East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland
Trailer
For a University with Ireland in its DNA, a presence on the Emerald Isle is only natural. But Notre Dame doesn't just have a presence in Ireland; it has a relationship with it.
In East and West: Notre Dame in Ireland, we take a look at how the University is making an impact in Dublin and in the western part of country.
May the road rise up to meet you
There’s a traditional Irish blessing that begins, “May the road rise up to meet you.”
It’s meant to convey well-wishes for a smooth journey…both literally and figuratively.
But yet, there’s something to be said for choosing to go off the beaten path. For intentionally taking the road less traveled.
In the first part of our look at Notre Dame's relationship with Ireland, we focus on Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in the Connemara region. Students and scholars from every academic discipline come to Kylemore for the space they need to focus on their work and experience the cultural heart of Ireland.
Common Home
In episode two, we explore Notre Dame students' work on environmental issues in Ireland. None is more pressing than the role of bogs, a quintessential feature of the Irish landscape. They've been plowed over for generations to harvest the underlying peat for fuel. As the practice is phased out, one Notre Dame graduate student is studying how to restore these crucial pieces of carbon-storing habitat.
But her work is only part of the University's effort to care for our common home.
The Legacy of the Liberator
We round out our time in Ireland by exploring Dublin, from its familiar sounds to its famous Georgian homes. One such home is the first stop for Notre Dame students studying here: O'Connell House, the former residence of Daniel O'Connell, known as "The Liberator."
As we found out, students are using the structure much in the same way O'Connell did: as a place where knowledge is made to serve the common good.
To learn more about Notre Dame's presence in Dublin, head to dublin.nd.edu.
East and West, Notre Dame in Ireland was produced by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications. Original music for the series by Alex Mansour.