Days 6 and 7!

Hi everyone, my name is Tess Wright and I am a sophomore Sport Management major in the Falk School.  I am the last person to blog so I'm excited to explain our last two days and reflect on the trip!

On our 6th day, we had a packed schedule including visits to a physiotherapist and to the Na Fianna Gaelic Sports Club. Our day started with a walk through St. Stevens Park where we saw swans and beautiful scenery on our way to our first destination. When we arrived, the physio led us through some exercises as he explained his process when taking in new clients, how he decides how to treat them, and some of who is clients are. He also covered the business management side and how he's run his business. We found out later our physio was a hurling star! 

After lunch, we headed over to the Na Fianna Gaelic Sports Club, who happen to be the reigning All-Ireland Hurling champions! There we were able to hear from the chairman of the organization about how things are run, his role, and how volunteers play a vital role in the clubs around Ireland to run Gaelic games. Additionally, we were able to try out both hurling and Gaelic Football! It was two intense matches between our students and made me better understand and respect the games! I personally liked Gaelic Football better. While at Na Fianna, we were able to meet Sephi, who makes "hurleys", which are the sticks used in hurling. 

On our 7th day, we headed out early to visit Dublin City University, where we had a busy day of lectures. We covered topics varying from supplements for athletes, running injuries, and prevention of injury in Gaelic sports. My favorite part was the exoskeleton; DCU has a unique machine that helps people with neurological disorders relearn and try to walk. Specifically, they have two machines, but one is a smaller exoskeleton/robot that is designed for kids and is one of only thirty in the world. We heard from the team who is studying the exoskeleton and told us great stories of kids who had never walked before being able to hug grandparents for the first time in their lives by using the exoskeleton. Super cool:)

Overall, this trip has been an amazing experience. It has been amazing to hear about the unique way Irish sports are played, how people play for pride rather than money or professionalism, and learn about a different side of the industry, for me, through exercise science lectures. Visiting the cliffs, seeing sheep herding, and visiting the Guinness factory were some out-of-class highlights. Throughout this trip experiencing the Irish culture and learning about the language, troubled history, and developments that the country has been through have been fascinating. The sense of pride around their heritage is amazing to see. Adding onto that, another amazing part of the trip has been the group of 13 students we have and how well we've all gotten along. We have a great group of students from different areas and I've loved spending time getting to know everyone. I have loved this trip and I am grateful I was able to be a part of it!

Day 5 :)

 Hi all! I'm Marisol Russo and I'm a junior studying Information Management and Technology with a concentration in Data Analytics at the iSchool. While I am not a Falk student, I was very interested in this classes subject, and since arriving to Dublin I have learned so much more! It is nice to learn about topics not included in my major I am expanding my circle of knowledge. 

Today we had a very full day at Leinster Rugby Club learning about various topics as well as seeing one of their facilities and meeting some staff. We arrived by coach to one of their training facilities primarily used by academy and clubs in the county as well as a gym the women's team will use. Paul Cahill, a senior content and social producer, met us and explained a little about his role and an overview of Leinster Rugby and some of his social media strategies to create a digital brand of the team and club. They have various different campaigns and types of content across their various social media platforms but Paul specifically showcased "This is Leinster" their YouTube series following certain players and their stories, this was a huge insight into how these players, specifically the women's team we saw, live their daily lives and their love and passion for the sport and Leinster. After Paul spoke, we heard from Rob Burke the partnerships manager who introduced us to the types of partnerships Leinster Rugby Club runs and how they select who to partner with. 

Leinster was very kind to have provided us with lunch, some wraps and chips as well as pastries from the morning, and with a long lunch break the group took a walk along the river to a nearby strip of different shops, pubs, and more. We decided to sit at a coffee shop and enjoy the sunny day (fingers crossed that it hasn't rained yet!). After our lunch break we were then joined by University of South Carolina for our next presentations, first from Jack O'Brien who has been at Leinster Rugby on their analytics team for 5 years now. I found his presentation very interesting mostly because it was the closest thing to my major! He had a lot of cool experience and insight in how analyzing certain data points, specifically GPS and speed, can help staff make informed decisions dealing with various players.

