Teachers as Scholars
is delighted to present a 9-night STUDY TRIP to
When: Travelers are encouraged to take an overnight flight that departs from Boston Logan (BOS) on Tuesday 15 July 2025 and arrives Dublin Airport (DUB) on Wednesday 16 July 2025. We will stay nine (9) nights at University College Dublin (UCD) starting on Wednesday 16 July 2025 and departing our UCD accommodations by 11am on Friday 25 July 2025.
Program: Our subject is the grand city of Dublin and by extension the country of Ireland – its rich cultural, political, and intellectual history as well as its art, architecture, and vibrant contemporary life. In our six (6) half days of seminar we will spend a few hours in the morning in the classroom and then you will have afternoons free to either embrace one of our suggested activities or undertake your own exploration of this most fascinating city. You will also have a weekend free (starting on Friday afternoon on July 18 running through Saturday 19 July and ending on the night of Sunday 20 July) to spend more time in Dublin and its surrounding area or to travel beyond (across Ireland, the UK, or even a quick trip to the continent). Following the conclusion of our stay at UCD you can easily extend your travels to visit London, Lisbon, Paris, Prague, or other ports of call.
Our trip will be led by Maura A. Henry, historian and TAS Scholar, who has a deep understanding of Irish culture, history, and politics. Maura holds both Irish and US citizenship and has led two successful TAS tours to Dublin over the years. Maura has taught in and co-led Harvard’s History and Women’s Studies programs, and she currently teaches at Holyoke Community College where she is Chair of the Critical Social Thought Department. Having earned her bachelor’s degree at Smith in History and Philosophy and her master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard, Maura explores gender, power, and culture in her scholarship and interdisciplinary courses. Her writings include A Duchess’s Grand Tour, The Making of Aristocratic English Culture, The Soul of the People and the WPA’s Writer’s Project, and Rescue (an award-winning screenplay).
Prospective Itinerary
Tuesday, July 15: Depart Boston Logan (BOS) on overnight flight to Dublin Airport (DUB)
Wednesday, July 16: Arrive Dublin Airport & University College Dublin
Morning: We will arrange to meet travelers at Dublin Airport and escort you to UCD and your residence hall.
Afternoon: Settle into your room, explore UCD’s beautiful campus, and/or head into town to explore Dublin.
Evening: Wander through Temple Bar and down Grafton Street, taking in Dublin’s nightlife.
Welcome Dinner: an evening to get to know each other and discuss administrative matters at a local restaurant.
Thursday, July 17: Seminar Day 1
Topic: Mapping Ireland – Geography, History, & Culture (9:00-11:30)
Continental breakfast provided.
Afternoon: You are free to explore Dublin via any number of Hop On Hop Off buses to orient yourself to the city, taking in its many districts and landmarks. Tour the National Museum to see the long arc of Ireland’s history.
Evening: Stroll along the River Liffey, enjoy a meal at a riverside cafe. You may choose to take in a play at the Abbey or Gate Theatres (TBA) or take ina Gaelic game at Croke Park (schedule TBA).
Friday, July 18: Seminar Day 2
Topic: Religion in the Making of Modern Ireland (9:00-11:30)
Afternoon: You may choose to tour the Catholic Cathedrals and Churches (St. Audoen’s Church, St. Teresa’s Church, St. Ann’s Church, and Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church) as well as the Protestant Cathedrals (Saint Patrick’s Cathedral – the burial place of Jonathan Swift – and Christ Church Cathedral) to get a sense of how religion and religious conflicts and national identities have long shaped the city and the country. Visit Trinity College and its Old Library, home to the celebrated Book of Kells. Take in the treasures of Ireland’s long and complicated history of religion at the National Gallery.
Evening: Listen to Evensong at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (Church of Ireland), 5:45pm, and then enjoy a pub dinner.
Alternatively, you can take off after class on Friday 18 July for a series of day trips and/or overnight excursions during the weekend.
Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20: Free weekend
Day trips near Dublin (South): In County Wicklow, visit Powerscourt (a grand Anglo-Protestant house and stunning formal gardens), Avondale House (the home of Charles Stewart Parnell), the Military Road (built by the British in the 18th-century to flush out the Irish rebels, it showcases a rugged and romantic landscape), and Glendalough (the 6th-century monastic site). Overnight Trips: A weekend trip to Kinsale, a quaint harbor town with a rich array of some of Ireland’s best restaurants, close to Cork and Cobh (which are both rich in Irish and Irish-American history).
Day trips near Dublin (West): in County Kildare, tour Castletown House (the 18th-century home built for the powerful Conolly family). See how the sectarian and ethnic history of the country is both shaped and reflected in this grand house and its majestic landscape. Overnight Trips: in the far southwest, explore the Dingle Peninsula which boasts some of the country’s most scenic spots, a magical and majestic coastline, and charming villages in the Gaelic-speaking area of the country. A trip to the west and northwest of Ireland may include a stop in The Burren (an other-worldly place of desolate beauty), the Cliffs of Mohr (one of the most poignant and spectacular sights in the world, and Ireland’s most visited spot), or the town of Westport in County Mayo in the northwest where you will find excellent Irish craic in the music-filled pubs and a stunning Georgian town designed by James Wyatt. Just outside Westport, you may wish to climb Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s famous pilgrimage mountain with a church atop the summit.
