to Galway in the evening, we parted ways tired and happy to have gone and happier to be back!

Most of us agree: Dublin is nice, but we chose Galway for it's small size, short distances and awesome atmosphere! Nothing is better than going out to meet all your friends in the city centre, hopping quickly from one cool place to another in a heartbeat for some good craic!

by Cathrin Cailliau and Ugo Bukudjian

30/01/2012