After Jack spoke, we then heard from Garreth Farrell who is the Head of Physiotherapy who broke down his role and his team who all help to make sure the players are able to recover quickly if they sustain any injury. After Garreth, we then heard from John Ryan who is the head physician who talked to us about case studies pertaining to types of injuries players typically sustain during play. John informed us that the most frequent injury they see are concussions as well as how certain injuries can occur. John provided us with some xrays as well as photos of in-game injuries - while I am not good with blood John was very informative about his role and what he can see on a weekly or daily basis with the players. 

 After departing Leinster Rugby Club, the group got dinner and we tried a famous Dublin "spice bag" which included fries, onions, fried chicken, carrots, dusted with various spices, red peppers, then after some advice from some locals, we put curry sauce on it which made it extremely better!

We ate the Spice Bag while walking to meet up with the rest of the group at the Temple Bar. Overall this day was extremely informative about the impact of Rugby especially Leinster Rugby in Ireland. I look forward to learning more tomorrow and the rest of this week about the influence of sport in Ireland!

Day 5!

Hi guys! My name is Becca Weidemanis, I am a sophomore and I’m currently studying Exercise Science and Nutrition. I’m so excited to be writing this blog and incredibly grateful for the chance to share the amazing experiences I had today during our abroad trip to Ireland.

The day started off with a delicious breakfast at the hotel—chocolate croissants and a cup of coffee that were absolutely amazing! After fueling up, I hopped on the bus with the group and we made our way to the Leinster Rugby Club. The visit was packed with insightful talks from some incredible professionals, including athletic trainers, sports physiotherapists, and a sports scientist. Each speaker shared valuable knowledge, and it was so inspiring to hear firsthand about the work they do. The information I learned today really solidified my passion for pursuing a career in this field and gave me even more motivation to keep working towards my goals.

After the sessions, we headed back to our hotel and took some time to explore the city together. It was great getting to know everyone better, and we ended the day by dining at a cozy restaurant called The Hairy Lemon. The food was fantastic, and it was the perfect way to unwind after a busy but fulfilling day.

I’m truly grateful for this experience and can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings. Thanks for reading, and good night everyone!

Day 4: Free Day!

Greetings all! My name is Justin Rappaport and I am a junior majoring in Sport Management with a minor in business. I am delighted to share with you my rundown of another great day on the Emerald Isle!

It's hard to believe we are already on day 4 of this amazing trip! Our time here so far has been nothing short of phenomenal, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are in love with the Irish culture!

Today we had the opportunity to take time off from programming and create our own itinerary for the day! We all ended up deciding to take a visit to the Guinness Storehouse, one of the premier tourist attractions in all of Ireland and the world. It was actually granted the award of being the world's leading tourist attraction in 2023! The entire tour also happens to be within the world's largest pint glass, and as you ascend you learn about a different step in the brewing process. 

There we gained an extensive background about the history of Guinnesses founding, the creation of the beverage from milling and mashing all the way to storing, a history of Guinnesses advertising campaigns, and we even learned the proper way to taste the draught! Honestly, the most unique part of the entire tour was the tasting room which was blindingly white and had 4 vats brimming with the smoke of the different aromatics that are infused into the beer. It was something straight out of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and added a whole new sensory experience to the tour! At the conclusion of the journey we all received a complimentary beverage, however, this was no ordinary Guinness. It had our faces on the head making it a much more personal experience! We then proceeded to the top floor of the pint glass, the Gravity Bar, which overlooks the entire city of Dublin and made for an even more surreal experience. It was awesome to be able to see all of the different landmarks including the Spire and St. Patricks Tower from such an elevated view. 

