Author: ggalfano

This week’s title is inspired by Jack White’s “Temporary Ground.” For me, this song perfectly encapsulates the feelings of uncertainty that accompany transition (in this case, from Ireland back to the United States).

Tá mé ar an gcampas arís, ach tá mo chroí in Éirinn fós… Is fada liom uaim mo chairde agus mo ranganna. Beidh mé ag tógáil an rang Gaeilge eile san ollscoil Notre Dame an tearma seo; tá sceitimíní orm! It is hard to believe that I was in Ireland a little over a week ago, speaking Irish with friends from around the world, sipping tea during class tea breaks, and hiking beautiful mountains on the weekends. My heart aches for those people, places, and moments; I am truly lucky to have been a part of this experience and to have grown in my linguistic and cultural competence this summer.

In the days since my return to the United States, I have noticed a lingering desire to speak simple phrases in Irish, to tell someone “Go raibh maith agat” when he/she/they holds open a door for me, to ask “An bhfuil tú ceart go leor?” of my friends and loved ones. Yet, no one in my immediate vicinity speaks Irish, so I refrain from verbalizing the words that have now taken up residence in my head. Indeed, this experience has increased my compassion for people who speak languages other than the “mainstream” language of their given locale. It also lights a fire in me to continue studying this language and others so that I might be able to communicate with more people in the languages they are most comfortable speaking.

In addition to deepening my love of the Irish language, this experience offered me greater insight into Irish culture. Although I studied abroad in Ireland last fall, I felt more truly immersed this summer while in Donegal, where I shared meals and stories with my Irish host family and teachers, all through the medium of Irish. I also had opportunities to explore traditional Irish music and song, as well as attempt to read Irish poetry, providing me with a more holistic understanding of Irish history, agriculture, and emigration, among other topics. I am eager to continue my study of these subjects with Professor McKibben’s “Sex and Power in Irish Literature: From Warrior Queens to Punk Poets” and Professor MacLeod’s “Intermediate Irish” this upcoming semester. I also hope that one day, I might return to Ireland, once again immersing myself in the land and language that has captured my heart. Ní scríobhfaidh mé arís anseo, ach go raibh maith agat fá choinne d’am.

***I am departing Ireland this week and am in the process of saying goodbye to the people and places that have made this experience special. As such, Ella Fitzgerald’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye” is my chosen title for capturing the sadness of my farewells.

Dia daoibh! Imeoidh mé Déardaoin an tseachtain seo; d’fhoghlaim mé go leor anseo (teanga, amhráin, damhsa, agus go leor rudaí eile), agus tá sé deacair imeacht. Tá mo chroí ag briseadh… Nearing the end of my time in Ireland, I have been attempting to process the experiences I have had, the lessons I have learned, and the relationships I have developed over the course of the language learning program. I have found that it is hard to put into words, English or Irish, what the opportunity to study Irish in the Gaeltacht has meant to me, but I will endeavor to do so in this post.

Speaking the Irish language has been a way for me to connect with the country, culture, and history that was very dear to my Irish grandmother. During my first week here, my teacher shared an Irish proverb: Beatha teanga í a labhairt, which translates to “The language lives by speaking it.” Likewise, speaking Irish has been a way to manifest my late grandmother’s presence in my life while simultaneously helping me to make sense of my own cultural identity. Many of my beliefs have been molded by my upbringing in America, specifically in a suburb of Chicago, so this experience was especially impactful in terms of understanding diverse cultural dimensions of the United States and Ireland. For instance, both countries rank as individualistic per Hofstede Insights, with individualism being defined as “the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members.” Even so, the United States is more “individualistic” than Ireland by 21 points (Hofstede Insights). Living in two remote Gaeltacht areas this summer, I witnessed an extremely strong sense of community, with most individuals knowing each other by name and going out of their way to help others. To illustrate, I stopped by my classmate’s accommodation last week to say hello, and as we were chatting, his host mother came into the sitting room with a burger she had made especially for me. She insisted that I stay and join them for dinner. Similarly, when I asked where the bus station was in a nearby town, a man walked me directly to the stop to ensure that I was in the correct location. The kindness and hospitality of the people I have encountered has been incredible! In the future, I hope to have the opportunity to compare these experiences in rural Ireland with the more populated areas of the island.

Another cultural dimension I have studied this summer is the power distance index, defined as the “extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally” (Hofstede Insights). The United States scored 40 on the power distance index, while Ireland scored 28, suggesting that Irish culture is less tolerant of power inequalities amongst its society members (Hofstede Insights). I observed this in the way that the Irish language teachers interacted with students, insisting that students call them by their first names, as well as participating in the nightly cultural programming (e.g. singing, dancing, poetry, etc.) alongside students. In this way, the power dynamic between teachers and students was dismantled, creating ample opportunities to practice the Irish language and get to know each other better as people who share a love of the Irish word and culture. I am grateful for the incredible mentorship I have experienced as an Irish language student and intend to stay active in this community as I continue my language education.

