Community Engagement in Rural Ireland

Preparing to Go

After you are accepted into the Community Engagement in Rural Ireland study abroad, you can do a number of things to get ready for your upcoming experience. The timeline below suggests what you should be working on in the fall and spring semesters prior to your trip.

• Suggested Timeline for Preparations
• Movies to Get You the Mood for Ireland
• Irish-English to American-English translation guide
• Reading List
• What to Pack
• Ideas for Gifts for Your Host Family
• Ideas for Gifts for Your American Family

Please let the project faculty know if you have any other questions about preparing for your experience in Ireland.

Suggested Timeline For Preparations

Fall Semester
• Attend information sessions
• Submit on-line application to Study Abroad Office
• Submit interest/profile sheet to project faculty
• Interview with project faculty

December-January
• Read guidebook and/or websites on Ireland
• Surf websites on Ireland to become familiar with current events
• Review Irish/American Translations guide to become familiar with language differences
• Watch movies set in rural Ireland to get a feel for the language, culture, & landscape
• Start planning your free weekends
• Apply for passport, if you don't already have one

February
• Apply for scholarship from the Study Abroad Office
• Apply for scholarships from the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources
• Confirm travel plans and buy plane ticket

March/April
• Attend pre-departure orientation sessions held by project faculty
• Learn about and prepare for your project
• Write a letter to your host family
• Attend Study Abroad Office Orientation (pick up your insurance card)
• Pack

May/June

• Enjoy your experience in rural County Mayo Ireland!

Movies to get you in the Mood for Ireland

To hear Irish accents and to preview Irish landscapes, you might want to rent these videos/DVDs:

The Boys and a Girl from County Claire (musical & comedy)
This 2003 movie depicts rivaling traditional Irish folk music groups as they prepare for and compete at the All-Ireland Traditional Music Competition. Watch For: plenty of traditional Irish music, rivalries between brothers, and a twist at the end.

The Field (drama)
This 1990 film starring Richard Harris examines to village dynamics when an American outsider moves into a rural village with plans to purchase a widow’s field. The ending has all of the drama of Shakespearean tragedy. Watch For: Irish attitudes about the land and towards “tinkers” or “travelers.”

The Matchmaker (comedy)
An American politician seeking re-election sends a campaign employee to rural Ireland to find his roots for political purposes. The campaign employee, played by Janine Garofalo, arrives in the small town of Lisdoonvarna during its annual matchmaking festival. Watch For: the breathtaking Island scenery; the twisty-windy roads; the definition of craic; the importance of singing; and Garofalo's melt-down when she really, really wants to send a fax.

The Quiet Man (drama)
This 1952 classic starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara was filmed in the village of Cong. A disgraced boxer from America moves to Ireland and finds love with the fire-y village redhead. Watch For: traditional Irish families and villages, tensions between Protestants and Catholics, and how everyone turns out for the horserace.

The Secret of Roan Inish (children's section)
Told from the perspective a small, Irish girl, this tale chronicles the story of one family's move from an island (Roan Inish) to the mainland of Ireland and how the move affects on their lives. The young girl discovers a "lost relative" and an improbable explanation including a mermaid. Watch for: Irish legends concerning the sea; an explanation of the "dark" Irish; traditional roles for men and women; and storytelling over tea.

Veronica Guerin (drama)
This 2004 drama starring Kate Blanchett is based on real-life story of Dublin news reporter Veronica Guerin who wrote about drug dealers. The movie depicts Guerin’s commitment to journalism that makes a difference despite attempts on her life. Watch For: scenes from contemporary Dublin.

Waking Ned Devine (comedy)
A pensioner wins the lottery but passes away before the ticket can be claimed. The entire village (almost) rallies to come up with a plan to claim the ticket. See how they outwit the lottery commissioner. Watch For: the closeness and history of the Irish village; the centrality of the church in village life; and the sense of humor everyone seems to share.

Irish-English to American-English Translation Guide

In addition to expecting some difficulties with accents, you should be prepared to encounter language differences. Irish-English and American-English are not the same. Past students have begun a translation guide and list of special phrases you might encounter. While you are in-country, listen for new words to add to our list.

