Education in Ireland--and kissing the Blarney

What a great day it has been! We had a full day of listening to lectures at the University of College Cork, and visiting Blarney Castle. I have been absolutely amazed by how much I have learned about Irish education in one day!

The three professors (Dr. Kevin Cahill, Dr. Tracey Connolly, and Dr. Dan O'Sullivan) were so knowledgeable and very interesting to listen to. Dr. Cahill taught us about Irish education and what it is like from pre-school all the way up until the university level.  One very interesting fact about their schools is that, especially at the primary level, the schools are religion based: 91% of primary schools in Ireland are Roman Catholic. This is clearly different than in the United States, where religion is mostly only associated with private schooling. 

Dr. Connolly discussed the history of Irish education since before even the 1830s. We saw the major growth in education that took place over the years. In 1841, the population of children over the age of 5 years old that were unable to read was 53%. In 1901, the population of illiterate children was only 14%. You can see that even in those 60 years, the importance of education increased immensely.

Lastly, Dr. O'Sullivan discussed the Provision for pupils with Special Educational Needs in the Republic of Ireland. We saw how special education differs with Ireland and the United States.  It was interesting that Ireland is very inclusive with their students with disabilities in the mainstream classrooms, while we do much less of this in the United States. The parental advocacy here is also outstanding. They fight for their children's rights and really try to help the teachers out!

After the lectures, we visited the Blarney Castle. I absolutely loved getting to explore Blarney Castle and the gardens around it. (Not to mention the shopping we got to do in Blarney after).  All of our students got to kiss the Blarney Stone at the very top of the castle, which will supposedly help us to be prosperous.  Each student got millions of pictures of flowers, trees, and cows!

We ate dinner at The Flying Enterprise in Cork City Center. The food was delicious (I personally had the prime rib roast, which I would recommend to anyone visiting.) 

I know we are all looking forward to tomorrow where we get more lectures and even professional visits into the schools of Cork! I know I can't wait!

~Daphne Garner

In the Ring of Kerry

Hiya! I'm Brittany Cook, and approaching 2nd year Art Therapy student at UofL.

This is my third study abroad and, although it's only Day 2, I'm already blown away! Ireland is incredibly gorgeous. 

It's hard to really explain how special today has been, but we can say our group is experiencing the luck of the Irish! It was set to storm throughout the day while we were exploring the Dingle Peninsula of the Ring of Kerry. However, after a beautiful view of the Black Stacks to Killarney, it hailed for just about 5 minutes. That was all for out storm!

We made several stops around the Ring of Kerry, with each one hosting an impeccable view of land and water. The greenery on this island country holds more shades than any crayon box could do justice. One thing that definitely made it even better was our tour guide, Jim, who held a vast knowledge for the history and culture of Ireland. 

Here are just a few of so many photos from our day:

Near Killarney

Waterville

Torc Waterfall

I know, you must be at least SLIGHTLY envious. But, as the Irish say, such is life. 

~Brittany Cook

In Cork and Cobh, our First Stops

Hello friends and family,

We have arrived in the land of luck today! This was my first international flight and I learned a lot from it. The food was decent but my legs became tired quickly. There were screens on the backs of the seats in front of us. We could choose from multiple types of entertainment. I chose to watch the movie "Sisters".

We were very excited to begin our trip even with a few complications in the beginning. After landing, many of us felt queezy from the long flight. After catching our breaths and gathered our bags we then proceeded to board our bus. Paddywagon Tours took us to our first home of the trip; University College Cork. The bus was stubborn and caused a delay. But we persevered and got on the road. Many of us caught up on some sleep on the trip to Cork. The ride reminded me of all of the movies and TV shows I have seen. There were green rolling hills with sheep and cows. Did you know that there are over 8 million sheep in Ireland?? That's TWICE as many as people.

The rooms we are staying in include our own separate bathrooms. There are four of us to a unit which includes a shared living space.

Today's adventure finished with a train ride to Cobh. This small town was B E A U T I F U L. Each building was a different color and it sat right on the bay. I enjoyed walking to small shops and seeing the locals enjoy living there as well. The town holds in to an important part of history: The last stop in Europe before the Titanic headed for New York. It was quite the honor to stand where others stood over a hundred years ago.

As I reflect on the past couple of days, it all seems unreal. It has been my dream to study abroad and its finally here. I am so glad I have the opportunity to explore a new country, learn about their special education program and make some new friends. Thank you for all the support from friends and family. Miss and love you!

~ Julie Rinehart

May 20th, The Day has Arrived!

After days of discussions, packing, and settling down those nervous butterflies in my stomach, the day has finally come to take our educational journey with University of Louisville one step further- to Ireland! My name is Lucy Torpey and I am going into my third year at UofL. With family from Ireland and an opportunity to learn about the home of the Leprechaun, I could not pass up this amazing opportunity. 

