Liberal Arts students soak in Irish literature and art while studying abroad

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Over the summer, 17 Penn State students participated in the “Traveling Ireland: Representing the Irish Landscape, Literature and Visual Arts” faculty-led study abroad program.

Throughout the program, the students had the opportunity to travel to various parts of Ireland, including Galway and the Burren region of Country Clare, while immersing themselves in the Irish culture that heavily values and embraces the arts and literature. 

Janet Lyon, associate professor of English and women's, gender and sexuality studies, and Helen O’Leary, professor of art, were the program leaders for this five-week program. Teaching in Ireland has been “one of the greatest parts of work at Penn State,” said Lyon. 

“In contrast to most Americans, Irish people and Irish culture are highly attuned to literature,” said Lyon. “This country is smaller than Ohio, and it has produced some of the greatest literature in the world, so getting students to be very open to the unfamiliar focus on literature is an important aspect of the trip.”

While studying in a country where the arts are embraced, students took what they experienced and applied it to their personal art and writing pieces, as well as other workshops. The group spent one week in Dublin, three weeks in the Burren and one week in Galway, where they visited various sites that influenced Irish literature and art, watched several theatrical productions and attended the Galway Arts Festival. 

“I have always wanted to go to Europe,” said Jordynn Cheatle, a fourth-year student majoring in comparative literature and global and international studies. “From what I had seen and learned, Ireland seemed like an amazing place. The itinerary for the trip and seeing all the different places we would be going to really pushed me to apply.”

Because of the program’s ecological and sustainability component, the literature and art courses explored how sustainability has affected and can be incorporated into both mediums. From learning how to create fabric dye from native Irish plants to hearing from various environmental scientists, the students gained an array of new knowledge.

“Having these kinds of workshops and guest lecturers was a unique experience,” said Cheatle. “We had a ton of famous artists and writers come in and read to us and participate in discussions, like Claire Keegan, which was cool. We also saw a lot of theater productions in famous theaters like the Abbey Theater in Dublin.”

While the students did not have a lot of free time, the professors ensured that they kept students busy and entertained. One thing that took up some of their time was working on art projects in their individual studio space during their stay at the Burren College of Art.

“Even though I am an English major, and a lot of people there were art majors, I was still encouraged to immerse myself in art in a way that I had never been able to before,” said Margaret Dickinson-Sherry. “It felt nice to have this studio space where I showed off my work and talked to people about what I did. It was a unique experience that I have never gotten before, and honestly, I do not know if many other places could have provided that for me.” 

Dickinson-Sherry, who graduated this summer with a degree in English, said that being with the art majors and making art herself allowed her to understand what art truly is. She noted the passion and dedication that went into making art was something she had never noticed before. 

Because this program was open to students of any major, Madeline Eiser, a second-year student majoring in English and minoring in Spanish and theater, said she was nervous to travel without knowing anyone else in the group. However, she soon found out that the other students were also in the same boat, and they all connected quickly with one another, which enhanced the experience.

“When it is you and some friends, you can change plans last-minute and not feel bad,” said Eiser, native to Philadelphia. “We could do whatever we wanted like walking around and shopping, or simply hang out. I enjoyed that aspect because it felt less touristy and more like, I am living here for the summer.”

While the tuition covered the price of these excursions and activities, students were responsible for some meals and other activities they wanted to do outside of the group. With that in mind, the College of the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network provided funding to help offset the burden of tuition and other aspects.

“I received two grants from the College of the Liberal Arts, which was super helpful,” said Eiser. “With these grants, my parents and I felt way less stressed to send me on this trip.”

For Dickinson-Sherry, it was an experience she won’t soon forget, and she said she was grateful to have fit it into her schedule before graduation. 

“The opportunity to not only travel to a different country but to study and immerse yourself in the culture, especially with an intensive trip like this, is an experience that is hard to get outside of college,” said Dickinson-Sherry, of Williamsport. “If you have the ability to take the opportunity when you are in college, even if you are not a big traveler, it is worth jumping into even if it feels scary or maybe a little bit impractical.”

This is one in a series of 10 stories about College of the Liberal Arts faculty-led course trips that took place this summer. Summer 2024 programs will be posted before the end of the fall 2023 semester. Read additional stories and learn more.