It has been drawn to my attention that the girl from Maynooth has said very little about her new habitat and so today I will put that right. Maynooth (Maigh Nuad in Gaelige) is a town in County Kildare, less than 20 miles from the centre of Dublin. It has great public transport in to the city and so it is a popular commuter town. It has a fabulous University here, the National University of Ireland Maynooth which does an impressive range of courses and has been rated as one of the best Universities in Europe because of the employment prospects for its graduates. The university campus is a mix of gorgeous old historic buildings, dating back to when the college was the National Seminary (for educating priests), and a fabulous modern development that has very high tech education facilities, gym, swimming pool and lots of accommodation.
I took a look around the old part of the campus during a post-graduate open evening, a few weeks ago. The architecture and atmosphere of the building rivalled that of Oxford, and I wanted to sign up to a course straight away. Since I am already studying for a Masters with University College Falmouth I could hardly start another course, but it did inspire me to think about studying for a PhD. I had a very interesting conversation with one of the lecturers who actually thought that my idea for a PhD about chick-lit and its role in post-feminist culture could be an interesting proposal. I quite fancy being Dr Frankie Valente one day so I shall leave that idea to one side as the plan B in my writing career.
Next door to the university are the remains of the old castle, a scene of an historic rebellion against the English. Sadly the English won and as they were rather short of moral fibre they executed all the surviving rebels in the castle.
At the other end of town from the castle is Carton House. Now a hotel, leisure complex and golf course, it was originally the home of the Duke of Leinster. The house is grand, opulent, fabulous and totally accessible to the general public. The staff are friendly and helpful and, Guinness is a bargain five euros a pint. OK, that’s not quite a bargain, but the surroundings are worth the little premium. It is a great place to spot celebrities. On one occasion I drove through the grounds and came across the Ireland rugby team during one of their training sessions. I could not resist the opportunity of getting close to Brian O’Driscoll, so the car was quickly abandoned and we watched some of the players playing. They had just thrashed England and were on top form. My son was in heaven, although he was a trifle embarrassed to be caught wearing his Munster rugby top, when Mr O’Driscoll is a Leinster man. Personally, I was disappointed that Ronan O’Gara was nowhere to be seen.
Maynooth also has some brilliant pubs, restaurant and fashionable shops. It has two bookshops, which I seem to visit more often than is good for my finances, and a lovely little library. Because of the university the town is always lively and full of young students from all over the world. It all adds to a great feeling of multiculturalism. The schools are great and there are great sports facilities. I seem to spend more time than is good for me at the local cricket club, as both my husband and son are fanatics, and play for any team that will have them.
Ireland has a well deserved reputation for friendliness, and Maynooth is a friendly place to live. It is not, however, up to Shetland’s standards of friendliness, but I guess nothing will compare with that. But, for now, it is a lovely place to live, study and write. It is also closer to relatives and friends from England and we have already had lots of visitors with bookings up until the end of September.
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