Anois, caithfidh mé mo mhála taistil a phacáil! Go raibh maith agaibh; scríobhfaidh mé arís nuair a tá mé ar an gcampas i mí Lúnasa.

***Given the prevalence of music in this week’s cultural activities, “When the Music’s Over” by The Doors seemed the most appropriate title for my fourth entry.

Dia daoibh. Tá mé ag scríobh anois i mo sheomra i nGleann Fhinne, agus ní chreidim go bhfuil mé ag imeacht an tseachtain seo! Níl mé ag iarraidh dul! D’fhoghlaim mé go leor, agus ní dhéanfaidh mé dearmad ar an áit seo. In addition to practicing my spoken Irish and familiarizing myself with the grammatical structures of the language, these past few weeks have offered greater insight into Irish culture, specifically through the medium of music. I attended a music session last week, where approximately 40 people gathered at the national school in Gleann Fhinne for an evening of ceol agus craic. Seated in a large circle together, musicians and spectators bonded as fiddles, bagpipes, guitars, harps, and tin whistles were played, with some pieces accompanied by words as Gaeilge. In addition, several people volunteered to sing their own songs, contributing musical pieces from Scotland, Wales, South Korea, Poland, and many other locations. 

Several times, the moderator of this event inquired if the other Notre Dame students and myself would like to sing for the group, which we declined to do each time. In those moments, I felt uncomfortable and nervous; as a lackluster singer, I could not fathom following the incredibly beautiful and moving acts of the session performers. I began to wonder why the moderator was so keen on us performing; what cultural force was at play here? Upon using the D.I.V.E. (Description, Interpretation, Verification, Evaluation) model, I achieved a greater understanding of the potential meaning behind his request for us to sing. During my time in the Gaeltacht, I have found that music reflects local and cultural pride, serving as a strong force that brings people together. A means of communication, traditional Irish music creates a space where we can reflect on Irish history, as well as collective experiences of love and loss. The precision of the notes and perfection of the singing voice are less important than the emotions the music evokes; at the end of the day, we just want to feel connected. Perhaps, in asking us to sing, the session moderator was really asking us to partake in this act of community building, offering us the space to share our stories if we wanted. Perhaps, next time, if I am feeling more bold, I will accept his offer. Go raibh maith agaibh; tá an-ocras orm, agus anois beidh mé ag ithe an dinnéar leis na mic léinn eile. Slán go fóill!

***This week’s post describes some of the conversations I have had with people at my site and the process of sharing and reflecting on different perspectives. Consequently, I selected the song “Talk” by Coldplay for this week’s entry.

Dia daoibh. Tá mé i mo dhara seachtain san Oideas Gael! I am now taking courses in Gleann Fhinne, approximately one hour from the Gleann Cholm Cille campus, and residing with another host family in a mountainous stretch of the Irish countryside. Despite the remoteness of this location, I have met people from all over the world, befriending Irish learners from Scotland, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Australia, among others. It has been extremely interesting to learn about people’s distinct motivations for studying Irish, their ways of life in their home countries, and their perceptions of Americans and American culture. Most of my classmates have commented on our political system, asking about the upcoming 2024 election and noting Americans’ apparent obsession with the American flag per news stories they have read or watched. We have also discussed American cuisine, with one classmate inquiring about the copious amounts of cheese Chicagoans put on their pizza. Hearing their perspectives is valuable, as it is interesting to view my country from the eyes of someone who does not live there. At their core, these discussions are opportunities for learning and information exchange, as a classmate’s question about American culture is met with one of my own about his/her/their culture, helping us to develop a better cultural context for each respective place.

In addition to intercultural development, my language abilities are progressing nicely. To aid myself in recalling the details of this experience later, I have been keeping a personal journal, adding entries each day about the sites I saw, the people I met, and the things I learned. In this second week of my immersion experience, I have noticed myself feeling more inclined to write in Irish, incorporating Irish words and phrases into my entries to capture specific moments from the day. I have also become more comfortable speaking Irish, engaging in conversation with my host family and the other students. In particular, the breakfast table has become an impactful learning space, where Irish is the primary means of requesting that someone pass the butter or asking how someone feels on a given morning. Though challenging, this exercise has really helped me to develop as an Irish speaker and has translated to the classroom, helping me to feel more at ease listening to and speaking the Irish language. Tá mé ag fágáil anois fá choinne bricfeasta, ach scríobhfaidh mé arís go moille! Go raibh maith agaibh, agus slán go fóill!