Northern Ireland -- June 30 and July 1

What a whirlwind 2 days in Northern Ireland!  The purpose of our trip there was to learn more about their healthcare system since NI is part of the United Kingdom, and thus under the National Health Service.  At the most basic level, the difference between NI and the rest of the island is that NI has universal healthcare like the rest of the United Kingdom, while the Republic of Ireland (the rest of the island) has a mixed public/private system that is in many ways more like the US.  The big difference is that Ireland is working toward universal coverage, while at least at this moment, the US is not. 

We started the day in Belfast at Stormont Estate.  The grounds are beautiful -- and home to the Parliament Buildings that house the Northern Ireland Assembly (https://www.niassembly.gov.uk/visit-and-learning/visit/).  The students had the chance to have a dialogue with Diane Dodds, a member of the Democratic Unionist Party, about her work as a member of the health committee (https://aims.niassembly.gov.uk/mlas/details.aspx?&aff=18792&per=124&sel=1&ind=0&prv=0).  She was very gracious with her time and no questions were off-limits to her!  We were supposed to have some other members join us, but an expected vote got called and the NIA went back into session during our visit.  We got a chance to watch the NIA in action -- and the most interesting thing to me was that every vote they take is done by walking to a "yes or no" room (depending on how they are voting on a particular issue) and casting it that way.  I can only imagine how long things would take with Congress if they did it that way! Oh, and did I mention they had the most delicious scones for us while we where there?! 

 

 

After a quick lunch in Belfast, we headed on to Queens University (https://www.qub.ac.uk/) for a session on the economic comparisons of the health systems of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the US given by Professor Ciaran O'Neill and Dr. Blanaid Hicks.  Ciaran's background is economics, while Blanaid focuses on epidemiology, so we were able to pick their brain about a whole variety of topics related to health and healthcare.  It was a good reminder to me that university faculty from around the world all have the same goal in mind -- to prepare (and serve) the next generation of leaders! Campus was absolutely beautiful -- and it was graduation day, so there was a lot going on (like the acapella group that started belting out songs like "Son of a Preacher Man" right outside our window in the middle of the talk.  Ha!).

We continued further north to the top of the island for our stop for the evening -- the village of Ballintoy.  This village of sheep and water and one main street was just perfect -- such a relaxing place to spend the night.  We stayed at a place called Sheep's Island View Hostel (http://www.sheepislandview.com/) -- and the first thing we saw when we got off the bus was SHEEP!  We walked to the harbor and down the street to the local pub after dinner -- and then it was time to call it a night.  We had a full Irish breakfast in the morning and I loved the soda bread, but wasn't so sure about the baked beans (which is weird because I generally like baked beans).  The sausage was better than what we normally have at home and the bacon tasted like country ham. 

Wednesday morning found us off to Giant's Causeway (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/giants-causeway) and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/northern-ireland/carrick-a-rede).  The natural beauty is really hard to describe in words here in Ireland -- it's a perfect combination of green, rolling hills and mountains, rocks, and water.  So often we'll stop someplace and it's like "ahh...that's breathtaking."  And then, the next place is equally as beautiful! 

 

 

One more blog to wrap up the week tomorrow -- stay tuned for a recap of my visit to 14 Henrietta St. and our tours of the Primary Care Centre and Secret Streets.

A little bit of class...and a little bit of tea -- June 29

Monday morning started off strong...and sleepy for students and teachers alike!  Good thing our only required activity on Monday was class! 

We created our own "Top 10 List" of modern public health problems, had a crash course into the government and healthcare of Northern Ireland in preparation for our trip this week, and watched TikToks.  Yes, TikToks in class!  We talked with students about reaching audiences with health messages in the way that is most accessible to them -- and in 2026, one such way is TikToks.  Each group of students had to create 3 TikToks on a health behavior (smoking, drinking, nutrition, physical activity, and sleep!) and compare/contrast Ireland and the US.  We had a viewing party in class -- and it was a lot of fun...even if I had to have the students explain a TikTok trend or two in order to understand what was going on.  HA! 

After lunch and a quick nap, I headed up to St. Stephen's Green to go have afternoon tea -- on a bus around the city!  It's about as crazy as it sounds, but it was a fun way to spend an hour. I sat next to a couple who recently retired from Charlotte, NC to SPAIN!  In talking with them, one of the reasons they moved was for universal health care -- which was interesting to talk about in light of our class topic.  

