By Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
Isabelle Bartlett, Maeve Comfort, and Olivia LaMontana stand atop Diamond Hill in Ireland – Photo by Ellaina Hudson
On Monday, May 11, Aquinas’ Public Speaking class, led by Dr. Penny Avery, flew out of Gerald R. Ford International Airport to begin a three‑week study abroad trip in Ireland. After a quick hop to Chicago and a six‑hour flight to Dublin, the group of 13 and their four chaperones arrived in the land of saints and scholars. A short coach ride later, they reached Tullycross and saw their authentic thatch‑roofed cottages for the first time.
Thatch-roofed cottages of Tullycross, Ireland – Photo by Ellaina Hudson
Thatch‑roofed cottages—made by packing mud and straw together—are a hallmark of Ireland’s farming history. Aquinas has been part of that history for half a century, with hundreds of students forming lasting connections with Tullycross locals, including the well‑known Coyne family.
The Coynes own a pub named after Paddy Coyne, conveniently located across from the cottages and right next to another pub, Angler’s Rest. Naturally, both became regular hangout spots during the group’s stay.
Entrance to Paddy Coynes Pub – Photo by Gionna Bean
The pubs notably have their respective atmospheres and perks. Angler’s Rest is the more high‑energy of the two, with a billiards table, an extensive bar, and a jukebox that required two euros to play. Paddy Coynes is a more relaxed joint with a front room full of small tables that allowed for easy conversation, as well as a back room that held booths where the group often played card games. Because of this difference, the pub chosen on a given night could easily set the tone for the kind of experience the group would have.
Paddy Coynes, however, was more than just a place to grab a drink, it was the group’s main point of connection with the village.
The pub first opened on November 18, 1811, and has remained in the Coyne family ever since, making it one of the oldest and most storied establishments in the region. That long lineage is part of what makes Aquinas’ connection to Tullycross so meaningful.
According to Dr. Penny Avery, the friendship between members of the Aquinas community and those of the Tullycross community is something special. “I truly love and appreciate all those in Tullycross,” Avery said. “They have always been hospitable to us.”
Tullycross is not the only community Aquinas has had connections to over the years. Located a mere three miles from the pubs of Tullycross lies Letterfrack. There, Connemara West Centre, established in 1971, is ardently working to promote community development and local tourism, as the group learned on the second day of their trip. And, well, of course Aquinas has been and continues to be a huge part of their local tourism.
Connemara West Centre consists of a radio studio, art and woodworking school, housing facilities, public library and more. The students were led on a tour of the centre by members of the dedicated staff.
Students Myca Johnson and Olivia LaMontana explore the woodwork of Connemara West – Photo by Gionna Bean
Each room held a bounty of art— art that told a story of the hard-working Irish. The students got to see what woodworking students were working on in the present, as well as what Connemara had collected over the years, including two intricately woven chairs created by Sofia Sturge, a basket maker and quaker who displayed her works in the World Fair 130 years ago.
Sturge’s chairs – Photo by Gionna Bean
The dedication of the people of Connemara to improving their community impressed the students. It was something that made the community special. People weren’t just living to live but were instead living to serve each other.
“The people there are just so nice,” senior Maeve Comfort said. “I just noticed it everywhere we went. It really was a special place.”
She, and many others on the trip, would say this many times throughout their stay in Ireland, which lasted three weeks. That was truly a defining characteristic of Ireland, and it is what keeps Aquinas going back again and again.
The group returned on Monday, June 1. As they reached far above Ireland, they all looked down on the land below, already missing the connections they had made there—the same ones forged half a century ago.
Upon arriving back in the United States, students expressed how much they already wanted to go back to see the community they came to love so much. “I already miss it,” junior Olivia LaMontana said.
The Saint 