Translations prepared by Ella Ely (June 2002) and expanded by 2005 students.

Reading List

Aalen, F.H.A., Whelan, K., & Stout, M. (1997). Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork: Cork University Press. “The Making of the Irish Landscape: Synthesis of Habitat and History,” pp. 4-30.

Aalen, F.H.A., Whelan, K., & Stout, M. (1997). Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork: Cork University Press. “The Challenge of Change,” pp. 236-259

Cairde Rince Ceili na hEireann, www.ceilidancing.com

Commins, Patrick, Karen S. Hamrick, Anita C. Jansen, Kevin Murphy, and Peter L. Stenberg. ( ). Rural Issues in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland Common to the United States. Rural Development Perspectives, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 36-44.

Fear, Frank, Margaret Desmond, & Jan Hartough. (September 2000). Locally-Led, University-Assisted Rural Development: Affirming Local Control, Energizing Local Initiative, and Enabling Ongoing Action. Mid-Year Report.

Fear, Frank, Seamus Lillis, Peggy Desmond, Maureen Lally, and Jan Hartough. June/July 2002. “Beyond Convention: an Irish-American Collaboration in the West of Ireland.” Ceide: a Review from the Margins vol. 5, no. 6. pp. 24-28.

Green, G.P. and Haines, A. (2002). Asset Building and Community Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. pp. 34-61.

Johnson, Nuala C. (1999). Framing the past: time, space, and the politics of heritage tourism in Ireland. Political Geography Vol. 18, pp. 187-207.

Jurin, R.R., Danter, K.J., & Roush Jr., D.E. (2000). Environmental Communication. Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing. “Communicating Across Cultures,” pp. 123-133.

Kneafsey, Moya. (2002). “Sessions and Gigs: tourism and traditional music in North Mayo, Ireland.” Cultural Geographies in Practice. Vol. 9. pp. 354-358.

Kretzmann, J.P. and McKnight, J.L. (1993). Building Communities From the Inside Out: A Path Towards Finding and Mobilizing a Community’s Assets. Chicago; ACTA Publications. “Introduction,” pp. 1-10.

Lee, Anna. (January 2003). “Community Development in Ireland.” Community Development Journal. vol. 38, no. 1. pp. 48-58.

Levy, Patricia. (2000). Culture Shock! Ireland. Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company. Portland, OR. pp. 9-21; 86-101.

McDonagh, John. (2001). “A Plurality of Irelands: Changing Discourses of Economy, Society, and Space.” In Renegotiating Rural Development in Ireland. Burlington, VT: Ashgate. pp. 10-46 and Bibliography.

Mattessich, P., Monsey, B. & Roy, C. (1997). Community Building: What Makes It Work: A Review of Factors Influencing Successful Community Building. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. “Focusing On Communities: Where People Live,” pp. 6-10.

Meehan, Rosa. (2003). “A People and a Place.” The Story of Mayo. Castlebar: Mayo County Council & Mayo County Library. pp. 1-31.

Pilcher, J. & Hall, V. (2001). Flora Hibernica: the Wild Flowers, Plants, and Trees of Ireland. Cork: The Collins Press.

“The Power of Talk” collection of articles on Dialogue. (July-August 2002). UTNE magazine, pp. 54-65

Silberberg, Ted. (1995). “Cultural tourism and business opportunities for museums and heritage sites.” Tourism Management. Vol. 16., No.5, pp. 361-365.

Tochar Valley Rural Community Network Newsletter. November 1999.

What are Ceili and Set Dancing, www.netexpress.net/~gbade.whatis.htm

White, M. March (2003). “Far Edge of Ireland.” National Geographic Traveler. pp. 96-103.