After this initial tour, our fellowship decided to go our separate ways in the pursuit of different experiences. I along with Nicolas Cueba and Ryan Casano participated in a very intimate whiskey tasting at Roe and Co. Distillery (a subsidiary of Diageo which is also the parent company of Guinness). There we took a tour of the actual factory where the magic happens and learned of the brand's history from its explosion in the 1800s to its complete demise in the 1920s along with many other Irish whisky distilleries. This collapse was due in part to American Prohibition, World War 1, and the Easter Rising. In 2017, Diageo resurrected the once-renowned brand and production started up once again in 2019. That's almost 100 years after it originally shut down!  We learned about the steps of the brewing process and tasted a selection of their products. We even had the opportunity to create our own signature cocktail! After these two tours, we headed home and rested up before our dinner.

For dinner our whole group along with the professors went out to Oscars Cafe Bar, and at the conclusion of the meal we headed into the city center to get some gelato. I settled on getting the Oreo flavor even though they all looked amazing. It honestly didn't taste much like Oreo, but it was still solid nonetheless. 7.1/10 on the rating scale.

This was another stupendous day on the trip and it was shockingly sunny yet again! Despite being infamous for the amount of rainfall Ireland receives, we have yet to experience any cloudiness or any rain! I think we all feel extremely blessed! Otto must have put in some work to get us this great weather! 

Oh, one last thing I forgot to mention! Unbeknownst to me, Kansas State and Iowa State will be kicking off their football season in Ireland this year as a part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. While we were relaxing in the Gravity Bar, who shows up but Willie the Wildcat and Cy the Cardinal along with an ensemble of cheerleaders to boot! It was one of the most random things I've ever experienced but it was an absolute riot!

Anyways, that's a wrap on the day. Looking forward to touring the Leinster Rugby Club tomorrow! Much love!

 

Ireland Day 4: Free day

Hi everyone my name is Brady Penet and I am a sophomore sport management major. I will be taking you through our day 4 in Ireland! Today is our “free day” where there is a hop on hop off bus that we are able to use to explore the city of Dublin. 

I started off the day with an amazing Irish breakfast and then a lot of us headed over into the city to the Guinness Storehouse factory. We enjoyed an amazing self guided walking tour and were able to learn about the history of Guinness, its significance to Ireland, and how it is produced. I will share some pictures below! We also stopped for a quick lunch at the Storehouse and were able to relax for a minute after the tour.

After the tour we took a bus into the city center to Trinity College where we walked around the college and did the Book of Kells Experience. It was incredible to walk around such a historic college and learn about the Book of Kells. One of the most memorable parts from this was learning how each page of the book is only shown for about 6-8 weeks and then not shown again for about 10 years. Another fun fact is how the book has survived for over 1200 years. We then took a walk around the city to explore and stopped at a couple of stores for some souvenir shopping before taking the tram back to the hotel.

We ended off the day with an amazing group dinner at a restaurant called Oscar’s right outside our hotel. I got a chicken sandwich and tried brown sauce for the first time. I am still not exactly sure what it was. We then went for a walk through the city and got some amazing gelato. I got this really good flavor called toffee cake. It was an amazing day in Ireland. I will provide some pictures of my day below!

Greetings from Ireland!  My name is Gunnar Krupa and I am a Junior in the Sport Management Program. Today, I am going to share my experiences from Day 4 (March 10th) of our Sports and Culture in Ireland trip!  Today was a busy, fully scheduled academic day. 

The day began early, with a buffet breakfast at the hotel and an 8:15 AM departure via chartered van to University College Dublin (UCD).  Our first presentation was given by Dr Paul Rouse.  This was more of a question and answer session related to Irish Sports. He was open to discussing anything the group was interested in. We covered everything from Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) to boxing star Katie Taylor, and the country’s love for her.  We discussed the history and differences in men’s and women’s sports, as well as how Dr Rouse is a big Packers fan and he very much wants to get tickets to the game at Croke Park in the fall. It was an engaging and interesting experience and definitely a highlight of the day!  

