Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

In this personal blog, Siva Murugappan, a PhD student in Physics, details his personal experience losing his wallet after a trip and how the experience led to him falling in love with Limerick as a diverse and unifying place to live: 

I would like to take you all back in time to the October 1^st and 2^nd of 2023. It was Sunday and Monday. Just think about what you were doing if you can. I don’t think all of you will remember it so clearly. I don’t mean to offend your memory skills; all I mean is, it would have been just another beautiful smooth day in your lives. For me, it was indeed beautiful, yet scary.  

October 1^st 

It wasn’t a usual Sunday morning, considering I woke up at 7am. Of course, it wasn’t out of desire to conquer the day but because my friend woke me up asking to buckle up for the birthday party we were going to in Ennis. At 9am, friends were already at my place. This time they woke me up physically and pushed me to get ready for the day. More than their indulgence, the nice sunny warm weather I can see outside led me to buckle up for the day as it is a rare occurrence to have this kind of weather and it was a Sunday. The nature clearly asked me to come out and have fun. 

Around 10am, as we walked towards the bus stop, a bus left the stop. The faces near me were turning towards me with some anger. I cajoled them with weird antics and super skills. Luckily, the next bus showed up within 10 minutes. We had to take 2 buses and walk a little to get to the hotel where the party was. So, this was just halfway. Again, at the next bus stop where we had to change buses, the bus was waiting promptly for his highness (that’s me indeed 😅). Finally, there was a walk of about a kilometre to reach the hotel. Being an Indian birthday function, we got to eat all the delicacies we have been missing for quite some time. Everything went well, then we had to walk with our tummies full. With my friend’s insistence, we took a cab and went to the city centre for our love, the Indian spices and Dosa batter from the East End Asian Shop and Bengali shop (Sorry, I forgot the name, but this is what we call it 😅). From there, we took the bus back home at 5pm. I was the last one to get down.  

As I got back home, following the Indian norm I explained my whole day to my parents through video chat. Then the day ended up blurred without much significant things happening thereafter. 

October 2^nd  

1^st Day of the week, 1^st working day of the month! With great motivation to make the month productive, I started from my home to university only to realize that I left my wallet at home after walking halfway to university. At home, I could not find my wallet even after a lot of searching. 

The only conclusion I could come up with was I lost my wallet which has my Debit Card, University ID, my Irish Residence Permit (IRP) and the house rent money for that month. As I realized the gravity of my situation, I almost got a panic attack. After a few moments, I thought about all the places I could have lost it since I used it for the last time. Before losing my wallet, the last place I used it was in the bus 310 (Annacotty) to take my Leap card. According to me the only place I could have lost was, in the bus or in the road from the bus stop to my home. So, first and foremost, I wrote a mail to Dublin coach who operates these buses. 

While waiting for their reply, I contacted the bank and had my Debit card blocked. At this point, my mind went crazy thinking of all that could have happened or will happen if I didn’t get it back. Someone could have stolen my wallet in which case I won’t be able to get back at all, without realizing people could have stamped on it or drove their vehicle over or taken whatever they need (money) and could have left it behind at the same place. Considering the future, I could not travel back to my home in India which I was planning the next month, might not be able to renew my IRP card soon, and will have to pay €300 to get a new one while the expiry remains the same. I won’t be able to pay the rent for the month. 

 Interrupting these thoughts, came the mail notification from Dublin coach. They had asked me to fill the lost and found form. As soon as I filled, I spoke to my friend and supervisor for advice on how to proceed further and to spread the word, so that if anyone got to see that can help me. My supervisor asked me to inform in the Student Life and UL PSU as students who find something usually give the products there. I did the same. Now, to the best of my knowledge I had taken all the steps; still, restlessness was there. I was breaking my head to think of anything more I could do to get it. That’s when I remembered about a friend who had lost her mobile recently then.  

She suggested me to complain to the Garda, as they are the only ones who can get access to CCTV footages both in the bus and other places installed. So, my friend and myself, were walking towards the bus stop. Suddenly, he got an idea and asked me to first ask the bus drivers. As we walked, a 310 bus left the stop. Luckily, another senior of mine was inside that bus. So, I texted him to enquire. Meanwhile, within 10 minutes there was another 310 bus where I asked the bus driver. He checked the 310 bus drivers WhatsApp group. And there it was, a photo of my wallet posted by the driver of the bus I travelled. Then, I asked when and where I can go and collect. The bus driver asked me to wait for some 30 minutes and said something more which I couldn’t hear. Now, somewhat relieved I was waiting at the bus stop for 30 minutes. Then the same driver turned up, this time he clearly said, wait for some more time, another driver enroute is bringing in the wallet. And yes, they did in another 5-10 minutes. Each and everything, even the old grocery bills were intact. I thanked the bus drivers from the bottom of my heart and left the bus stop. This day which I thought would never end ended by 6pm. Exhausted, I got a takeaway and had my first meal of the day in peace. 

Why I’m saying this can happen only in Limerick? Getting the lost things back right from where you are, it because of the people and the city itself. To give you more detail on my story and this title, each bus driver; the one who guided and acted as an intermediary, the one who gave me the wallet and the one in whose bus I lost my wallet were all from different ethnicities. This shows the equality, diversity, and unity of this gorgeous city. When you think of other cities, the balance is missing. It is either crowded or scarce, it is too big that you can’t cover the city in a day, or so small that you walk the whole city in half an hour or so and remain clueless about what to do after. This city is the right size in terms of area and population. One can cover the ends maximum within an hour in bus. Has good connectivity within the city via the public transport. Has a great cultural value to it. One can see nature’s aesthetics at its best. The student population is significant as well, making it vibrant and lively all day.  

To explain Limerick and its people in a few words, I think a limerick would be the best way 😅. So, here’s some limericks on Limerick and its people.  

Courtesy: Google Bard and ChatGPT 

In Limerick, a city so grand, 

With history and culture at hand, 

The Castle stands tall, 

A story to enthral, 

While pubs and music fill every strand. 

In Limerick, where friendships bloom, 

Their generosity lights up the room. 

With hearts open wide, 

Welcoming with pride, 

Their kindness dispels any gloom! 

Looking forward to meeting you at the University of Limerick. Cheers!