June 29-July 30   

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Dublin, Ireland

Basic Facts
Nestled between the mountains and the sea, Ireland's capital city is vibrant and ever-changing.  Home to roughly a third of the country's population, Dublin is also the source of much of Ireland's rich cultural heritage.  Magnificent public buildings such as Trinity College, Leinster House, and the Bank of Ireland at College Green are not to be missed.  Medieval, Georgian and modern architecture provide a backdrop to this friendly, bustling port which can boast literary giants such as Joyce, Beckett, and Wilde as native sons (among many others).   And, of course, there's the best part:  the inimitable Irish people themselves!  Two quotes about the Irish are particular telling:

            In Ireland, the inevitable never happens and the unexpected constantly occurs.
                                    Sir John Pentland Mahaffy

            This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever.
                                    Sigmund Freud (about the Irish)
 

When in Dublin

Trinity College
Trinity College was founded in 1592 and is the oldest university in Ireland. The university currently has 10,000 students and is a popular tourist attraction as well as a thriving University. The university campus has many interesting buildings, including the Printing House, and the Dining Hall.

The  Book of Kells, which contains the Latin text of the four gospels decorated by Irish monks in the year 800 AD, is included in an exhibition in the Treasury room.  Visitors can then tour the Long Room which contains some 200,000 of the library's oldest books.

Guinness Brewery
The Guinness brewery founded in 1759 by Arthur Guinness.  The World of Guinness exhibition features an audio-visual show about the history of Guinness & its appeal/advertising, as well as a model Cooperage and Transport Museum.  Tours are not of the actual brewery; but there are huge copper vats, pipes, and more to see. Guinness is said to taste better from the brewery and the tour ends with a free pint or two of Guinness in the bar.

The Garden of Remembrance
At the northern end of Parnell Square is a small, peaceful park, dedicated to the men and women who have died in pursuit of Irish freedom. The Garden of Remembrance marks the spot where several leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising were held overnight before being taken to Kilmainham Gaol, where the Irish Volunteers movement was formed in 1913, and also where Sinn Fein ("We Ourselves") flowered.  An Oisin Kelly sculpture is in the park. It shows people from the tragic Irish legend of the Children of Lir, where children were turned into swans by their stepmother (an old Irish legend).

 
London, England

Basic Facts

When in London

 Other Cities to Visit in Ireland & Europe

Although Ireland is somewhat detached from the rest of Europe, it is still easy to travel to different cities and/or countries.  But, it will take some extra planning.  Below is a list of popular cities to visit while in Europe.  Please note that although some of the distances below seem lengthy and imposing, many students take a night train and sleep for the majority of the trip.  Also, Europe offers very inexpensive flights (i.e. RyanAir.com) that may save time but may take more preparation and planning. 

Start Location	Destination	Travel Time by Eurail
Cork	Dublin	2.5 hours
Cork	Killarney	1.5 hours
Cork	Galway	5 hours
Dublin	Paris	11 hours
Dublin	Amsterdam	16 hours
Dublin	Edinburgh, Scotland	9.5 hours
Dublin	London	7 hours

            **visit www.bahn.de for more train information

By Plane:

Below are a list of inexpensive airlines that can fly to most destinations in Europe. Please note extra planning is required.

• RyanAir
• EasyJet
• EuropeByAir