Cultural Enrichment & Orientation in Ireland

Cultural Enrichment

Events and excursions designed to enhance your understanding of Irish culture will take place throughout the semester. You may participate in any or all of these excursions.You'll also receive Arcadia's Irish Newsletter and be able to submit articles about your own experiences to this.

Past excursions have included Belfast, Connemara, the Rock of Cashel, the Aran Islands and Glendalough and Powerscourt Estates. Previous students have attended national sporting events, theatre visits, and Arcadia group meals. Excursions and events vary by semester and by group. Past activities have included:

• Weekend Excursion Belfast
  • This three-day excursion explores the capital of Northern Ireland. Belfast has a rich industrial and architectural heritage. Belfast was a plantation town inhabited by Scots and English and surrounded by Gaelic strongholds. The only part of Ireland to undergo the Industrial Revolution; its famed Harland & Wolff shipyard was the birthplace of the Titanic. Despite being one of the safest cities in Europe, Belfast is more famous for its troubles than its beauty. During this programme we learn about the political culture of the city through its famous murals. We will experience the vibrant city of Belfast and the warm welcome of its people. We will also travel to the beautiful surrounding coastline, and the world-renowned Giant’s Causeway.
• “Hop-on/Hop-off” tour of Dublin
  • During orientation, you will take a tour of Dublin on the "hop-on/hop-off" sightseeing bus. There are 20 stops each located at the more popular attractions and you can join the tour at any of these stops. The ticket is valid for 24 hours and you can hop on and hop off the double-decker bus as much as you want. The route takes you to many of Dublin's major attractions including the Dublin Writers Museum, Old Jameson Distillery, Dublin Castle, Trinity College (where you will find the Book of Kells), St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Phoenix Park (where you will find the Dublin Zoo), and the Guinness Storehouse.
• Theatre
  • With such famous theatres as the Abbey Theatre and Gaiety Theater located in Dublin, it would be silly to miss a show! One evening during orientation, you will get the opportunity to experience Irish theater for yourself. In recent semesters, students have gone to performances such as Riverdance, The Playboy of the Western World, An Ideal Husband and Aladdin. The Gaiety Theatre, opened in 1871, is Dublin’s longest-established theatre in continuous production. The Abbey Theatre opened later, in 1904, however is better known world-wide.
• Day Trips for semester/year students
  • 1. Aran Islands – NUI Galway & Burren College of Art
    2. Giant’s Causeway – University of Ulster & Queen’s University
    3. Bunratty castle and Mitchelstown caves – Univ. College Cork & Univ. of Limerick
    4. Glendalough & Powerscourt Estate – Trinity College, University College Dublin, Dublin Internship & NUI Maynooth