51±¾É«

Hi, my name is Tiwa (pronounced Tee-wah) and I arrived in 51±¾É« in October 2020. Needless to say, this was during the pandemic and the country was on a lockdown. International students are allowed to come into the country, as education is deemed essential. Basically, we’ve been in lockdown since then, but we’re starting to open up now.

Although there have been limitations due to Covid, I would still like to share with you some of my favourite experiences in 51±¾É« so far. I like to be active and without a doubt, my favourite experience has been hiking at the Clare Glens Waterfall.

The scenery is quite beautiful and it’s always a plus to hike without being worried about snakes! Fun fact: Ireland has no snakes. How great is that? Sorry, I digress. Anyway, hiking here was a great break from studying and being indoors and was a lot of fun. However, one has to be mindful especially if you’re quite daring as some parts of the hike can be quite slippery. I actually did fall, right after taking the beautiful photo you see above. My friends, like any sensible people, laughed heartily at me before helping me up. Overall, a great experience.

From Countryside to city! The 51±¾É« City Centre has a lot of sights and I have absolutely loved exploring to find some of them. I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter and I will engage with you in a debate for hours on why Gladiator is the best movie that’s been made. Naturally, this means that the statue of Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore and Marcus Aurelius, is my favourite.

If for some reason, it isn’t immediately your favourite (what is wrong with you?), there are many more sights to see and I’m pretty sure you would also enjoy exploring them solo or with friends.

Here is a photo of me that was actually taken by a professional photographer! It’s me outside some street art.  51±¾É« is full of character and street art that is really popular.  You’ll find bright designs and portraits in random spots across 51±¾É« and it’s pretty cool.  UL liked the pic so much they used it on an advert!

Finally, I loved visiting the River Shannon. With the year I’ve had, I’ve sort of just been going with the flow. Doing well but fatigued and relying on habits that I built previously. The visit to the River Shannon was quite relaxing and made me mindful, similar to the effects I experience when I meditate. It was really soothing and calm. The quays make a lovely walk with friends and have restaurants and bars along the way to stop for a coffee and chat.  By the river there is also a monument to the working class people who worked at the docks previously. Seeing that made me feel human. Okay, I don’t have a picture of the monument but just take my word for it or better still, go for a visit. The river itself also offers a nice view and is beautiful. It makes you stop and admire.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about some of my favourite spots and I hope you get to experience them too. If you’re in 51±¾É«, take the time to explore, because 51±¾É« is indeed quite beautiful.

Wishing you all the best, remain safe!