Classes and Cork

An Irish bus, orange in color.
An Irish bus

Hello from Ireland! I have officially completed my first two weeks of school at NUI Galway! Figuring out how to register for classes was a hurdle, but luckily even though it’s a pretty big university, professor email responses were timely and I made it to every class I intended to.

With my class schedule now set, I’ve had the ability to figure out the quickest route to campus and my five classrooms in particular. The next step regarding school life is joining clubs to try and get more involved on campus and meet new people! So far I’ve joined the mountaineering club and the soccer club.

McCall jumping for joy after we found a field to play at.
McCall jumping for joy after we found a soccer field to play at
Students walking down the street in front of colorful row houses and shops in Cork, Ireland.
Exploring Cobh

While classes are my priority during my time across the pond, that doesn’t mean I can’t have a little fun on the side– right? That being said, my roommates and I recently took a day trip down to the southwest coast of Ireland known as Cork. I didn’t know much about Cork or its surrounding area before we departed, but that honestly made for a more exciting experience.

Cork is about a three hour bus ride from Galway, and the bus fare round trip is just about 35 euro– very affordable! Once we made it to our bus stop we called a cab and made our way to Cobh, which we chose as our main stay for the day. The town of Cobh is absolutely beautiful and I would go back in a heartbeat. It’s small, but filled with brightly painted buildings and sits right on the harbor.

Clock tower in Cork, Ireland, looking out over the harbor under a bright blue sky.
By the harbor

We specifically chose to come to this part of Cork as Cobh Harbor was actually the last place the Titanic stopped before making its way to America. We were able to get tickets to the Titanic Experience which is an interactive experience about the Titanic and the 123 passengers that got on at this port.

Our tickets as real Titanic passengers
Our tickets of real Titanic passengers
Tall, stately, and very ornately carved Cobh Cathedral
Cobh Cathedral

 

After the Titanic museum, we spent the rest of the day roaming around by the water, the colorful streets, and up the hill to the Cobh Cathedral. It made for a great place to watch the sunset before heading back down to call a cab. The cab took us back to the station and from there we hopped on our bus back to Galway. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Cork and Cobh, and it’s safe to say I’ll be back to see more!

Colorful 3-story row houses line the streets of Cobh with a tall church spire in the background.
Streets of Cobh

Below is a list of dos and don’ts I learned from our outing to Cork:

  • Do book your bus ticket online the night before, as ticketing may close or sell out by the time you get there in the morning. It’s also cheaper online!
  • Don’t pay the extra 0.40 euro for them to text you your ticket information… you won’t need it. 
  • Do call your cab before the bus drops you off, otherwise you’ll be standing around waiting for Richard in a midsize taxi for an extra 30 minutes.
  • Don’t speak in an American accent or else Richard will stop for gas and a light snack while your cab fare continues to rise.
  • Do go to the Titanic Experience museum. It was a really cool presentation and you’ll leave with your head filled with facts about the Titanic.
  • Don’t get too distracted by the sunset and wait too long to call a cab; internet connection is spotty and cabs become a delicacy in the early evening.
Selfie with the Cathedral
Selfie with the Cathedral

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best,

Laney Green