University College Dublin!

Hi all! My name is Kriston Noard and I am a sophomore sport management major. I am thrilled to be studying abroad in Ireland and I am having so much fun so far. Today, March 10th, we started off with a short bus right to University College Dublin. We started the morning with a conversation with Dr. Paul Rouse. We had the opportunity to ask him questions about literally anything. We had conversations about the GAA, women’s versus men’s Irish sports, his background, professional athletes, and more. It was so valuable to learn from him and learn about Irish sports from his perspective. 

The second presentation of the day was with Dr. Ryan Stewart. He talked a little bit about the scholarship that UCD offers to athletes. We also got to do something interactive activities in the training facility for the scholarship athletes. I actually participated in some of the tests alongside several of the other kids on the trip. After we worked out we stopped for a quick lunch break to refuel. 

Then we were right back in the classroom to hear from Sarah. She teaches nutrition and dietetics in the masters program at UCD. She talked a lot about food waste in Ireland and the Irish imports and exports. It was really great to hear about the different nutrition aspects of Ireland and compare them to the United States. I really enjoyed hearing her talk especially because I have never taken a nutrition class, and I’m not sure I ever will, but Sarah gave me all of the information I need. 

After Sarah’s presentation we heard from Dr. Seamus Kelly. He talked about the different aspects of all of the sports in Ireland. He talked about the funding of the GAA which interested me because they don’t receive a lot of funding. Their coaches, leadership, and general staff are all volunteers. The volunteers are people from the counties who just want to support their local clubs. To me, it seems like the different counties throughout Ireland have a great community and everyone comes out to support each other. 

The last presentation of the day was from professor Mike Cronin. He talked a lot about how the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland affected their relationship with each other. Since Northern Ireland was predominantly British and Ireland was Irish, it caused a lot of tension, especially within the sports community. 

We finished the day with a ride on the bus back to the hotel! It was definitely a long day and very academically heavy, but I enjoyed every second. Learning about all things Ireland sports from people who have worked in Irish sports themselves was such a treat!