Study Ireland – Stories & Guides from International Students

So to give a little bit of context, my school system back home uses a large database of different preset programs for studying abroad, as opposed to applying to the school directly like I know other students did. These programs act as a middle man between myself and UL, and many offer
extra assistance and excursions if you choose to book with them.

The program that was working with UL is called WorldStrides, and one of the excursions that they had planned for us from the beginning was a trip to Athenry, a small town about an hours drive away from Limerick, most well known for their extremely well preserved medieval walls
and castle.

I woke up very early that morning, but I wasn’t tired. I was excited, because today would be the first time that I would go on a train. Although they are common throughout Europe, trains as public transportation are relatively rare in the United States. Some bigger cities like Boston have a local metro, but an actual proper train is practically unheard of. I honestly had no idea what to expect. The most exposure I had to trains previously were old videos of steam trains from the 1800s.

If I had to compare it to anything, I would compare it to flying. The feel of the Limerick train station reminded me of an airport. The smell, the stiff chairs, people with luggage hurrying to and from. Boarding onto the train was similar to that of a plane. People awkwardly shambling
down the thin aisle to get to their seats, shoving their luggage and carry on items in the overhead compartment.

When we got to Athenry proper, we headed over to the Athenry Arts and Heritage Center. This seemingly unassuming little building was a wonderfully crafted museum, densely packed with an extremely detailed account of what medieval Ireland was like. I love reading and learning about
history, so this was a particularly fun experience for me. It was especially interesting learning about this time period in history. The medieval time period is often skipped over in American history classes, likely because our country didn’t exist and so there isn’t much to talk about.

We got to take part in history, dressing up in historical cosplay and learning about important Irish figures during this period, such as the Knight Strongbow and Red Eva.

Afterwards, we partook in archery as an activity. I had never done archery before, the sport I’m most interested in is skiing, so I was a bit worried before we began that I would be absolutely
terrible at it and embarrass myself. But thankfully, it was a lot easier to learn than I initially thought. All three of the arrows I shot actually hit the target, so I considered it a win.

We were pretty hungry once we finished with the activity, so we headed over to a local restaurant called the Old Barracks. The food there was absolutely delicious! I got a pasta dish as pictured above. It was cooked perfectly, with a creamy cheese sauce and a nice helping of parmesan to boot.

My friends got the fish and chips, and while I don’t particularly care for sea food, I heard from them that it was delicious as well. I highly recommend the place if you ever decide to head to Athenry.

But the Historical Center wasn’t all we did when it came to history. After lunch, we went over to the Athenry Castle, one of the best preserved medieval castles in all of Ireland. The castle was absolutely mystifying. It felt surreal in the best way possible to be inside a building that was
hundreds of years older than my own country.

Our tour guide was a very nice lady who showed us from floor to floor, as we learned a whole load of various little tidbits about the castle. For example, when it was being inhabited, there wasn’t a staircase to get to the basement. Instead, you would have to repel down the side of the back wall by a rope in order to get in and out. Or how the ammonia created by such a large pile
up of waste was used as a pseudo disinfectant, killing lice and other bugs that would cling to clothes (a bit gross but nonetheless impressive).

We learned more than fun facts, thanks to our guide and an informative video. The castle was strategically positioned by the river, and would’ve served as both a home and meeting point for nobility. Entire battles were fought over this very building. I began to feel a bit small in the grand
scheme of things. If you’ve ever felt microscopic after learning about the true scale of our solar system, it was a similar feeling. So many lives had come before me and knew this castle as an important landmark, and here I was casually strolling about it and taking pictures. It was almost comforting in a weird way, and I felt blessed to be able to experience this castle in a time of peace for Ireland.

We left the castle and made our way following some of the medieval walls that still stood down towards the Athenry Abbey. I have to admit it was a bit eerie being there, but it was still interesting to physically see what we were learning about. It wasn’t explained exactly how, but apparently people can trace their ancestry back through the names on the grave stones at the
Abbey. I imagine if I had Irish heritage that might’ve been extra exciting, but alas my family is Italian.

My group didn’t spend too long there though, soon we dispersed a bit for some free time to roam Athenry. I was pretty beat from the long day, so I headed towards the train stop to get ready to leave. On my way I passed what is called a murder hole. It was once a section of the wall that was used as a checkpoint to identify if those coming into the town were friend or foe. If they were friend, they entered, but if they were foe, they were swiftly killed. This particular murder hole was carved out, and cars were driving in and out of it.

It fascinated me greatly to see how Ireland has adapted ancient structures and areas to a modern way of life. The states are so new that we don’t really have any old historical stuff to preserve or change in order to fit into a contemporary setting.

I can’t recommend enough taking a day trip and going to Athenry. It has a lot to offer to both tourists and locals. The town itself was stunning, and the historical aspect cannot be overstated. I’ve honestly considered taking another trip there on my own, just to be able to see it again and
really dig my teeth into the town and its wonderful history.