 

When the tour ended, I strolled around St. Stephen's Green -- which may be the most beautiful park I've encountered since I've been here.  There were big tree-lined walkways that remind me a bit of the ones on campus.  I'll definitely head back before I leave.  I ended the day at St. Patrick's Cathedral with Evensong.  It was a beautiful church and an ages-old service with a full choir that was cool to experience.

 

 

We're off to Northern Ireland for a couple of days -- catch you when we get back! 

Howth -- June 28

Today doesn't need many words -- the pictures tell the story.  We had an optional excursion to this little seaside village called Howth.  It was truly breathtaking.  We did a cliff walk around the edge of the island and then walked around a bit.  And....my goal of eating fresh fish and chips was realized (and they were every bit as awesome as I hoped!).  All in all, a really good day! 

  

Operation Week 1 -- Complete! June 25-27

It's Saturday morning in Dublin and I just sent my family to the airport to start the long trek back to Kentucky.  It was a lot of fun having them here and I enjoyed the moments we got to hang out -- and hearing all their stories about the adventures they had in Ireland while I was working, too! 

Thursday, 6/25 

Thursday morning started really early because we had an almost 3 hour train ride on the Irish Rail (https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie) to the University of Galway.  While I found Trinity College to not be super welcoming/"college" like, I found U of Galway to be just the opposite. It was a beautiful campus and one where you could move freely and explore like is common on most campuses in the US.  

It just so happened that there was a Social and Structural Determinants of Health conference happening there while we were here -- what are the chances that it would fit SO perfectly with our course objectives?! Here's a link to the conference:  https://universityofgalwayhprc.clr.events/event/140117:30th-annual-health-promotion-conference#762:speakers

  

For many of our students, this day was their first experience with an academic conference -- how many people can say they did that in Ireland?!  I went to a series of "Lightning Talks" where each presenter had 5 minutes to share their research/program/etc.  I love these type of sessions because you get to hear a little bit about a lot of topics.  One presenter shared about her work on smoking cessation in prisons -- and I was transported back to my work in tobacco control earlier in my career.  What was particularly innovative about this program was that they trained incarcerated individuals to serve as facilitators for the program and in doing so, increased buy in from other incarcerated individuals to participate. 

I also enjoyed hearing about the "Desk to 5K" program that public health officials put in place.  It's not unusual to have walking/wellness programs in the US, but as is so often the case, it's the marketing that matters and this program seems poised to pull people in (and in fact, they shared that they are even expanding to a "Desk to 10K" program now!).

Perhaps the highlight of the day was hearing from the Department of Health officials.  Our students had the chance to have an exclusive lunchtime chat and talk candidly with them about healthcare, health policy, and the future of Slaintecare in Ireland.  They also had a chance to hear from UK Alum, Caitlin Deffendall, who is doing an internship in Ireland this summer, and some of her colleagues about their abroad experiences, graduate school, and more! 

After I finished up at the conference, I was able to spend some time with my family before we caught the train back.  We went to the Galway City Museum (https://galwaycitymuseum.ie/) and wandered through the Latin Corner.  As they always say, it's not a trip with Mom if there's not a museum involved.  Ha ha.  

 

 

Friday, 6/26

One of the things that was new to me as I started on Education Abroad adventures was thinking about the contact hours that the students need for a 3-credit hour class, and how they won't all be direct classroom instruction, but rather things like the trip to Airfield Estates (food as a social determinant) and the Galway conference count into the total.  

All that to say, the students had Friday off until a play at the Abbey Theatre in the evening (more about that in a minute), so I spent the last day my family was here hanging out with them.  Many of our students chose to stay the night in Galway and go see the Cliffs of Moher before heading back on Friday (https://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23556301608&gbraid=0AAAAAC_VrLtBs1aF3tOQqr2vkytge0zEM&gclid=CjwKCAjw6f3RBhApEiwAMaCqWa21EWUMHRNO_eK9xGHr0iv7hTxMR3EJdgaUUQWJI3Cs1-jo9nCa6xoCb9gQAvD_BwE).

Hands down one of my favorite things I've seen so far was Malahide Castle & Gardens (https://malahidecastleandgardens.ie/)!   The castle was HUGE, the grounds were beautiful, and there was even a fairy trail!   The inside was lovely, but we all agreed it felt a bit like "My Old Kentucky Home" in Bardstown -- except bigger and much older.  

