I survived Saint Patrick’s Day in Ireland! What I learned from the experience is that most Irish youth would describe St. Paddy’s Day as just a reason to drink all day. So truthfully, it wasn’t that much different from the celebrations in the states, except that I could partake.
Most of my roommates went to spend the first half of the day in Dublin, but McCall and I opted to stay and enjoy the festivities that Galway had to offer. We started off the holiday by attending the annual parade in the city center. It was the first parade in two years due to the pandemic and we could definitely feel everyone’s excitement for its return buzzing all around us.
A surprising amount of people were dressed up in green and sported fun, gimmicky props which made the day feel even more festive! As for the parade, it mostly consisted of marching musicians, youth sports teams and local advocacy groups. Overall, it was just exciting to people-watch both the parade participants and those in the surrounding crowd.
We continued celebrating later that day by hanging out at a pub and beer garden. McCall and I were joined by one of our roommates, Kieran, and also Gabbie and Nathan, two of my friends from the states who had arrived in Galway that day. We spent the rest of the night meeting and befriending locals, a few of whom have even studied abroad in California!
This past week I finished some of my classes and started working on my final essays; so crazy, I know! In my free time throughout the week I was also able to show Gabbie and Nathan around Galway.
To cap off this month, I will be going on a class field trip to three different castles. I will highlight that trip and the castles we visit in my next blog!
Best,
Laney Green