We then had a brief break before our next presentation with Strength and Conditioning expert, Dr Ryan Stewart. Dr Stewart talked about the extremely competitive scholarship program they offer to athletes.  He then took us to the training facilities and we had the chance to participate in some of the training activities such as jumping and hamstring drills.  We also learned about how they track the athletes metrics using state of the art systems.  The hands-on nature of this experience was great, and made for a great ending to the presentation.  Definitely another highlight of the day. 

We then had a lunch break and went to the cafeteria in the student center.  This was very similar to Syracuse’s Schine Student Center, though I dare say it was nicer and had better food options!  After lunch we walked back to class for our presentation with nutrition expert, Dr. Sarah Browne.  Although this is not part of my academic major, it was very interesting and Dr Browne is very knowledgeable.  She talked about Irish imports and exports, and I was personally intrigued by her reference to the Irish company, Kerry, as I work with some of their products in my job back home.  

Our next presentation was with Dr. Seamus Kelly, who has decades of experience with the GAA, as well as playing and managing Irish sports such as rugby and soccer. He shared valuable insights into how the GAA operates, including funding and volunteerism.  This was interesting, and got me thinking about how that compares to professional sports organizations within the United States.

Our final presentation of the day was with Dr Mike Cronin, who does work with Boston College.  He talked about the history of Ireland with an emphasis on the history of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom.  He used athletes such as Rory McIlrory to demonstrate his point. Our day wrapped up with a trip back to the hotel via Ireland’s public transportation system.  

Overall, I think the day was a great success.  Although we had a packed academic schedule, it was well planned out, with plenty of breaks.  The presenters were personable and knowledgeable, and the subject matter was interesting and engaging. 

Day 4: University College Dublin!

Greetings, everyone! My name is Shayla Allen-Gerald, and I am sophomore studying Human Development and Family Science at Syracuse University! Today, I will also give you a quick recap of day 3 in Ireland! 

Today, the Irish Gang of 13 had their first successful day of classes at the University College Dublin (UCD). Filled with rich history, historic stories, and beautiful scenery, our first class of the day kicked off at 9:30AM. We were first met by well-known sport-historian, Dr. Paul Rouse, who gave us an insightful overview of the establishment of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). What may not be known on the surface, the GAA holds great significance on Irish culture and its history. Established in 1884, the GAA not only holds as the governing body for Gaelic football and hurling, but it also played a crucial role in persevering Irish identity during times of political and social upheaval. Afterwards, we were met by Dr. Ryan Stewart who gave us an informative overview of the colleges strength and conditioning for its athletes. Focusing on things such as force, power, and movement, UCD is concern with the technicality of its athletes, ensuring they develop not only strength and agility, but also precision in their form and technique. Following that, we got to try the machines the athletes used, which was really fun! 

 

After two back-to-back lectures, we headed off to the cafeteria and got ourselves lunch. Following lunch, we went over to the Nutrition Science and Public Health department, and met with Dr. Sarah Browne who talked to us about Ireland’s sustainable food systems. Straying away from sports talk, Dr. Browne’s presentation was quite insightful. Ireland is facing many difficulties in terms of their food production. Because of today’s climate, climate scientists need to radically cut global emissions in order to minimize global temperatures rising. If not, global emissions could lead to major food disruptions to food production, significantly increase food security, and increase the rate of heart-related death. In addition, Ireland is also facing a 73% reduction of its fruits and vegetables, which is concerning not only for the children, but also for the athletes as well. Following Dr. Browne’s presentation, we were then introduced to former professional soccer (football) player, Dr. Seamus Kelly. Dr. Kelly gave us an overview of Ireland’s governing system surrounding sports, Sports Ireland. Sports Ireland manages and governs all sports here in Ireland for both men and women. Last, but certainly not least, our last presenter of the day was Dr. Mike Cronin. Dr. Cronin gave us an insightful lesson surrounding the hostility between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, trailing all the way from British oppression. If you like history, today was an absolute dream for history buffs such as myself!

After a long, but informative day, we headed back to our hotel, and took Ireland’s public transportation for the first time! Sitting up top gives you amazing views of the city. 

Well, that’s all from me folks! Thanks for reading! Onto day 5 :)