Clothing—Pack for just 1 or 1 ½ weeks—not 5; you’ll do laundry there
Jeans
Khakis
Shirts for layering (t-shirts, other shirts)
Sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece!
Socks
Underwear
Warm pajamas
Bathrobe
Slippers (if you wear them)
Sturdy shoes (not just flip flops)
Waterproof shoes/boots
Raincoat
Rain pants (if you have them)
Swimsuit (for under your wetsuit for surfing)
Professional/dressy outfit (for your final presentation and for attending mass, if you go)

REMEMBER:
1. The climate in Ireland is cool and damp, alternating with sunny weather. Dressing in layers is the key.
2. Most homes & buildings are not heated as warmly as they are here in the US. Be sure to bring the kind of clothes that will keep you warm.
3. People are “dressier” in Ireland than they are here in the U.S. PJs and sweatshirts might be OK to wear at MSU, but you’ll look very out of place in Ireland.
4. As you know more project details (outdoors, indoors, at a school), you may need to pack different clothes to match your project environment.

Miscellaneous Items
Smaller bag or small suitcase for the weekend trips
Watch
Travel alarm clock
Camera (remember battery charger, disks, memory chips if you need them)
Film
Small umbrella
SMALL “appreciation” gift(s) for host family, mentor(s)
Your bathroom stuff
Sunscreen
Extra eyeglasses (eye glass repair kit)
Sunglasses
Medications—Prescription AND your favorite over-the-counter medicines; Cold/congestion medicine, upset tummy/intestinal medicine, “aches & pains” medicines (for headaches, muscle aches after walking)
Water bottle
Book to read (and swap with others)
Cards (or other game to play in the evening)

REMEMBER:
If you bring electronics (i.e., hairdryer, curling iron, battery charger, pda), you will need both a plug adapter (to make the plugs fit into the sockets) and a current converter (to prevent the Irish electrical current from blowing up/melting down your things). You can get these at Radio Shack, travel stores, even in the airport if you need to. Be sure to get the kind that work in the REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (and not Northern Ireland).

Important Papers to Bring with You
Airline ticket
Passport (also photocopy of your passport kept separately)
Money, travelers checks (also photocopy of checks kept separately), credit card
Insurance card & emergency telephone card (provided to you by Study Abroad office)
Ireland guidebooks, Ireland maps
Addresses of the people at home you want to write post cards to
A few photos of your family, loved ones, pets

Academic and Project-Related Materials
Course syllabus and handouts
Selected course readings
Your journal(s)
Any materials/resources that might help you with your project
Your favorite supplies (pens, pencils, extra paper) NOTE: office paper in Ireland is a different size!
Your computer
A flash drive for transferring files

Important Papers & Information to Give to Program Faculty BEFORE departure
Photocopy of passport
Copy of flight information/ticket
Information about other travel after trip, if you are traveling afterwards
Health Information (anything you feel you should share regarding current health status)

You should plan to bring your host family a gift, something small but meaningful. Typically, students bring a gift that reflects their own family or Michigan history.

In the past, students have given their host families:

1. Candy from their grandfather’s candy business

2. A homemade quilt the made the year leading up to the Ireland trip

3. Mackinaw fudge

4. Michigan blueberry or cherry jam

5. Spartan t-shirts for the kids

6. Children’s books of Michigan folktales

7. Crayons, coloring books, stickers for the little kids

8. MSU baseball caps

9. Knitted pillow cover

10. Homemade thimbleberry preserves from the U.P.

Ask the program faculty any questions you have about gifts for your host family.

Lovely Irish Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank

Keep in mind that some of the souvenirs associated with Ireland (wool sweaters, for example) are expensive, even more so with the exchange rate in Ireland’s favor. If you have friends/family with special requests, be sure they understand what they’re asking of you on your college budget.

1. Handmade soap scented with flowers from the Burren

2. Linen dish towels with Irish wildflowers or sayings

3. Handicrafts from the farmers’ market in Westport

4. Photograph/postcards from the Museum of Country Life in Turlough

5. Skeins of wool yarn for your friends who knit or crochet

6. Galway Crystal Heritage Center—especially “seconds” crystal and sale items

7. Irish chocolates (including yummy ones made with Bailey’s Irish cream)

8. Lavender sea salts, seaweed bath—natural spa items

9. Small book of Irish fairy tales

10. Framed photograph of you in your favorite place in Ireland