(Courtesy/Ms. Carmichael)
For years, Upper School English teacher Ms. Elizabeth Carmichael taught her students about Ireland through pages of classic literature. This past June, however, she finally got to experience the landscapes behind the stories for herself.
Carmichael’s connection to Ireland began long before her teaching career. In college at St. Francis University, she took an Irish Literature course taught by Dr. Weixel, a mentor who not only inspired her to pursue education but would later officiate her wedding. As a student worker in the English department, Carmichael helped Weixel organize St. Francis’s annual study abroad trip to Ireland. Though traveling on the trip wasn’t within her budget at the time, visiting Ireland remained on her radar.
Years later, after introducing an Irish Literature course at Academy, Carmichael envisioned what it would mean to visit the places she taught about every day. Thanks to Academy’s Dream Big summer grant, that long-held dream became a reality.
From June 4 – 20, Carmichael embarked on a 16-day, 1,200-mile road trip across the island alongside her husband (who handled all the driving), her mother, and her daughters, Thea’33 and Ivy’39.
To avoid a rushed pace, Carmichael anchored the family in each destination for two to three nights. Flying into Dublin, they traveled south to Kilkenny and Cork, drove the scenic Ring of Beara, passed through Kenmare and Killarney, and headed north through Limerick to Galway. After stopping at the Cliffs of Moher and ancient stone sites, they visited Donegal–their final stop in the Republic–before crossing into Northern Ireland to explore Derry, the Giant’s Causeway, and Belfast, ultimately returning to Dublin.
Throughout the journey, Carmichael encountered touchstones from her curriculum and pop culture alike. She visited W. B. Yeats’s grave, explored James Joyce’s tower, and walked through the landscapes that inspired generations of Irish poets. She also visited iconic locations featured in two of her favorite Irish television shows, Derry Girls and Bad Sisters. One standout excursion was a train ride from Dublin to Greystones, a coastal town known for its stony beaches and its community-wide phone ban for children, which was previously featured in The New York Times.
Additionally, her stops in Northern Ireland added a distinct layer of depth to the experience. Visiting Derry and Belfast allowed Carmichael to engage with the complex political history of the region.
“Our time in Derry and Belfast was especially meaningful,” Carmichael said. “I focused on learning more about the political history of those places, in particular, movements for independence from Britain and their similarities to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.”
Equally impactful was the Irish approach to land conservation and community stewardship. While staying at a multi-generational family farm, she observed the deep respect locals held for their natural and historical surroundings. Throughout the countryside, roads intentionally curved around the terrain rather than cutting straight through it, which is a choice that prioritizes preservation over speed.
“Where we might see a field and think it’s empty space, the attitude in Ireland was not that it’s empty, but that it’s really full and vibrant,” Carmichael said. “It’s important for it to stay that way rather than filling it up with development just to make things more efficient.”
Returning to Academy this fall, Carmichael brings a refreshed depth to her classroom. The history, poems, and stories she shares are no longer just pages in a syllabus: they are real places and lived experiences.
“Teaching that class while planning the trip was really special,” she said. “I have so much gratitude that the school offers these types of programs for teachers to pursue their personal and professional interests. I feel really lucky to be at a place that supports that.”
