My name is Clara Eikeboom and I am interning at Her Sport, where I will be working on marketing, communications, and content creation. As soon as I landed in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday morning, I began noticing new cultural norms around me. The streets and road signs are labeled in English and Irish (Gaelic). Also, the cars drive on the left side of the road, which felt disorienting at first. When I arrived at my apartment in University College of Dublin, I noticed more differences between Europe and America. The shower floor is the bathroom floor and the toilet barely flushes any water.
In my first ANOP 315 – Guinness to Globalization class, I learned about the history of religion in Ireland. The Protestant United Kingdom ruled over the Irish Catholics. At the EPIC Emigration Museum, I continued to learn that conflicts in these western European islands exacerbated the struggles during the Great Potato Famine. Ireland lost two million residents by death or emigration; their numbers have not yet recovered.
The first few days of my internship have been lovely and I am grateful to Lea at Connect-123 for providing me this wonderful opportunity at Her Sport. Her Sport is a media company that is bringing visibility to women’s sports. They post clips and write stories for social media, sell merchandise, and have a membership program. My onboarding and introductory tasks went smoothly and I am already in the thick of writing articles, creating email newsletters, researching companies, and reporting on Irish female athletes. Her Sport’s mission is particularly important right now, as the Paris 2024 Olympics are approaching. We are providing media coverage about team Ireland and Irish athletes going to the Games. Our hopes are to change previous beliefs that only men’s sports are important.
Tipping culture in Ireland is different from in America. I have observed that tips are optional at restaurants, whereas in America, 20% is expected. Perhaps this cultural difference is due to different economies and wage laws. I would like to learn more about Irish politics, because I have seen numerous signs around town for an upcoming election. I would like to learn how Ireland is rebuilding itself out of the Troubles and turning into a vibrant technological and commercial hub.
Overall, the first few days have been full of excitement and learning, including taking the wrong bus three times, trying salt flavored ice cream, and seeing the sun set at 20:00. I am excited for my next several weeks in Ireland, and I hope to absorb the culture, nature, nightlife, and food!
So fun! Enjoy your trip! Thank you for sharing. I wish I could be there experiencing these fun things with you!
Love the photos. Shows the yummy food, cool nightlife, and beautiful architecture.
Thanks for the update! Have fun Clara!