Frank West
Provider: IES
Dublin, Ireland
2024 Summer

Greetings from Dublin, Ireland!

Since arriving I am most proud of representing H-SC while studying in Dublin. As Hampden-Sydney men we are to hold ourselves to high academic and social standards. This does not end when we leave campus. I spend a lot of my free time hunting for records and exploring the city. I also spend time on the weekends in pubs or in cafes doing interviews and chatting with
locals.

I have gone out of the city a couple of times because Greystones and Howth are only 40 minutes and a couple of euros away. I have been taking lots of pictures with my 35mm and cannot wait to have them developed. Hiking is one of my favorite activities and there is plenty of opportunities in the little towns outside Dublin. It is not so different than how I spend my time at home, just more exciting. I have given up on learning Gaelic due to time constraints, but I have picked up some phrases. A lot of the signs are in Gaelic but I just ask someone what It means, or use google translate. Béaláiste means to toast but does not have a direct English translation.


35mm negatives and prints of spots in Greystones and Howth

Music is one of most important things in my life, and Dublin has no shortage of It. There is a Rock n Roll bar called Fibbers down the street from my dorm that has metal and punk bands every night. There are a lot of buskers or street musicians that play Irish folk music that I enjoy listening to downtown. I also picked up a couple of CDs with folk music on them! I Got to see Rammstein live, and they were phenomenal. It was one of the most intense concerts I have been to in a while!


Metal Gig at Fibber’s

Rammstein Concert!

There is not much here that I do not do at home or cannot do at home, but If I had to come up with something, I would say that I do not have an easy and cheap way to frequent museums. Back home, they are either too far away or I have already been to the ones nearby. I primarily spend time with a small group of American students from up north. We have had several memorable adventures both inside and outside the classroom. I have met several international students along the way, but I have only spent time together with them a few times. Our classrooms are a bit claustrophobic, but I don’t really mind because we do not spend a lot of time in the classroom except for history.

4th Of July Party!