Student Journals: AIFS in Limerick, Ireland

Caitlin Kane
Providence College
University of Limerick, Ireland

June, Summer Session

Caitlin Kane and friends
Colleen, Natalie, Katherine, Caitlin, Elaine (AIFS RD) and Trinity in Dublin

When I signed up to come to Ireland, people told me that studying abroad would be the “time of my life.” I hate it when someone tells me that. Fears and apprehensions instantly begin to circle through my head: “What if I am the weird one who, for whatever reason, has a horrible time?” “What if the program I chose is awful?” “What if I’m homesick?” “What if I can’t figure out how to see all I want to see?” “What if bad things happen to me while I’m abroad?” I shouldn’t have wasted worries.

The month I just spent in Ireland has truly been the time of my life. The program, AIFS, was amazing—providing not only trips, food, and transportation, but a group leader, Elaine, who has been a great resource as well as a good friend. As for being homesick, I didn’t have a spare second to think about it, because I was so busy running to visit everything I wanted to experience in this lush and welcoming country. I felt lucky that the University planned three trips for us – one to Limerick City, the next to Dublin, and the final one to the Dingle Peninsula – but because of the straightforward and far-reaching bus system that runs through Limerick to just about anywhere, I made numerous extra trips with my friends. Following the urge caused by the travel-bug that bit us hard, my friends and I practically lived on the bus during the weekends, visiting Kilarney, Galway, the Aran Islands, Kilkenny, and Cork. Ah, it was “good craic” (as they say here).

AIFS at Guinness Brewery
AIFS group at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

Sure, as on any travel experience, certain things that some might consider “bad” happened while I was here. My luggage was misrouted on my flight over and took an extra day to arrive; my friends and I missed our share of buses during the month and had to catch later ones; at one point, we accidentally got off the bus at the wrong stop and found ourselves stranded in a random small town; on another trip, our bus tires popped—but in the end, these stories are among my favorites. The only part of this trip that really seems bad to me is that it’s over now.

No, I won’t guarantee that you’ll “have the time of you life” – you have to decide that for yourself. But I will emphatically encourage you to come, try a pint of Guinness, and fall in love with the country whose rolling green hills tumble down to craggy cliffs that cascade into sparkling seas. I know it has captured my heart.

Limerick Summer group
Limerick Summer School in Dingle
University of Limerick