Hello Travellers,

Welcome to our October Newsletter! Its been very busy in the last months in our Dublin Offices as many travellers from the summer leave but we are having a nice rush of new travellers come in so its hard to be sad for long!

We had a very busy summer with our socials, in June we travelled to the Wicklow mountains to see Glendelough, a historic monastery, nestled between two beautiful lakes. From there we travelled onwards to Powerscourt, a magnificent estate and gardens worthy of any Jane Austen novel (Oh Mr Darcy!).

We also hosted a pub social at the Palace bar in Temple Bar. We managed to take over the whole of the top floor all the people we attracted! We listened to traditional Irish music and enjoyed many a pint of the ‘Black Stuff’ (Guinness for those in the know).

In our July trip to Galway we saw the majestic the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren and finally the Aran Islands. The Aran Islands are a group of little islands off the coast of Galway that are known for not only their beauty but being a Ghaeltacht, one of the few places where Irish Gaelic is spoken as much as English! The Cliffs are known as one of Ireland’s great sights, with Cliffs dropping straight down as much as 203m into the sea! The Burren, not to be forgotten, is classified as a Special Area of Conservation because of the variety of wildlife found within its rocky landscape! These are but a few of the beautiful sights available in Ireland waiting for you!

In August we trekked down to Phoenix Park near the Wellington Monument to play a game of Football (Soccer)! We played through the mist of a summer rain and Gillian (A Work in Ireland advisor)’s team emerged with 8vs5 despite some underhanded playing by Seamus (another advisor)!

September saw us using our world wide travelled noggins to compete at a pub quiz! None of us won, but we sure tried!! There are tons of things to do in Ireland over the fall as well as in the upcoming winter months! Be sure not to miss any of them. Being in Ireland is an amazing life experience that can only aid on whatever path you choose in life.

In this entry of our newsletter we have pictures of our last social as well as tales from one of our participants! Looking forward to meeting you!

Cheers
Your Work in Ireland Team

DUBLIN FRINGE FESTIVAL / Dublin / 6 -21 Sept. / www.fringefest.com

One of Europe’s biggest Fringe Festivals, featuring hundreds of bizarre, entertaining, thought-provoking, independent performances of live theatre, comedy, dance and music. Volunteering with the festival is a great way to meet new people and see different parts of the city. Last year a play was performed on a bus traveling around the city!!! And this year there was a Flash Opera mob! As a volunteer you are given free tickets to any event you wish!

ULSTER BANK DUBLIN THEATRE FESTIVAL: (September 25th to October 11th)

This Theatre festival attracts some of the best acts from around Europe. The highlight of this season is Vanessa Redgrave starring in The Year of Magical Thinking. As well, for those theatre buffs out there, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is playing and the classics The Magic Flute and Hedda Gabler. http://www.dublintheatrefestival.com/default.asp

CULTURE NIGHT: DUBLIN September 19th.

Hundreds of activities happened all over Dublin this night with museums, theatres, book stores and galleries opening their doors for free. Its a great way to learn about the hidden secrets of Dublin. (One highlight was the lighting of Croke park. They turned on the flood lights in the Park, a rare sight! And David Walliams from Little Britain spoke about his career at the Gate theatre and Gillian managed to get a seat next to Dumbledore! Sorry, Michael Gambon!!! (Walliams co-star in the Gate’s production of No Man’s Land. ) http://www.culturenight.ie/

GALWAY JAZZ FESTIVAL: September 19-21st

The Galway Jazz Festival Runs features concerts, workshops, open rehearsals, movies, listening sessions and numerous fringe events. http://www.galwayjazzfestival.com

GALWAY INTERNATIONAL OYSTER FESTIVAL: September 25-28th

Great Food; Great Fun; Hosts of the Guinness World Oyster opening championship with music dancing and gourmet food in an electric atmosphere. As many oysters as you can find! http://www.galwayoysterfest.com

Midleton Food & Drink Festival: September 13th

A celebration of local and international food, with stalls, markets, demos, crafts, music, waiter's race, food film, pig on a spit and much more. www.midletonfoodfestival.ie EAST CORK EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL : September 17TH-21TH The East Cork Early Music Festival is a five day series of baroque and early music concerts in Cork City and County. Performances featuring musicians of the highest calibre take place alongside an educational programme of master classes, lectures and performances in schools, colleges and local communities

Ballylongford Oyster Festival: September 12-14th

Not to be missed! Celebrates the tradition of Oyster growing in Ballylongford. Oyster swallowing competitions, Oyster Pearl Childrens parade, Car treasure hunt, family fun day, car boot sale, gala seafood buffet, fishing-angling competitions.

KILKENNY CELTIC FESTIVAL/FEILE CEILTEACH CHILL CHAINNIGH

September 26- October 5th
The festival seeks to encourage a wider & deeper appreciation of all things Celtic, expressed in song, music, dance, the Irish language & food. Each year a Celtic Country is selected as a nation to concentrate on.
http://www.celticfestival.ie

WATERFORD FRINGE FESTIVAL: September 18-29th

Similar to Dublin’s, Waterford’s Fringe festival celebrates the offbeat! Fringe Festival to Waterford International Festival of Light Opera incorporate Arts Exhibitions, Comedy, Budweiser Music Trail, Picnic in the Park and much much more

Name: Andrew and Evan MacQuarrie
Age: 20 and 18yrs.
University: Lee University and Vanderbilt University
Length of time here: 2 months over the summer.