  

  

After the castle, my husband and son went on the Guinness tour (I'll be doing it later this trip, so didn't really want to do it twice) and my daughter and I decided to do our own culinary tour of Dublin.  We'd heard about the spice bag phenomenon and she wanted to try it before she headed home! Read more about spice bags here:  https://www.eatingeurope.com/blog/dublin-spice-bag/

It was quite tasty and I imagine it won't be my last one while I'm here! 

Friday evening was our theatre outing as part of the Education Abroad experience -- to the National Theatre of Ireland, the Abbey Theatre (https://www.abbeytheatre.ie/)!  Aside from the fact that it was hot (you got it, no air there either!), it was a fun outing.  It was a good reminder to me that while performing arts can transcend cultures -- there are inside jokes and context that are best understood by those who grew up/live in a culture.  The play we saw as called "The Whitehead Boy" and it was entertaining -- especially in the second half -- had me laughing out loud at times. 

   

Saturday, 6/27

It's been a busy week, so my goals for today are pretty lowkey.  Finish the laundry I started yesterday.  Find some stamps. Try out a new coffee shop.  Maybe take a nap.  And, just breathe.

We're headed a trip to the coastal town of Howth tomorrow -- and I'm really looking forward to that one!  My family went earlier in the week and my 13-year daughter said "there aren't enough adjectives to describe it."  

Until then...Happy Saturday!

Farm Time! -- June 24

We started our Wednesday morning with class -- the focus was on learning a bit about the Republic of Ireland's healthcare system and talking about food as a social determinant of health.  Much like the US, Ireland has more of a two-tiered system -- if you have insurance, you can pay for quicker and higher levels of access to healthcare.  What's interesting, though, is that the Irish identified a need for change AND started working together as a government toward that goal.  While they are still working on it (COVID put a wrench in their plans, like so many things), the Irish are making progress toward their universal healthcare system, Slaintecare (https://about.hse.ie/our-work/slaintecare-our-strategy-for-improving-irelands-healthcare-system/). 

The government publishes an update each year and in the 2025 update (https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/minister-for-health-publishes-the-path-to-universal-healthcare-sl%C3%A1intecare-programme-for-government-2025-sl%C3%A1intecare-2025/), they highlighted 3 ongoing priority areas: 

• improving access to health and social care services
• improving service quality for patients and service users
• increasing capacity of the health and social care service

One thing I found particularly interesting is their move toward a more integrated digital system.  At the moment, it seems to me like Ireland is a bit behind the US in terms of electronic health record (EHR) adoption and integration.  It's a good reminder that even when we get frustrated with our own system, there are some things we're really good at (like technology!).  

The other thing that struck me is that cost is not one of their priority areas -- when we think about US healthcare, we're always talking about cost as one of the main drivers of what we do.  By contrast, there is an assumption that paying what is needed to cover all residents is what you do if you're going to have a universal system (and that's done through taxes).  I always enjoy dialoguing with students about whether paying for healthcare through taxes at a higher rate is more or less expensive than the piecemeal way we pay for it in the US.  

Our other topic for the day was FOOD!  Food access, quality, and cost play such a huge role in what people eat -- and what impact that hos on their own health (and the health of local communities).  It's easy to say "people should eat healthier and they'll be healthier", but if they don't have access to fresh food or the ability to pay for it -- it's not fair to categorize that as a personal problem, but rather it is a societal one.  

We took a field trip in the afternoon to Airfield Estate (https://www.airfield.ie/).  At the most basic level, it's an urban farm with an emphasis on sustainability and education.   It kind of reminded me of many of the orchards and farms in Kentucky -- farm to table for sure.  The restaurant was HOPPING -- we didn't eat there, but it seemed like the place to be! (And yes, that is an EGG VENDING MACHINE where you can get eggs from the farm to take home with you!)

 

The original owners were also very invested in health -- check out the poster below: 

As we toured around the farm, I was very impressed by the focus on an inclusive environment for all -- the farm has an "autism certification."

They also had a really cool 5 senses trail where you could smell, taste, see, etc. different plants on the grounds.

 

After the tour, we had a cooking class in their learning kitchen.  We made a yummy zucchini/squash pasta and double chocolate zucchini muffins.  Everything was delicious!  I loved that as we were walking back to the tram, one of the students commented that they really enjoyed taking what we learned in class and putting it into action (and that they could take the skills and the recipes home with them!). The farm does similar programs with students from within the city to help them see where their food comes from and learn some basic cooking skills -- they described a "Breakfast Club" that sounded like an innovative program.

 

It was a great day overall -- and Thursday has us on the way to the University of Galway for a conference.