During the 2025-26 academic year, I developed the first education abroad program for the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at USC. Dr. Kathryn Luchok served as the program assistant. The program and course “Gender, Culture, and Mythology in Ireland” garnered much interest, and I met with 30 interested students (individually) over the fall 2025 semester. Ultimately, 15 students registered for the course and trip. Students’ majors included Women’s and Gender Studies, Anthropology, English, Political Science, Psychology, and Nursing. Years included sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Some students had extensive international travel experience and had participated in previous education abroad programs, but for most, this was their first education abroad experience!  

During the 10-day trip, we traveled to four areas of Ireland – Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway. The course was centered on the symbolism of Ireland’s waters (primarily rivers). While in Ireland, we saw many of the rivers that students had read about, including the Rivers Liffey, Lee, Shannon, and Corrib. Many of these rivers are central to the towns and have rich history. There are many highlights from the trip that I have noted below:

Dublin 

Custom House 

• We visited the Custom House and saw Smyth’s (mis)representation of river goddesses, as all but one of the 14 carved heads is a goddess; the other 13 are depicted as gods – even though “most of the rivers, in Celtic mythology, are personified as goddesses, not gods” (Shauna Fox, “Women, Water, and Wisdom in Celtic Mythology”).  

Trinity College Library and Book of Kells 

• Students were able to see the four female scholar sculptures that were recently included in The Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College in 2023. Prior to 2023, only male scholars were included. The four female scholars include: Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Lady Augusta Gregory (https://www.tcd.ie/news_events/articles/2023/first-look-at-new-sculptures-of-women-in-old-library/) 

Cork 

Rock of Cashel 

• It was a cold, windy day when we visited the Rock of Cashel, a historical site dating back to the 4th century! We explored the grounds, took pictures, then had a delicious lunch just down the road at a local diner. We enjoyed shopping at a local wool shop and many students bought handmade sweaters and scarves. 

University College Cork (UCC) 

• We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and lecture at University College Cork. The campus was incredible. Historic buildings lined the campus, and the grounds were well maintained. One of the UCC professors led the tour. We saw buildings named for women who were the first to graduate, a beautiful chapel that is often used for weddings, and we ended with a lecture about Irish heroic literature and gender in medieval Ireland. A few of the students were so impressed that they made inquiries about attending graduate school at UCC. 

Blarney Castle 

• Blarney Castle was a favorite part of the trip for many of us. The grounds were stunning and vast. The group split with half going inside the castle to kiss the Blarney stone, and the other half exploring the grounds. It was a magical experience, as we saw fields of sheep, lush gardens, small bridges, and witch and fairy stones. This excursion was in keeping with the mythological theme of the course. 

Limerick 

Bunratty Castle and Folk Park/Village 

• Bunratty Castle and Folk Village is a recreated 19th century Irish village with a castle in the center. Inside the Castle, we had a partially guided tour and were able to sit in the great hall. Some of us opted not to walk up the 87 steps to the top of the castle, as the staircases were narrow, winding, and steep. 

• The Folk Village was exciting to explore. There was a blacksmith, small houses with furnished rooms and working fireplaces, separate boys and girls' school rooms, and shops. There were guides in the houses and rooms and shopkeepers in each shop who were friendly and shared interesting and helpful information. The grounds included wildlife such as the Irish red deer. 

The Cliffs of Moher: 

• The Cliffs of Moher were the highlight of the trip. It was a very rainy, cold day but we enjoyed walking to the Cliffs and taking videos and pictures. It was a surreal experience for many of us, especially with the rainy backdrop. 

Galway 

University of Galway 

• The lecture focused on folklore in Ireland and included information on historical landmarks and language. 

Food

• Welcome and farewell group dinners were included and were held in two of the oldest pubs in Ireland, featuring delicious food with historical significance. We also had several group lunches. Delicious stews, burgers, curry, fish and chips were favorites. Many of us discovered that we like our chips (fries) with garlic mayonnaise.

Shopping

• To my (pleasant) surprise, the entire group enjoyed shopping at the gift shops along the way. On almost every excursion, there was a gift shop. While some of the shops contained typical tourist trinkets, many of them had unique and affordable items that were perfect for gifts and keepsakes. We enjoyed showing the group our new items – especially scarves, hats, sweaters, and food items. 

Students

• The students were incredibly kind, curious, adventurous, adaptable, and supportive. They were eager to explore and enjoy the experiences to the fullest. During our group reflections, they eagerly discussed the excursions, lectures, and sites, analyzing the ways women were represented/misrepresented. Many had taken at least one WGST course prior to the trip and had a strong foundation to help the students who did not have a WGST background. A few of the students enjoyed Ireland so much and were so impressed by the universities that they are hoping to attend graduate school in Ireland. 

It was an incredible experience for me both personally and professionally. I plan to explore and reflect on what worked well so that I can refine and develop a future education abroad course and trip to Ireland. The feedback from students has been invaluable as I begin planning a special topics course and education abroad trip centered on Witchcraft, Fairies, and Folklore. Onward!