API Study Abroad took our group on a trip to the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Kelsey and I did a little climbing. The scenery was spectacular in both areas. They were totally different types of landscapes.  Kelsey and I did a little climbing and the scenery was gorgeous.

 

Mary Kate, Emma, Sommer, Anaka, Hannah, and I.

The breathtaking Cliffs of Moher did not disappoint, either. 

http://www.cliffs-moher.com/

http://www.theburrencentre.ie/the-burren/a-living-landscape/

Throughout the month, the NUI Galway International Summer School presented a variety of film showings of Irish movies such as The Quiet Man (1951, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara), opportunities to learn Irish dancing, and several interdisciplinary seminars such as this one on immigration.

Crazy as it sounds, two more people showed up at NUI Galway from home, this time, two cousins, Kayla Kayl and Cori DeBates. Thanks for dinner, ladies!

This is the student hangout by Smokey Joe's Cafe.

After thirty years working in public safety and emergency response, I always like to stop in and see the police and fire people and thank them for a job well done. The Irish police are called the Gardi. Thanks to Margie Ryan Murphy and her crew for the tour and for letting me do a test run on the phone. It was great craic!  

See wiki's explanation: "An Garda Síochána (Irish pronunciation: [ən ˈɡaːrd̪ə ˈʃiːxaːn̪ˠə]; meaning "the Guardian of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí or "the guards" ([ˈɡaːɾˠd̪ˠiː] "Guardians"), is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish government."

They gave me these two cool badges! They say, "Guardians of the Peace."

One day when classes were over early, I took a bus to see the O'Flaherty Castle, Augnanure Castle near Oughterard. My great-grandmother was an O'Flaherty, descended from "The Ferocious O'Flahertys" so I decided to check out the family home. At one time there was a sign on the west wall of the city of Galway that said, "From the Ferocious O'Flahertys, Lord deliver us."

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g212089-d215832-r159623003-Aughnanure_Castle-Oughterard_County_Galway_Western_Ireland.html

Later on in town, I found Breathnach's Bar. Breathnach is the Irish derivative of my maiden name, Walsh. So naturally, I had to stop in and visit my shirt tail relatives there. The owner who goes by Breathnach instead of Walsh, posed for a picture with me.

Our API hosts, Dr. Fionnghuala Geraghty, API Resident Director, and her husband Kevin Hennessy, Assistant Director made sure we great craic and a diverse experience of the many flavors of Ireland. They took us to see a story teller at the Crane Bar that was such fun. They took us to hear Irish music and see Irish dancers like this one in the lower picture at the historic King's Head, an historic 800 year old pub.  

http://www.thekingshead.ie/

Interview with Dancer and Choreographer (Raindance) Jean Butler

It became far too difficult to try and take classes, attend required sessions, do homework, taking field trips, et al, to maintain this blog. I quickly learned that a quick upload and comment on Facebook was far easier and must less time consuming. Facebook also enabled me to immediately communicate with others at the NUI Galway International Summer School, both students and staff. So I will work away now, as time permits, to fill in the rest of the story on this blog.

Imagine my surprise on the first day of Gaelic Literature and Culture class when students named our home universities and the girl sitting right behind me, Rachel Finnegan, is from ten miles away from my home town in Nebraska. I grew up knowing her father, her grandparents, her aunts, uncles, and cousins well.  We traveled 3,682 miles from our homes and met each other in Galway, which only goes to reaffirm that the world is such a small place when we just talk with each other.

While we were in Galway, Rachel's dad and my brother ran into each other in a store at home and had a great chat about the two of us meeting and studying at the same university in Ireland.

Below is a picture of the Welcome Reception for the International Summer School 2016 students at the NUI Galway College Bar.

Later that evening, we were treated to an interview of New York dancer and choreographer Jean Butler of Raindance fame. She was very gracious and visited with students after the interview.