Ireland is all you may envision from the pictures, tales of travelers, and videos. However, the luscious green landscape, rich history, and folklore tales truly immerse you in Irish culture that words on paper simply cannot describe. While studying abroad, I was in awe of the many historic castles, monuments, and rolling green mountains that we were fortunate to be able to explore. Our tour guide, Brenden, was charismatic and had an extensive knowledge of the history of all the places he took us to.

Historically, I was surprised to learn that there are still political and religious conflicts in Northern Ireland. The locals in Derry (Londonderry) informed us that society has improved and there is much less violence than there was in the 1960s/1970s, but tensions between certain communities still does exist. As we toured around Belfast and Derry, it was emotionally and intellectually moving to see all the artistic murals on the sides of buildings that illustrated the troubles. During the black taxi tour, the tour guides would stop at these famous murals and explain the historical correspondence for each one. Overall, there are many pictures and information to share, but these few experiences stood out to me the most to share with you.

– Nicole, SPC Ireland Study Abroad Program, May 2024