The Cliffs of Moher near Liscannor, Ireland in Co. Clare

Author: Cameron Dalton | Major: Electrical Engineering | Semester: Summer 2023

With rocky shorelines, towering cliffs above the Atlantic, majestic castles from almost a century ago, and unbelievably green fields stretching for endless miles across the countryside – Ireland is a one-of-a-kind country with beautiful natural wonders and medieval architectural masterpieces that visiting would be a dream come true for anyone with an adventurous spirit like myself. This was my first experience traveling outside of the borders of the United States, and I am incredibly glad I chose Ireland to be my first international experience.

The Irish summer is the equivalent of an Arkansan fall, although with powerful breezes and spontaneous rain showers at least every other day. By the end of the six weeks I was there, I was used to coming back to my dorm room soaked from an unexpected downpour that even an umbrella couldn’t help protect against. There was always something soothing about the rain though – it was never aggressive, always just a steady flow from the sky like someone in the sky had turned on a faucet and forgot to turn it off. It only added to the experience for me because I’ve always loved the rain.

The six weeks I was there were full of amazing cultural experiences, facilitated largely by my coursework. I took two classes at Maynooth University, a large public college about 30 minutes west of Dublin. These classes were Algorithms and Data Structures and the Cultural Heritage of Medieval Ireland – both of which, of course, were vastly different from each other. I took the Algorithms course to progress through my computer science minor, and learned much about various ways of storing data using the C++ programming language, as well as various algorithms to sort, search, and interact with said data. The final project I completed was rather extensive, consisting of over 1000 lines of code spread across multiple files that utilized data storage and sorting algorithms learned over the duration of the class. I developed my programming skills extensively through this course, however I also learned just as much from the class that had absolutely no relevance to my major or future career. While I have never been much interested in the concepts of my previous history courses, the Cultural Heritage of Medieval Ireland course piqued my interest in and caused me to really want to dive deep into the history of the places I visited both in and out of class. During the course, there were four field trips to various landmarks close to Maynooth – including castles, monastic settlements, and churches. My professor, Dr. David Collins, was incredibly knowledgeable about medieval history of Ireland and provided incredible insights about the social, economic, and political structures of the medieval Irish landscape as well as many facts about the architecture and locations of important religious sites. He was very personable and made conversation with students during every field trip and was always very approachable. He played a very important role in my developing appreciation for the study of history during this experience – which is something I hope to retain now that I am back home.

My six weeks abroad were filled with many solo expeditions to various parts of the country, including the cities of Galway, Belfast, Killiney, Dun Laoghaire, and Dublin. I also hopped across the Irish Sea to visit London for a weekend to explore the British museum, visit Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, and wander the city’s streets and parks since it was the biggest city I had ever visited besides Dublin. Both cities were gorgeous and full of life, and were the first experiences I have ever had with true public transit (excluding the Razorback buses). I traveled by train, double-decker bus, and subway almost everywhere I went – and learning to be a pedestrian again when everything on the road goes completely against my intuition, opposite in fact, was a very rewarding experience as I have always found learning new ways of doing things to be quite fascinating.

My favorite scenic views from this experience came from the Cliffs of Moher. As I was there, I felt the breeze almost throw my hat from my head at least ten times – and conditions were misty and chilly the entire time. However, this just added to the atmosphere of the Cliffs, as their mysticism was complimented perfectly by the cool Irish breeze. The majesty of the Atlantic was incredible to witness from so high up, and it was a great reminder as to how small human individuals really are compared to the wider world. A musician even played a string instrument on the walkway up to the cliffs, which added to the environment of them even more.

Overall, this study abroad expedition was incredible with many experiences I will always remember. I met amazing fellow students with similar degree paths as mine, and others that were more different from me but that I still connected with. The best piece of advice I could give to a student traveling abroad that is at all uneasy about their journey is to embrace the awkwardness and savor it. Learn to embrace being on your own and use the quieter moments to learn more about how your mind works and what interests you. Before going to Ireland, I had slowly lost track of my sense of adventure and exploration that I always had when I was a kid – but when given the chance in Ireland, I took many visits out to various places around the country and got to see so many things, some with others but also many more just on my own. I had missed the feeling of being able to roam free and explore my surroundings on my own timetable, as life had been moving so fast back in Arkansas that it felt like I never had the chance. The experience was one of a kind and I am beyond thankful for it – and I most certainly will want to visit Europe again at some point in the future.