Day trips near Dublin (North): In County Meath visit the Boyne Valley (site of the infamous and pivotal battle between British monarchs William III and James II in 1690) or Newgrange (an impressive burial site dating back to the 4th century BC). Overnight Trips: venture to Northern Ireland (part of the United Kingdom) to explore the complicated history of the North, the Republic of Ireland, and the UK. Please note that travel to the UK by non-UK or non-Irish citizens requires (as of January 2025) the United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorisation (UK ETA). This a digital authorisation is designed to accommodate various short visit purposes, for up to 6 months, such as tourism, visiting family and friends, business, or short-term study. Once granted, the UK ETA is good for 2 years.
Monday, July 21: Seminar Day 3
Seminar: The Great Hunger: The Potato, Power, Death, and Diaspora (9:00-11:30). Continental breakfast provided.
Afternoon: You may want to tour the National Gallery, focusing on the 19th-century Famine or visit EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum in the Docklands where you can explore the long shadow of the Irish diaspora, go aboard the Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship, and/or book an in-person or online genealogy consultation with The Irish Family History Centre.
Evening: Explore the Docklands, listen to music, enjoy a meal along the waterfront.
Tuesday, July 22: Seminar Day 4
Seminar: Conflict, Civil War, A New Republic, and Decades of “The Troubles” (9:00-11:30)
Afternoon: You might walk along O’Connell Street, examine the bullet holes still evident on the General Post Office, to see where the Easter Uprising of 1916 occurred. Take in the Custom House, another site of the bloody conflict. Visit Kilmainham Gaol where Irish “rebels” were imprisoned, tortured, and on occasion simply shot without benefit of trial or justice. Tour the Irish Parliament building first built in 1739, and the first purpose-built parliament building in Europe (now the Bank of Ireland) and then the Mansion House (a seat of British and then Irish power) and the Government Buildings.
Evening: Explore the area around Dublin Castle, grab a bit to eat, or take in a show (Riverdance will likely be on!).
Wednesday, July 23: Seminar Day 5
Seminar: Revolutionary Authors, Revolutionary Literature (9:00-11:30am)
Afternoon: Enjoy Music in the Park (free concerts at lunch time on weekdays and on Sundays at various parks in the city, schedule TBA). From the immortal poetry of William Butler Yeats to the profound reckonings of Seamus Heaney, from the ground-breaking fiction of James Joyce to the poignant modern classics by Edna O’Brien and Anne Enright, from the achingly beautiful plays of John Synge to the relentless works of Martin McDonagh, among so many talented writers, Ireland has produced a rich trove of literature across the genres that moves, confounds, and challenges us. Explore the deeper artistic and cultural facets of this complex Emerald Isle as we visit its literary haunts in the capital city.You might explore Merrion Square and St. Stephen’s Green to walk in the footsteps of Yeats, Joyce, Wilde, Behan, and others and see how Ireland today is both a rich in literary history and a vibrant, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic city.
Evening: Dinner and a self-guided literary pub crawl.
Thursday July 24: Seminar Day 6
Seminar: The Rise, Fall, and Rise again of Ireland in the 21st century (9:00-11:30am)
Afternoon: Perhaps visit some sites you have not yet seen and/or sites you’ve seen but want to revisit. Among your options: a tour of the Guinness Storehouse (with a complimentary pint of the stout at the end!), the Irish Museum of Modern Art at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, the National Museum at Collins Barracks, Phoenix Park, or the National Botanic Gardens.
Evening: Celebratory Dinner in local restaurant.
Friday July 25: Checkout of UCD Residence by 11am
Fly out of Dublin International Airport for home or head off to other destinations in Ireland or Europe.
ESSENTIAL TRIP INFORMATION
Lodging at UCD:
We will be staying on the campus of the University College Dublin a short 20-minute ride into the city center. The rooms are en-suite (single rooms with private bathrooms with bedding and bath towels provided) around a common room that contains an equipped kitchen, dining table, and lounge area. Wireless access at UCD.
The trip includes:
- Half day pre-trip orientation and lunch in Cambridge (Date TBA)
- Lodging at UCD (9 nights)
- Dublin 6-day seminar; 35 Professional Development Points
- Two continental breakfasts
- One lunch after one seminar
- Two dinners (including welcome dinner and celebratory dinner)
- Ground Transportation to/from Dublin Airport (via AirCoach and Dublin City Bus Leap Passes)
The trip does not include: Airfare and transfers; afternoon expenses including museum and other tourist sight admissions, meals beyond the ones specified above, transportation costs beyond the ground transportation specified above, and, sorry, no pub bills!
Cost: $2700 maximum cost of trip/enrollment of 15. If more travelers enroll (20 or 25), individual traveler cost will be reduced.
Liability Waiver: Since Teachers as Scholars is self-insured, each participant will need to sign a Liability Waiver to participate on the trip.
Eligibility: All full and part-time staff (including administrators, Health educators, Special Education teachers, Librarians) are eligible to apply for participation. Partners, friends, and spouses and children 18 and older are also welcome
Application Procedure: This is a FIRST COME , FIRST SERVED study trip. The Dublin Study Trip is limited to 25 participants.
To Apply:
- Register below
- Send a letter with a $500 deposit (non-refundable check/purchase order*) to:
Teachers as Scholars Inc.
℅ Henry Bolter
5 Arlington Street, Unit 1
Cambridge, MA 02140
- The letter MUST INCLUDE your EMAIL ADDRESS and MAILING ADDRESS
- You will be notified by email of your selection
- Selection will be determined by postmark date
- If more applications are submitted than the enrollment cap of 25, a lottery will determine inclusion.
*If you are not selected for the trip your deposit will be returned.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Burchenal at mary@teachers-scholars.org.