Dublin, Ireland — My week-long journey to Ireland has officially come to a close, and I wanted to take a few moments to write down some reflections on my time here.
Throughout the week, I found countless opportunities to explore Dublin and take in everything this beautiful country had to offer.
From stops at national parks to centuries-old churches and museums filled with art and relics, every destination gave me another opportunity to experience the history and culture of Ireland.
Every interaction I had throughout the week was incredible. Literally every person I met was welcoming, treating me like family from the moment they said hello. Some of the best moments came from simply sitting at a pub, pint in hand, singing songs and sharing stories with someone I had met 10 minutes earlier as if we were at a family reunion.
The city of Dublin was painted Carolina Blue and Purple, with Americans proudly representing UNC and TCU. By the time the game actually began, Aviva Stadium had become so loud that I questioned whether I was international or actually at a home game. Standing in that atmosphere halfway across the world was a perfect reminder of the passion and pageantry that make college football special, while also showing the pursuit to grow the game beyond American borders.
One of my favorite parts of the game was networking with other media creatives. Most photographers overseas were accustomed to shooting soccer, rugby, or hurling and admitted they didn’t quite understand the rules or shooting strategy of American football. After huddling up and giving them a few brief explanations, they were ready to roll, and they all came away with some amazing stills.
One of the more unexpected moments came from a conversation with a group of girls at a pub that somehow turned into me teaching them different college sports hand signals. For the next two days, they’d run up to random people across the city wearing purple and throw up the TCU “Go Frogs” signal or hold up the U for Miami, blindly representing teams they had just learned about.
If you asked me what my favorite part of the entire experience was, many would probably assume it was covering the game or spending time in the pubs. While I absolutely love covering college football, and I’d never say no to a bar crawl, my favorite part of the trip came Monday morning after making a stop at Phoenix Park.
Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed public urban park in any European capital, spanning 1,750 acres and famous for its herd of wild deer that roam the area. While at the park, I found the herd pretty easily and simply joined them on their daily graze. They were never scared of my presence or the shutter from my camera, and a few even wandered over to check me out.
After about an hour of following the herd and taking pictures, I sat down in the grass to edit some shots and simply took in the scenery. For the first time all week, there was nowhere I needed to be and nothing I needed to do. I could just sit there, look around, and appreciate where I was.
While I’ll never in a million years call French fries “chips” or refer to soccer as “football,” there are plenty of things I’ll be bringing home with me to America.
Most people know an Irish goodbye as leaving a gathering early and unexpectedly.
My Irish goodbye is a little different.
I’m leaving with a lifetime of memories, countless stories, new friendships, and a little piece of Dublin in my heart.
