Dublin Diaries | Week 6
Kerry Visit
Week six has been another great one, and while life in Dublin continues to feel more and more like home with each passing week, this weekend we took a short trip down to Killarney in County Kerry for a change of scenery and it was well worth it.
Killarney is a vibrant, lively town in the southwest of Ireland known for its incredible natural surroundings, warm hospitality, and classic Irish charm. Since it was a shorter trip we mostly just explored the town itself, which has a great energy to it. It is the kind of place that feels both touristy and genuinely Irish at the same time, with horse drawn jaunting cars rolling through the streets and traditional shopfronts around every corner. Just wandering around and taking it all in was a really enjoyable way to spend part of the weekend.
The highlight of the trip was visiting Killarney House and Gardens, which sits right in the heart of Killarney town and serves as the official gateway to Killarney National Park. The house itself has a really interesting and layered history. It originally dates back to the early 18th century and was once part of the grand estate of the Earls of Kenmare, one of the most powerful landowning families in the region. The larger mansion on the estate was eventually demolished and the original structure burned down in 1913, leaving just what had been the stable block, which was later remodeled as a residence. The building fell into disrepair over the following decades and sat largely unused until a major restoration program brought it back to life, reopening to the public in 2016. It now houses a free interactive exhibition across 15 rooms covering the history, geology, and biodiversity of Killarney National Park, which was a genuinely engaging way to learn more about the area. Outside, the gardens are beautifully maintained with tree-lined paths, colorful planting beds, and stunning views out toward the Kerry mountains in the distance. Walking through it all on a nice afternoon was a really lovely experience and a great way to round out the trip to Killarney.
Leading from Within | Reflecting on Leadership Throughout This Experience
Leadership is one of those topics that is easy to talk about in the abstract but much harder to actually examine honestly when you apply it to yourself. Week six feels like a natural moment to do that, and looking back on who I was going into this internship versus where I am now, the growth has been real.
Before this experience, I would have described my leadership style as fairly collaborative but also structured. I tend to gravitate toward listening, building consensus, and making sure everyone around me feels heard before moving forward. That has always felt like a strength, and in a lot of ways it still is. But what this internship has shown me is that leadership in a real professional environment, especially an international one, requires a lot more than that. It requires adaptability, confidence in unfamiliar situations, and the ability to take initiative even when you do not yet feel fully ready to do so.
One of the biggest challenges this experience has posed to my previous understanding of leadership is the reality of operating in an environment where you are genuinely the least experienced person in the room. In an academic setting, leadership often comes with a certain level of familiarity and comfort. You know the material, you know the people, and you have a track record to lean on. Stepping into a professional environment in a different country, in a specialized industry, with processes and terminology I was still learning, meant that a lot of my usual sources of confidence were not immediately available. That forced me to find a different kind of leadership footing, one built less on expertise and more on curiosity, attentiveness, and a genuine willingness to learn from the people around me.
What I have come to understand through this experience is that leadership is not always about being the most knowledgeable or the most vocal person. Sometimes it is about showing up consistently, bringing a positive and engaged attitude, asking thoughtful questions, and contributing meaningfully within whatever capacity you currently have. In an international workplace, that also means being especially attuned to how different people lead and communicate, and being willing to adapt your own approach accordingly. I have watched the people around me at my internship lead in ways that are often quieter and more understated than what I might have expected, and that has genuinely shifted how I think about what effective leadership can look like.
I also think this experience has pushed me to become more comfortable with leading through uncertainty, which is something I touched on in a previous post. There have been moments throughout this internship where I have had to make judgment calls without having every piece of information I might have wanted. Rather than waiting for perfect clarity, I have been learning to move forward thoughtfully, communicate proactively, and adjust as new information comes in. That kind of composure under ambiguity is, I think, a core leadership skill that no classroom can fully teach you.
Coming out of this experience I feel like a more well rounded and self aware leader than I was going in. The style has not changed entirely, I still believe deeply in collaboration and in making sure the people around me feel valued and heard. But I have added to it a stronger sense of initiative, a greater comfort with uncertainty, and a much more global understanding of what leadership can look like across different cultures and professional environments. That combination feels like something I will carry with me for a long time.
All in all, week six has been a great mix of exploration and reflection. Killarney was a wonderful little escape and the work continues to push me in all the right ways. More to come in week seven, stay tuned!