Dublin Diaries | Week 4
Sheep, Scrums and Staying Flexible
What a week it has been! Week four in Dublin has honestly been so great, packed with two experiences that could not be more different from each other but both equally memorable in their own way.
On Friday evening, we got to attend the 2026 BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final at Croke Park, which was an absolutely incredible experience. Leinster faced off against the Vodacom Bulls in a rematch of last year’s final, with Leinster defending their title on home soil. For the first time in the league’s history, the grand final was played on a Friday night, kicking off at 7:30pm, and Croke Park was the perfect venue for it. Before coming to Dublin, I did not know much about rugby, but it did not take long to understand why this sport holds such a special place in Irish culture. Rugby in Ireland dates back to 1854 and the national team is one of the most respected in the world, regularly competing at the top of the World Rugby Rankings and challenging for the number one spot. What makes Irish rugby particularly unique is that the national team operates on a 32 county basis, representing the entire island of Ireland and uniting players and fans from both the Republic and Northern Ireland under a single flag. Domestically, the sport is organized around four professional provincial teams, Leinster, Munster, Ulster, and Connacht, each competing in the United Rugby Championship and the European Champions Cup. Being in a packed Croke Park cheering for Leinster was one of those experiences that makes you feel genuinely connected to a place and its culture, and it is something I will not forget anytime soon.
Then over the weekend, we celebrated one of our friend’s birthdays with a visit to Cullen’s Sheep Farm, nestled in the heart of Glendalough in County Wicklow. The farm has been family run for four generations and has been built around hill sheep farming on the rugged mountain sides that surround the beautiful and historic Glendalough valley. The visit included a live sheepdog demonstration where we watched a trained border collie respond to commands and herd sheep across open fields, which was genuinely mesmerizing to watch. We also got to hold baby lambs, which honestly might have been one of the highlights of the entire trip so far. We named two of them Leo and Lucy (hope they are doing well). It was such a fun and unique way to celebrate a birthday and a great reminder of how much Ireland has to offer beyond the city. The farm gave a real sense of the traditions and way of life that have shaped this region for generations, and the whole experience felt like a meaningful window into a side of Irish culture that you simply cannot get from walking around Dublin.
Staying Flexible | Adaptability and Cultural Assimilation in Dublin
One of the most meaningful parts of an experience abroad is not just learning about a new place, but genuinely understanding that place operates differently from what you are used to. Weeks into my time in Dublin, I have found the city and the workplace to be welcoming and relatively easy to navigate, but there are a few cultural nuances that have required real intentional adjustment on my part.
The first and probably most noticeable difference has been the Irish approach to work life balance. Irish professionals place a strong and genuine emphasis on personal time and well being, and it is completely standard for colleagues to log off at 5pm and fully protect their evenings. Coming from an American academic and professional environment where being constantly available and putting in extra hours is often seen as a sign of dedication, adjusting to this boundary has been an interesting mental shift. There is almost a guilt that comes with fully stepping away from work at the end of the day, as if you should always be doing a little more. But I have come to understand that in the Irish workplace, respecting those boundaries is not a sign of disengagement. It is simply part of a healthier and more sustainable approach to professional life. Learning to embrace that has actually been good for me, and it is something I will carry forward.
Another area, and perhaps the most fun one to navigate, has been getting comfortable with the social culture and humor of the Irish workplace. There is a strong emphasis on informal connection, casual conversation, and a very particular brand of Irish wit that can take some getting used to. The humor tends to be dry and might come off very transparent sometimes, but learning to read it correctly and participate in it authentically is something that has developed gradually over the past few weeks. Breaking into established social dynamics as a newcomer is always a little daunting, but I have found that showing up genuinely curious, asking questions, and being a good sport goes a long way. My colleagues have been incredibly warm and welcoming throughout, and the work dinner and upcoming team lunch have been great opportunities to connect on a more personal level outside of formal work settings.
Overall, the process of adapting to Dublin’s workplace culture has been more of a gentle recalibration than a jarring culture shock. The differences are real but navigable, and each one has pushed me to grow in ways I did not fully anticipate. Being adaptable is not just about tolerating differences. It is about genuinely learning from them and allowing them to expand your perspective on how professional life can and should look. Dublin has already taught me a great deal in that regard, and I know there is more to come. Stay tuned for week five!