Hello there, I’m Megan and I studied Music at University College Cork
I’m a film and media composer with a particular interest in the Celtic music traditions, so I spent a year in Ireland to study Irish traditional music in great depth. I’d been dreaming of living in Ireland since I was 16, but my year abroad even exceeded my high expectations – it has easily been the best year of my life so far. I’ve ticked so many things off my bucket list, learnt how to play the uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes) and even learnt a few words (cúpla focal) of Irish!
Just ten months ago, I was a completely different person. I hadn’t been on a plane since I was seven and on top of that, had to navigate moving to a new country completely by myself. I somehow managed to squeeze my life into two suitcases and travelled west to my new home. Descending below Irish clouds for the first time, the weather couldn’t have been more stereotypical if you tried, but that couldn’t weigh down my excitement. Cork began to feel like home surprisingly quickly, mainly thanks to the kindness of the locals. It really is a lovely city and I can understand why the locals call it “the real capital of Ireland”.
Throughout my year abroad, I’ve forced myself out of my comfort zone to the point I think I’ve temporarily turned off my amygdala. The hardest challenge was definitely learning Irish. I’d learnt some basic phrases on Duolingo before my year abroad, but that was the extent of my knowledge. In my first week, I went along to an event organised by UCC’s Irish language society. I’ve never felt more out of my depth, scraping by with my amateur Irish while the rest of the room (many of them native speakers) conversed fluently. I could have given up then, but instead I remained stubborn to learn. I ended up taking beginner’s Irish modules offered by the university, which later led to me spending two weekends in the Gaeltacht.
Gaeltachts are areas where the majority of the population uses Irish as a first language. UCC owns a house in Corca Dhuibhne, Co. Kerry, and staying there was definitely the highlight of my year abroad experience. West Kerry is such a special place; traditional music, mountains, agriculture, stunning scenery and an amazing community of people that are passionate about Ireland’s culture. I think it’s particularly fitting that I turned 21 in Baile an Fheirtéaraigh, something I will never forget.
Since I was in Ireland to study music, it was my ethos to engage with as much of the wider culture that surrounds it as possible. As well as learning the Irish language, I also spent a lot of my time singing and playing in pubs with the Trad Society as well as learning how to set dance. I even stayed at my friend’s cattle farm a couple of times, where I found myself herding heffers and bottle-feeding a newborn calf! I’ve not been afraid to confront difficult political topics on my year abroad, since I felt it was my responsibility to learn as much as possible about the impact of British colonialism. I think talking about these things is really important for acknowledging the past and moving forward.
Of all my achievements over the past year, I am definitely most proud of my progress on the uilleann pipes. I cannot believe how far I’ve come in the last ten months and I’ve had my own set of pipes made so that I can keep learning and playing this beautiful, unique instrument. I’ve heard it takes 21 years to master them but as the Irish say, tús maith leath na hoibre (a good start is half the work)!
Towards the end of my year abroad experience, I took up every opportunity to explore the country and go on as many adventures as possible. I went on my first ever solo overnight trip to Dublin, which was a big step for me. After this, I discovered I had the bug for solo travel and ended up going to Belfast for a short trip, as well as a 6-day trip up the west coast. I have so many happy memories and hilarious stories to tell, and I’m already considering the possibility of moving to Ireland permanently at some point.
If you have any questions about studying in Ireland for your year abroad, you’re very welcome to get in contact with me. My university email address is mg1u23@soton.ac.uk.
A lot of my music is inspired by my experiences in Ireland, so you might also want to check out my website and possibly even give me a follow on my social media!
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Megan Gillett
Film & Media Composer