Ireland as an Educator

This past weekend, I got to experience another part of O’Brien history.  A few friends and I rented a car and drove (a slightly scary experience) out to County Clare to visit Dromoland Castle. Dromoland Castle was controlled by the O’Briens from the year 1014, when it resembled Bunratty Castle, through 1543 when the castle was rebuilt to its present grandeur, all the way up to the 1900s. The castle was sold in 1962 to an investor who transformed the estate into a 5 star hotel and resort. 

This is me, standing in the front of Dromoland Castle in County Clare, Ireland.

We spent close to four hours exploring Dromoland, walking through the walled gardens, exploring a small part of its 1500 acres, and dining in the gallery.  Surrounded by many depictions of the O’Brien crest and oil paintings of the O’Brien barons, I actually felt at home.

The O'Brien crest in stained glass above the gallery entrance at Dromoland Castle.

I know over the course of this blog, I’ve focused more on the O’Brien side of my lineage more than any other. This is because the other Irish families I am descended from (the Winzlers, Kellys, and Stevens) were not as prominent, thus, they do not have castles, abbeys, and monuments the way the O’Briens do. Indeed, the O’Brien family was such a major part of the history of Ireland that the pedigree of the O’Briens is kept in a vault at Lloyd’s in London, and is thirty-six feet long.  If my dad reads this, he’ll probably just say that he knew all along he was marrying a princess.

The opportunity to see the land of my fathers was a major motivation for me to actually come to Ireland. I wanted to experience the culture of my great-grandparents, to escape to the not-so-distant past, and develop an appreciation for my life in America. I think that over the past four weeks, I’ve been able to do just that. 

But in my recollections of the past month, I began to wonder: What brings other people to Ireland? What have other people learned about this place, and what has this place taught them about themselves?

Luckly, I got the chance to interview my twin brother and some of his colleagues, who are in Dublin on an IES Abroad program. Below is my informal interview with Bradley, Shawn, Amber, and Leanna, asking them these same questions.

The reasons for coming to Ireland vary greatly, from not having a choice to wanting to learn the history to simple fate.  Each person has learned something different about Ireland, and most importantly, each has learned something different about herself/himself. Some learned about what it means to be an American/Oregonion, some have learned about their pace of life, and still others have simply learned independence.  In each instance, these students have learned in their time here. In Ireland, Out of the Classroom.