Getting a little learning along the way

MY two-week course in Irish civilization taught me much about the topic. Presented by University College Dublin, a state-owned school, our lecture schedule was leavened with outings and excursions.

One morning we boarded a bus at 8:45 on a full-day tour through southeast Ireland. We visited a 12th century Cistercian abbey, a 14th century castle, an early 19th century landlord town and a prehistoric tomb. Our instructor along the way was a distinguished archeologist on the faculty of University College Dublin who spoke with verve and authority.

One afternoon, after two hours of lectures by other noted academics, we went to a lunchtime concert of Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra. The next night our class had tickets for a performance of Sean O’Casey’s epic on the 1916 Irish Revolution, “The Plough and the Stars,” at the historic Abbey Theatre. We had already read the play so we would catch all the expressions of this Nobel Prize-winning author who writes in the Irish vernacular.

Signing up for a series of academic classes can give format and structure to a summer vacation. Dublin is one of many areas offering such classes. In Galway and Cork, in Oxford and Cambridge and at still other schools in England and Scotland, it is easy for Americans of all ages to find summer courses and programs in the country’s culture and civilization.

At University College Dublin, our fellow students were from around the world and of all ages. Those attending the entire 2 1/2-week course paid $1,400, which included tuition; excursions, outings and performances; and accommodations for 16 days in student residences. Although meals were extra, they were inexpensive if purchased in student dining halls.

We learned about the classes through the Internet by scanning such topics as “University College Dublin summer school,” then contacting the school by e-mail. Announcements about the 2004 sessions should start appearing in the autumn for institutions in Dublin, London and a dozen other university venues in the British Isles.

There are no examinations or tests; you prepare no papers. You meet European college educators; you socialize with English-speaking people from all over the globe.

My wife and I could have spent the time wandering about Ireland; instead, we placed ourselves in the hands of a great university and its faculty. We had a broader experience. Our visit included museums and art galleries, monuments and historic locations, theaters and music. If you’re interested, consult www.ucd.ie, University College Dublin’s Web site, in the fall.

For more information, check out www.studyabroad.com or www.ciee.org.