Being an elementary education major, one of my greatest passions is the spread of knowledge. During this trip I hope to learn about how the Ireland education system works and how different cultures can influence the type of curriculum, strategies, and development that is taught and focused upon.

The preparation for this trip has had quite an advanced spectrum of events. Like other trips I have gone on over the years, there is the packing of the clothing, shoes, etc. Simple right? No. This time I am going into the packing process knowing that 80% of the time when we will be outside, we will rain upon by the unforgiving Irish clouds. Try finding waterproof EVERYTHING. Then there is the preparation for this actual class such as weekly meetings and readings. Last but not least, there is the mental preparation. Yes, we will be traveling as a group, but traveling to another country without any family members or die-hard best friends by your side is very scary to say the least, and this might be one issue for me personally that I will have to face, cope, and conquer during this trip. 

Today, May 20^th, will be the day we buckle into our assigned seats and are shot up into the sky in an established metal tube to eventually land in the Irish homeland. Not quite like the assigned seats all of us had on our first day of kindergarten, but with the similarity that this is the first step to an educational journey that will impact and influence our entire lives to come.

Enjoy the rest of the blogs over the next couple of weeks!

~ Lucy Torpey

The Day Before

We leave for Ireland tomorrow! I am so thrilled to get to visit this country that has been at the top of my bucket list for some time now. My name is Mallory Niemer and I am starting my second year in the Art Therapy program. As someone who comes from a long line of red heads and celebrated Irish roots this was an opportunity I could not pass up! 

      I have only left the United States one time (the Canada side of Niagara Falls) as well as only flown one other time. I'm not sure I've ever been on a trip for more than one week either. This trip has me in a ball of excitement and nerves as I try to absorb all the travel tips I can from friends and family and try not to forget anything! 

      Although the forecast looks rainy and cloudy, I haven't let that dampen my excitement. I am looking forward to so many things on this trip: seeing a great University, learning about international mental health, visiting local restaurants, going on hikes across the green hills, and so much more. We have a great group of people going, who I know will make this experience even better. I'll definitely miss my friends and family while I'm away, but 12 days isn't so long! I hope you all find this blog fun and informative as you follow along with our journey. :) 

~Mallory Niemer

The Name of the Game is Preparation

            One would never think of so many loose ends that needed to be tidied up. All my mail being held, IDs are in order, all the necessities being thought of and trying to make sure I don't over pack like I do. I had to get people to come by once a day to feed my fish, never thought that would be an ordeal, but it was another thing that had to be taken care of. I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

            On the other hand, I'm going to Ireland!!! Most of my friends are really excited and jealous for me which I shouldn't enjoy as much as I am, but  am. I get to be in a country I never thought to visit none of the minutia of packing details can dampen that exhilaration. I don't know how I'll sleep tomorrow night, but I think I'll be too tired from running around to really stay awake, that is the hope at least.

            To be perfectly honest, I'm having too much trouble concentrating on this blog simply due to so much energy and anxiety about leaving my home for the next 12 days. I can't even remember what the time difference is and when I'll be able to talk to my nearest and dearest at home. Technology will be a great help with that at least. I remember the last time I went of a similar trip; it was in 2001, and I had to get phone cards and prepay for them, get international codes and so on.  Now, I just had to make sure that I had WhatsApp and Skype and those who wanted to talk to me had them too. So much easier and will make the separation easier--after all, I'm just some WiFi and buttons away. 

            To address the issue of over packing, I'm doing my best to limit the number of pants and skirts that I take with me, as well as limiting the number of shoes and make up. I'm also picking out tops that won't wrinkle easily, that's a challenge right there. I'm also planning of leaving some room in the suitcase so that I can buy souvenirs and what not on the trip. 

            This is going to be a blast and I can't wait to see what others add to this blog.

~ Julia Naiditch

Countdown to Ireland!

T-minus three days and counting until it’s OFF TO IRELAND!! I am so beyond excited for this trip! I hope everyone out there reading this blog finds it fun, educational, and full of good memories.  I for one am planning on taking pictures of everything so I do not forget anything.

I should probably introduce myself, my name is Elaine Surdyke, and I am now a second year art therapy student at the University of Louisville. When I found out that I would have the opportunity to study abroad in graduate school I raised my hand and said, “Sign me up!” I did not even know where the trip was going! I was just so happy that I would have the chance to combine my education with international travel. 

Well folks, here is the lovely forecast for the first few days we land! It may be rainy and a bit cloudy but that isn’t going to stop us from having a wonderful experience! For my fellow classmates….do not forget a rain jacket! 

(Click on image to enlarge)

Again I hope you readers enjoy this blog! Make sure to keep up with us each day to see where we are headed next.

~ Elaine Surdyke