The Best “Craic” comes from Ireland
Hey y’all!
It was exactly 3 weeks and 3 days ago when I first planted my flip-flop wearing feet upon the green, lush earth of Ireland.
I am an Auburn University college student who for all her life has enjoyed the scorching summers of Texas, Alabama and Georgia (what we Americans like to called the Deep South). These summers were always full of diving boards, popsicles, tank tops, sandy beaches, and sometimes sunburns. Majoring in International Business it was only natural that I find a time to leave that behind and spend a summer abroad.
So this summer I decided to take part in my university’s Study Abroad program to Dublin! The program includes some course work, but mainly gaining internship experience in each student’s chosen fields. Luckily, I have found myself placed as the marketing intern at the best possible hotel in all of Dublin, Sandymount Hotel (previously named Mount Herbert Hotel).
Some fellow students and myself chose to arrive a week before our program started, so I have been able to experience so many wonderful things already.
One of my first new experiences was staying in a hostel! We stayed in 2 different hostels for the week prior to moving into our student housing in Santry. I can undeniably that staying a week in bunk beds and small spaces with smelly boys was about as long as the 8 of us could manage; life at the Sandymount is definitely more luxurious!
All in all the first week flew by with a blur of getting lost, staying up until the sunrise, lots of laughs, attending my first European soccer game at the remarkable and massive Aviva Stadium (which is located right beside the Sandymount Hotel), exploring around the city, checking out the pubs, eating lots of garlic cheese fries, spending way too many Euros and getting acquainted with the Irish accent (don’t let them fool you, sometimes it can seem like a whole ‘nother language).
Here are some pictures from the first week!
Since that week we have moved into our apartments along with the other 10 students from Auburn and all the other students from various universities.
The day before the holiday weekend our group went to the Guinness Factory! Which is a MUST do when you come to Dublin! After the self-guided tour, we had an INCREDIBLE dinner and desserts in the Gravity bar, where the views of the entire city were even better than the desserts.
During the holiday weekend the 18 of us took a trip out west to Galway, took an all-day bus tour and saw the Cliffs of Moher! Simply breathtaking (aka I bought at least a dozen postcards), and Galway is such a fabulous city! There was a Havana Festival going on that weekend, so there were lots to see, do and shop.
We rode the DART, which is the super convenient rail system in Dublin (the Lansdowne Rd Station is only a few minutes’ walk from the Sandymount and just 2 stops away from city centre) and took a day trip during our second weekend to Bray. Another one of my new favorite places! We climbed the mountain there that has a beautiful cross at the top. It was grand to see the beaches of Ireland on a sunny (relatively warm) day! Also, if you ever go to Bray you MUST try the fish and chips and onion rings from this small take-away shop on the beach (especially if you like vinegar and salt!) Ever since I have eaten them, it’s all I can think about when I’m hungry.
There are lots of exciting things going on at the hotel so, I better get back to work :o) but can’t wait to share some more experiences with you about my time in Ireland!
Hello there American Lass! I have read this blog after looking up a stay at the Sandymount Hotel. I am an American born Irish man who is studying at University as well. I am quite amazed by your blog - and even more amazed by the pictures of yourself. Perhaps when I visit the Dublin area later this month, the luck of the Irish will fall upon me and we shall meet! I look forward to seeing more of your writing (and pictures) on this site!
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