Case Study B - Darryl Oliver

Ireland is well known for its history of emigration, and to North America in particular. Forty million people from across the US and Canada profess Irish ethnicity, which is nearly ten times the current population of Ireland.  It is no surprise therefore that many American and Canadian students cite a curiosity about their ancestral roots as a motivation for choosing Ireland as their exchange destination.

Darryl, an English undergraduate from Nipissing University in Ontario, is one such student.

’I wanted to delve into my historical roots,’ he explains. On my mother’s side they emigrated from Ireland to Canada, and my father’s side is strictly English - I’m planning on visiting England as well. All my family history is right in these islands, so it’s quite easy to get around and find that history.’

Limerick and its location in the rural West was an ideal base for this journey of self-discovery: ‘I’m more interested in the grass roots than the urbanised cities,’ says Darryl, whose many trips about the region have helped him ‘to get a good taste of what it means to be from Ireland.’

A course in Irish Cultural Studies has provided Darryl’s investigations with an academic backbone, and he’s full of praise for the University of Limerick.

Besides the staff; ‘they made my transition here extremely easy’; he was pleasantly surprised by the Irish tradition of student societies formed specifically for students of certain courses. Thus Darryl has found it easy to get to know and mix with his new classmates through the English Students Society.

Darryl is particularly impressed with UL’s green campus. Having at one time studied in a downtown university back in Canada, which he and friends nicknamed the ‘concrete jungle’, the pleasant nature and river walks of his new campus are particularly welcome.

A peaceful atmosphere perfectly suited for a laid back and thoughtful student like Darryl. We wish him all the best on his quest to discover the Oliver family roots.