Ian Crowell takes trip to Ireland
By Olivia Tattory
Hopewell Valley Central High School sophomore Ian Crowell recently returned from a four-week journey to Ireland as part of the Irish Way Program.
Ian is the son of Jean and Chris Crowell of Hart Avenue, Hopewell. The Crowells were, until recently, owners of Failte Coffeehouse, Hopewell.
"By the way, "Failte" (pronounced "fall-cha") means welcome in Irish.
The program, sponsored by the Irish American Cultural Institute (IACI) located in Morristown, is designed for American high school students.
During the trip, 15-year-old Ian attended classes in Irish folklore, Gaelic language, Irish and Irish-American history, music, literature, dance and sports.
"The best part had to be the Gaelic football match in Dublin," said Ian. "There were 84,000 people at this stadium and it was really exciting."
After starting out at Newtown Boarding School in Waterford, where he took classes, Ian also ventured out to the countryside throughout the southern and southeastern parts of the region. The group also made a stop at The King’s Hospital in Dublin, one of the oldest boarding schools in Ireland, where he continued with classes and various field trips.
After attending Riverdance at the Gaiety Theatre, watching the football match in Croke Park and visiting the 5,000-year-old of Newgrange, Ian spent his last week traveling in Galway on the west coast of Ireland.
The group visited the Burren, known for its limestone-filled weathered landscape, and Megalithic tombs, the Connemara region and the Cliffs of Moher, which rise 393 feet above the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Claire.
"The Cliffs of Moher were really interesting to see," said Ian. "We went on traveling tours throughout Ireland and learned a lot."
The IACI is a nonprofit membership organization, which has, as its patron Mary McAleese, president of Ireland. Ian and his group visited the president’s residence, where Ian played the piano.
The 32-year-old Irish Way Program has over 3,000 alumni from across the United States. Seventy-five students from 22 states and Puerto Rico attended this summer’s program. The IACI publishes EIRE-IRELAND, a journal of Irish Studies, and DUCAS, a quarterly newsletter for members.
More information can be found at www.iaci-usa.org.