The US students and academics attending the St Mary’s University College International Summer School in Belfast enjoyed a week packed with cultural and educational activities.
Welcoming participants from James Madison University, Virginia; Bellarmine University, Kentucky; Merrimack College, Massachusetts; and Ohio Northern University, the event was organised in partnership with Féile an Phobail.
St Mary’s principal Professor Peter Finn said the summer school enabled participants to “interact and engage directly with commentators, victims and former combatants from a very challenging time in our history”.
He added: “The role is to facilitate and provide context.
“The summer school also provides a snapshot of aspects of Belfast life and perspectives from the broader population that may get overlooked, for example, the work of trade unionists, the role of women since the foundation of the state, and the role of sport in influencing change.”
On Wednesday, the young people enjoyed a Gaelic games taster session on the college’s 3G pitch.
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Speaking to The Irish News, Caitlin Perry, a student from Bellarmine University, said she had had a terrific week in Belfast.
An Exercise Science Major, Ms Perry said playing Gaelic football was “great fun”.
“I would actually say the Gaelic football was the highlight of the Summer School for me. It was my favourite part,” she added.
Throughout the week, the students attended several lectures on topics as diverse as: ‘A cold house for women – Gender and the Early Years of the Northern Ireland State’, ‘How the Troubles impacted our communities’, and ‘Untold Journey: Refugees and Forced Displacement’.
“I also enjoyed the lecturers,” said Ms Perry, “they were impeccable. It is very interesting to see the different political and compare them to the States.
“I would have had an interest in Ireland before this. I always wanted to visit and when I was presented with the opportunity of attending the Summer School, I knew I had to jump at it. St Mary’s has been wonderful, said Ms Perry.
Another Summer School participant, Dr Sarah Waters, associate professor of music at Ohio Northern University, described the lecture programme and the tin whistle and bodhrán introductory lessons as “fantastic”.
Dr Waters added: “The students will definitely benefit from this experience. Not only the music side and meeting new people, but really learning the history of Northern Ireland, of Belfast and actually, even though it is a bit worrisome with the protests going on, it is a good slice of life for the kids to experience.”
As an aside, Dr Waters revealed her university was situated in Ada, Ohio, where the footballs for Superbowl are made. She even brought one to Belfast for the group’s host, John Brolly.
Mr Brolly, the international office manager at St Mary’s said the week had been “outstanding”.
“We are delighted to be hosting four different institutions from the US, at the Summer School, which was established last year to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.”
