One of the reasons I chose to study at Maynooth University was because it is right next to a castle. It might sound silly, but my one stipulation when choosing where to study in Ireland was a school that had old buildings and a long history. While pretty much all of the schools I considered had beautiful and historic architecture, but Maynooth stood out for me. A town on the ...
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The song "Summertime Sadness”[1] was playing in a shop, and I couldn’t help but pause and reflect on this musical motif, which is common in literature and lyrics for evoking feelings of sorrow. Typically, summer is associated with joy, happiness, and freedom. I find it hard to imagine such sadness in Ireland—a country known for its beautiful landscapes, stunning nature, and kind people. How could one feel sad amidst such ...
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Introduction When exploring Ireland as an exchange student, trying out Irish food might not be the first thing on your radar. Irish cuisine is often dismissed as simplistic and dull, much like the cooking in my native Netherlands. After all, don’t Irish and Dutch people eat nothing but bland potato dishes? Having put it to the test, I can assure you there is more to these cuisines than you might expect ...
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Introduction Illustrations by Catherine Geaney When I told my Dutch family I was learning the Irish language, they were confused: ‘Do you mean you’re learning to speak English with an Irish accent?’ More than once, I’ve had to explain that Ireland has its own language. Irish – or Gaeilge – is one of the oldest and most historically written languages in the world. It has been spoken in Ireland for over 2.500 ...
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JYt7m1KvzQ In the first of her Vlog series about her study abroad experiences, Vietnamese student Thu takes us not only to the places she has visited since arriving in Ireland in 2023, but also on her voyage of emotions since settling in to her studies with us at Maynooth.
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From Halloween to Sinterklaas: how holidays bring us together Introduction During my exchange in Maynooth, I celebrated the Irish festival of Halloween, as well as Sinterklaas; a traditional Dutch holiday. Partaking in various celebrations, I saw how holidays bring people together, both within and across cultures. In my inaugural blog post, I’m going to tell you more about these holidays and my experience celebrating them in Ireland. Halloween: an ancient Irish holiday Halloween – ...
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Culture hides more than it reveals, and strangely enough what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants. Edward T. Hall How to fit in Maynooth: Cultural and Social Shocks Embracing diverse cultures and exploring social differences can be an eye-opening experience, especially when comparing two unique destinations like Ireland and Mozambique. In this blog post, we will delve into some of the intriguing cultural and social differences that I ...
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Coming to a new city can be challenging, as you don’t know where to get the best coffee, where you can go for a walk or a run, or where to meet your new friends. But before you know it, you will have new favourite places and here are mine. https://youtube.com/shorts/ts4Y_vUV_gc?feature=share 1. The UniversityI’m not getting paid to say this, but I really like the University! As I am an intern in ...
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After working for many years, I never thought I would find myself physically back in a classroom. I have always enjoyed learning and researching online for continuous development and growth. The thought of becoming a committed student again in a school and discovering that it might be too late was a bit scary. However, my insatiable curiosity pushed me to make one of the best decisions of my life, and ...
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One thing I didn’t know about Ireland before I got here, was that the Irish have different national sports that you won’t find anywhere else. While soccer is the most popular sport in Ireland and a lot of Irish follow the Premier League, Gaelic football and hurling are ranked on the second and third place among the most popular sports here. I was lucky enough to go on a tour ...
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