St. Patty's Day Festivities

This year I celebrated St. Paddy’s day in two different cities! I first started the day in Dublin. The people who organized the 5K asked if we would like to walk in the St. Patrick’s Day parade and of course we said yes! So at 9:45 we met at Fredrick St North dressed to the nines in St. Paddy’s day attire. They gave us each blue badges ( it was like having a backstage pass) and directed us to a roped off area for us to sit and wait to line up. Everyone was laughing and having a great time waiting. There was a group from Italy, another from Spain; people for all over the world were here to walk in the people’s parade. An hour later it was time to line up. We each stood side by side holding a giant Mercyhurst University sign and started to walk down O’Connell St. Everyone was cheering and shouting in celebration J After  we walked for a little while we headed to the bus station. We needed to get back to Dungarven. About four hours, and two buses later we arrived back in Dungarven. Half of our group stayed in Dungarven for the weekend and were walking in the parade in town. When we all came together again it was one giant celebration. I won’t go into too much detail of the after dark festivities J but it was a night like no other and I will never forget it!

P.S. I went to the bar in Dublin where P.S I love you was filmed!

We are being St. Patty's day faeries spreading some Irish craic!  

All lined up and ready to go!!

The Mercyhurst group with some additional friends we met from Spain

The night before the 5k

Lord Mayor cutting the cake

When the thirteen students from Mercyhurst, including myself, signed up for the 5k we registered as international participants. This allowed us to partake in the gathering. This was a special organization just for the runners who were from different countries. The night before the race, Friday night, we were invited to the Lord Mayor of Dublin's house for dinner and refreshments. The mansion house is the only one left in all of Ireland and the UK and I went there for dinner! I felt very special :) As we walked through the massive blue front door we were greeted by the butler and brought to the back of the house. As soon as we walked into the room there was a delicious buffet table set up for us! We couldn't help but stuff our selves with the amazing (free!) food.

Then the man who created the race thirty years ago told us the story of how the whole race began. It was created by him and his father, who sadly passed away one week before the first race. Since then he has carried on the tradition. Then the mayor introduced himself and gave a few words of inspiration. He had heard that a group of students from America were here to participate and was excited to see how well known the race was becoming. As part of his campaign for healthier lifestyle, he was also going to be running in the race. He made a joke to go easy on him, and obviously I did :) 

Mercyhurst students with Lord Mayor

Scratch that off the bucket list

Over the years I have created a bucket list and on it I have participate in a legitimate race. One of the students on the trip found a 5k here in Ireland and asked if anyone would like to participate. I thought what better chance to scratch this off but in Dublin, Ireland on St. Patrick's day weekend! In my mind I thought it would be this huge festival of green with some people walking and others running.My goal was to finish it in under an hour! Let me tell you, it is not at all what I imagined! Me and the other 12 students arrived fashionably in all of our green bows and shamrock themed clothing and face paint and signed into the race. It was circus themed, with mimes, jugglers and even a french couple on stilts. I was in my own little world. Then I started to look around and noticed that there were some serious runners. Only a handful of us were dressed up, while everyone else was in appropriate running attire. I figured there would be some serious runners so I just dismissed the notion and went on being in my little world.

The group of us with the french couples on stilts! 

The we started to line up and the race began! The group of 1,000 runners started in a jog and then all of a sudden broke out into a full on run! I didn't know what to do with myself. I was expecting to see a whole bunch of people walking but it was the complete opposite. They were hard core running! I took it upon myself to take up the rear of the race. A few other girls and I simply walked the streets and looked at the sights on that sunny day. In the end it took me 45 minutes to complete the 5k, while the first place prize went to a man who ran it in 14 minutes. I literally saw people running second laps around me! All that matters to me is that I finished under my planned time :) WHOOO

When You are old

When you are old and gray and full of sleep,

And nodding by the fire, take down this book,

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many love your moments of glad grace,

And loved your beauty with love false or true;

But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,

And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And bending down beside the glowing bars

Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled

And paced upon the mountains overhead

And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

~Yeats

In my opinion, this is one of the most beautiful romance poems I have read. The narrator talks about how he will be the side of his love no matter what the circumstances are. He still adores her even as time goes on; she is still beautiful in his eyes.

It has been a little over a week since a group of 32 Mercyhurst students have landed in the beautiful country of Ireland. For the next ten weeks we will be studying in the charming town of Dungarven. Since the moment we got off the plane it has been an adventure! From taking tours of historic castles to meeting local people at Mary's pub. Although my fellow peers and I love to go out and experience the Irish life, we are hard at work with our studies. In Dr. McFee's class we are talking about socials ethics and in Dr. Reed's class we are reading the works of Irish authors. Then once a week on Tuesday we take a 45 minute ride up to WIT (Waterford Institute of Technology) and take an Irish history and Gaelic language class.

The Mayor of Dungarven welcoming Mercyhurst students

This past weekend, my fellow students and I found ourselves in the bustling city of Dublin. We took a tour of the city that covered everything from historic buildings and statues to modern art and exhibitions. We toured parliament and Christ Church Cathedral and walked the Ha' Penny bridge. The most humbling moment was when a group of students took the 40 minute walk to Baggot St. to see where the organization of the Sisters of Mercy all began. When we arrived, in such an overwhelming number we surprised the women with our unexpected visit. She said that she couldn't turn us away and gave us an exclusive and private tour of the International House. We had the honor to visit the grave of Catherine McAuley. The woman who started the Sisters of Mercy and made this college experience possible.

 

Ambassadors at Catherine McAuley's grave

As the exciting days in Dublin continued, it was said throughout the group that they were ready to go home. They did not mean back to the States with our parents and friends back on campus but back to Dungarven. In the short time that we have been here, Dungarven has become our home. The town members have become part of the Mercyhurst family and have welcomed us with loving arms.

Dungarven