Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan celebrated the 50th Reunion of the Ireland Study Away Program over the weekend of the 8 – 11 June 2023. The Reunion marked 50th years since Aquinas College first study abroad programme in Tullycross village in 1973.
In the autumn of 1972, Gertrude Horgan, Dean of Women and member of the English department at Aquinas College, started the Ireland Study Abroad program at Old Head Beach in Louisburgh, County Mayo. However, later that year she was driving through Tullycross and fortuitously stopped. During this visit she met Paddy Coyne and Michael O’Neill both founding directors of Connemara West. As the story goes, Sister Gertrude Horgan felt that Tullycross provided the perfect setting for a two-semester program. In the autumn of 1973, Betty Jennings and Sister Mona Schwind established the first group of students in the cottages. Since that time over 1,100 students, faculty members, and their families have called Tullycross home for a semester and their home away from home ever since.
The 50th reunion brought back to Tullycross many of the students and faculty members. The planning committee put together a programme of events which reflected the Aquinas Ireland Study Abroad Programme. Walking in the Renvyle peninsula and hiking the Diamond; a bus tour of Connemara; an Irish night with members of the Renvyle Seisiun group in the Marian Hall; and a special edition of the play Emigration Road by the Curlew Theatre group in the Teach Ceoil. The programme also allowed for plenty of time to meet old friends with music in both The Anglers Rest and Paddy Coyne’s.
Flag raising
The whole weekend kicked off with raising the Aquinas Flag in Tullycross outside of Cottage No 1.
Tree planting
On Sunday morning a crowd gathered to remember Miriam Pederson, Aquinas Professor, artist and poet. Miriam came to Ireland with her husband Ron as Aquinas faculty five times and many of the students who were with them in Tullycross spoke movingly about Miriam and the impact she had on their lives. Jennifer Dawson and Dan Diedrich who both led Aquinas programmes in Tullycross read Miriam’s poetry and Michael O’Neill quoted a few lines as well. It was a beautiful occasion and a tree was planted in the grounds of the cottages and a plaque with an extract of one of Miriam’s poems inscribed on it will be placed at he foot of the tree.
We Are Sleeping in Ireland
curled like the shape of the land.
The shush of the flue,
the rhythmic bleat of the lamb,
brush against our dreams.
This is the sleep of buried potatoes,
the sleep of fishermen
slack in the drift of the sea.
This is the sleep of the open hand,
of the mouth giving up desire
to the dark
Miriam Pederson 1948-2023
Memorandum of agreement
Dr Kevin Heanue, Chairperson of Connemara West plc and Dr Alicia Cordoba, President of Aquinas College sign a memorandum of understanding between Connemara West and Aquinas College, Grand Rapids to continue to work together to promote and provide study abroad programs in Tullycross.