The Irish Emigration Museum was on our list to visit, and I am glad we got to cross it off today! Each room within the museum was filled with interactive technology that told us a little bit more about Ireland. Some of my personal favorites were the music & dance room, whispering library, and connection room. So far on our trip, we have heard about the devastating effects of the recession and housing crisis, so it was refreshing to hear about what Ireland is proud of. The music room featured a path to try an Irish jig and heard a traditional Irish song in the background. We see Irish culture once a year on St. Patricks Day, and even that is Americanized. This exhibit made me feel like I had grown up around their culture and gave me a greater sense of connection to Ireland. The whispering room featured a library filled with interactive books. You pull out the book and a narrator whispers a part of the story to you. After hearing about Dracula in almost every tour, I finally got to hear a section of it, and I can also report that I bought the book to read on the plane ride home. The connection room had a tablet to input your name and ancestors’ name from Ireland, which then gets added to a web of linkages. I personally don’t know of any ancestors from Ireland, but it was cool to see how many names link right back to this country; maybe we are all more similar than we thought.

There were so many amazing aspects of this museum, but above all, I am glad I got to see it with the friends I have made here, and I know it is something I will always remember. To see everyone get excited about different sections, smiling and laughing, and embracing a new culture was truly incredible.