Dia Dhuit (Hello) from the City of Tribes! Cén chaoi a bhfuil tú? (How are you?)

Standing in the university's Quadrangle: a Tudor Gothic Style building made from local limestone. Fun fact: the university was founded by a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria as one of three Queen's Colleges in Ireland! — Standing in the university’s Quadrangle: a Tudor Gothic Style building made from local limestone. Fun fact: the university was founded by a Royal Charter from Queen Victoria as one of three Queen’s Colleges in Ireland!

As home to the largest Irish-speaking Gaeltacht in the nation, Galway has proven to be an ideal place to learn the Irish language. While my vocabulary is currently limited to bruscar (trash) and leithreas (toilet), I can thank my colleagues at the Health Promotion Research Centre for teaching me the slang that really matters:

what’s the craic? (what’s happening?)

The Health Promotion Research Centre (HPRC) is housed within the National University of Ireland, Galway (known now as Ollscoil na Gaillimhe). As a designated WHO Collaborating Centre, you can imagine that the reach of the HPRC spans globally – it also happens to be the only one of its kind in the entire country! I’ve been surrounded by some of the top health promotion researchers in Europe and welcomed with open arms and lots of tea!

My practicum consists of two primary projects: the first of which is the development of an advocacy tool for the incredible on-campus Student Food Pantry, and the second of which is the pilot report for the Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey (HBSC – yes, another 4-letter acronym that starts with H). The HBSC survey is a WHO collaborative cross-national survey that is administered in 51 countries every four years and includes measures around (but not limited to) bullying, planetary health, and sexual behavior – all of which are used to inform policy and practice in Ireland. The final National Report will look something like this.

Fun fact #2: the Claddagh ring originated right behind me. Not pictured in the river are the baby swans (cygnets) who have been the talk of the town as of late!

To my luck, 2022 happens to be an HBSC year. Markers, parcels, and rubber bands fly across the room as we package and mail hundreds of surveys to primary and post-primary schools ranging from the rural countryside of Leitrim to the bustling cityside of Dublin. While I’ve begun to develop an understanding of Ireland’s vast geography from traveling up and down its rugged coasts and islands, I’ve gained an even better idea from being part of this mailing process. Who would’ve thought? The only complaint I can muster is trying to understand the Irish education system as an American: Class v. Year? Post-primary v. Secondary? Transition Year? Leaving Cert? I’m confused but trying.

Galway itself is a breathtaking and charming medieval city steeped in fascinating history and surrounded by lots of water. I firmly believe that the best way to understand the nuance of a city is to turn to its local art scene – and Galway is teeming with it: from ukulele flash mobs in the city centre to Seanchai sessions (ancient Irish storytelling) to modern Irish films (An Cailín Ciúin – highly recommend) to short plays at the National Irish language theatre – I am soaking it all in (and speaking of soaking, I’ve developed another layer of skin from cycling hundreds of kilometers through the rain and wind). The fastest city river in the continent, River Corrib, runs directly through the heart of Galway, along the Claddagh, and into the Atlantic (which is silhouetted by the gorgeous Burren Mountain range). This is often used to explain the charged energy harnessed in its people and translated into its charming and lively cobblestone streets.

I could get used to my bedroom window view!

In my short time here, I’ve heard multiple people refer to Galway as a magnet: no matter how far away you go, some internal force always brings you back. I have a feeling I might become yet another example of this!

-Lilly