What job are you doing in Ireland and how did you find it?
Andrew: Temping work through Julia Ross Human Directions. Found online through jobs.ie.
Evan: I worked in O'Briens Sandwich shop making sandwiches and coffees. I got the job by walking in and handing them my CV. It was a GREAT place to work. Interesting customers, friendly coworkers, and free meals. I really enjoyed it.

Andrew and Evan are examples of the variety of jobs that can be found in Ireland as well as the variety of ways to find them! Many of our participants use Temp Agencies are the best and easiest way to find temporary office work in Ireland. But if you are looking for more casual work in hospitality or retail, the best way to get those jobs are to pound the pavement and drop your CV off in person!

Where & Who are you living with here?
Evan: I was living in Rathmines, a suburb about fifty minutes walking distance from Dublin City Centre. I shared a room with my brother and we shared the apartment with three Trinity students.

As it can be very expensive to live directly in the City centre, many of our participants live just outside but Dublin is a very easy city to walk or bike in and there is loads of different forms of transport such as bus, commuter train, and the Luas (tram) to get you into the City.

Whats your social scene like? Where do you go? What do you do etc?
Andrew: Lots and lots and lots of pubs! Love hanging out and listening to all the live music, meeting all the interesting people. There's always something good going on any day of the week.
Evan: The pub scene was definitely a large part of the social scene. Free live music and a great atmosphere made them a hot spot for evenings. IFI (Irish Film Institute) was also a really cool place to go. We mostly hung out with other Work in Irelanders and people we'd met through work.

There is always something to do in Ireland. The pub culture is huge but this is the home of U2 so there is never a lack of great music playing. There is everything from local band to big name talent. Big names that have played or are going to play include Coldplay, Kayne West, Counting Crows, MGMT, Amy Winehouse, Eric Clapton and the legend herself, Dolly Parton! The Work in Ireland team host a social every month and it is a great way to get in touch with travelers just like you! There is a variety of countries in the Work in Ireland program including USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Italy and Bulgaria! It’s a great way to meet people from all around the world who are sharing the same experience as you!

Your most memorable thing to date in Ireland?
Andrew: Spending one Sunday in Bray. It was beautiful!
Evan: In Ireland, I'd say my favorite thing was probably the cliff walk at Bray. It was one of the last things we did in Ireland and the landscape was beautiful so it will definitely stay in my mind for a long time.

Ireland is full of beautiful landscape ranging from the dramatic Cliffs of Moher in Galway to the rolling fields of green in Cork to the rocky beaches of the North! Bray is a coastal town just outside of Dublin, easily accessed by the DART commuter train. It is beautiful in its simplicity. It is amazing to think that the rustic coast can be so close to the bustling metropolis of Dublin, but Ireland is famous for its easy combination of contrasts. You can easily capture a picture of young kid listening to his Ipod outside of his thatched roof cottage!

Can you sum up your experience on the program in Ireland to date?
Andrew: Overall, it was extremely tough to find a job with the current state of the economy, but that is out of the control of the program. The Work in Ireland team is wonderful. It's a wonderful experience and there's no doubt in my mind it would have been half as good without them helping.
Evan: Traveling was by far the most exciting part of the trip. The Irish countryside is amazing, and the people are really friendly. The weather, however, can be miserable. It rains almost every day, and the difficulty finding work can definitely be a source of stress. It's a lot harder to get a job over there then it is back home. The competition is much more intense, and without any Irish references, it's hard to find someone willing to take you seriously. But if you stay optimistic and keep at it, work will come eventually.

Evan is correct in saying that it is harder to get a job over here. He came over at the height of summer when you are competing with not only other travelers from around the globe but the Irish in finding a job. But it is summer and Ireland booms in summer with all the tourists coming in and the job market does reflect that. Usually the earlier you come in summer the easier it is to find a job. Even if you come a little later in the summer, with a little extra effort and help from the Work in Ireland Team, and of course optimism, finding a job can be as stressful as choosing which pub to drink in!
While the weather is ‘miserable,’ it is a part of life and the Irish joke about it. It makes you really enjoy the days when the sun is out! Plus, the Beautiful Irish scenery would not be as green without it!

What Advice you would give any students thinking about going on the WII program?
Evan: Remember that it isn't a typical vacation. You're there to enjoy yourself, but you need to find a job first to be able to truly relax. Make sure it's a job you don't hate though, because it is still a trip that you want to enjoy. It's hard to find a balance between relaxation and responsibility, but if you keep your head on straight it's definitely possible.
Andrew: My brother and I cannot stop talking about how much this has changed our lives. Do it. Honestly, just do it. There's absolutely no reason why you shouldn't!

If you want to participate in the Work in Ireland program, apply online today or contact the Work in Ireland team at wii@usit.ie or 00353-1-602-1788!

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!!!

The Work and Travel Ireland team
September 2008