New York is so quiet during the summer, but it’s nice to have a break from teaching classes, attending events, dinner dances etc. and to spend time in the city when it isn’t too hectic. I get a chance do all the things that I intended to do, but never got around to doing. I absolutely love living in Manhattan, but I find it difficult to settle down and write my Ph.D as there is always so much going on, even during the summer. I have an awful lot of work to do so have decided to take a short break from Manhattan and to run away (to Ireland) for a while.
“The City that never sleeps” is a very difficult place to write a Ph.D so I have come home to focus on my writing for a few weeks, until I have most of the writing completed.
I don't teach any classes during the summer, therefore I can spend my time working on my writing. I came home to Ireland last week and got straight down to work as soon as I landed, as it is very easy to become distracted and always find something other than your Ph.D to occupy your time.
At the moment I am staying in my parent’s house in Gorey, County Wexford. They provide me with real support during this tough working time and their house is in a nice quiet area out in the country without too many distractions. A Ph.D is actually a very lonely thing to do as most of your time is spent sitting in a room all alone writing except when I have to go and meet my Ph.D supervisor, who is a great help to me.
I work all day, every day (well most days!) in the office in my parent’s house, but take breaks to pick my nephew Seán up from playschool, pick up my niece from primary (elementary) school or going for lunch with my parents. These are very important things for me to be able to do because I only get the chance to spend time like with my family when I am at home and I value it tremendously. I usually spend my weekends in Dublin because even though my parents have moved to Wexford, I am still very much a Dublin girl! I stay with my friends in Dublin and we usually go into town for a drink. My two favourite pub in Dublin are Kehoe’s on South Anne Street and O’Donoghue’s on Merrion Row. Make sure to visit them next time you are in Ireland.
A few others things I have planned while I am home (when not writing) are: visiting my 103-year-old Nana in Mayo, attending my friends Melissa and Paul’s wedding and going to the Galway Races. I love being at home in Ireland — but don't worry, New York is never too far from my mind. I love the life I lead, being able to split some of my time between New York and Ireland.
Hopefully I will get most of my work on “The Irish identity in New York” written while in Ireland over the next few weeks. I think the fact that I am writing on the topic of Irish-America fits well — I am writing this Ph.D half in New York and half in Ireland. I even wrote some of it on my Aer Lingus flight. I am looking forward to finishing my writing and having my life back to normal.
***Tá Nua Eabhrac chomh ciúin le linn an tSamhraidh. Tá sé deas brise a fháil ón ngnáthshaol craiceáilte i Manhattan lán de ranganna, imeachtaí, dinnéar agus araile agus am a chaitheamh sa chathair nuair tá sé níos ciúine. Déanaimse na rudaí a raibh ar intinn agam dhéanamh le linn na bliana ach nach bhfuair mé deis déanamh. Is aoibhinn liom bheith i mo chónaí i Manhattan ach bíonn sé deacair orm socrú síos agus mo Ph D a scríobh mar go bhfuil an méid sin ag tarlú an t-am ar fad, fiú ag an am seo den bhliain. Tá ualach mór oibre orm faoi láthair dá bhrí sin caithfidh mé sos beag a thógáil ó Manhattan mar go bhfuil sé chomh gnóthach sin. Is áit fíor-dheacair é ‘an chathair nach gcodlaíonn choíche’ le Ph D a scríobh. Bheartaigh mé Nua Eabhrac a fhágáil ar feadh tamaillín agus teacht abhaile chun díriú isteach ar mo chuid staidéir, díreach ar feadh cúpla seachtain, go dtí go mbíonntromlach na hoibre scríofa agam.
Táimse ar sos ó na ranganna Gaeilge go dtí an Fómhar, dá bhrí sin, táim in ann m’am ar fad a chaitheamh ag scríobh agus ag scríobh. Tháinig mé abhaile go hÉirinn an tseachtain seo caite agus táim ag luí isteach san obair ó tháinig mé. Faoi láthair táim ag fanacht i dteach mo thuismitheoirí i nGuaire, Loch Garman. Tá neart tacaíocht sa bhaile agus is áit dheas chiúin é an áit a bhfuil an teach lonnaithe rud a chiallaíonn go bhfuilim in ann méid mór obair a dhéanamh gach aon lá.
Is rud sórt uaigneach é Ph D a scríobh mar caithfidh tú suigh síos ag an ríomhaire agus an lá ar fad a chaitheamh ag cumadh sa seomra leat féin seachas nuair a bhíonn cruinnithe agam le mo stiúrthóir Ph. D.
Bímse ag obair gach aon lá san oifig i dteach mo mhuintir ach tógaim sos chun mo nia Seán a bhailiú ó naíonra, mo neacht Sarah a bhailiú ón mbunscoil nó téimse i gcomhair lóin le mo thuismitheoirí. Tá tábhacht ar leith ag baint leis na sórt seo rudaí mar nach bhfaighim an deis a leithead a dhéanamh i Nua Eabhrac mar nach bhfuil mo chlann thall. Ag an deireadh seachtaine téim chuig Baile Átha Cliath chun cuairt a thabhairt ar mo chairde agus fanaim thar oíche leo agus téann muid amach i gcomhair deoch sa chathair. Is aoibhinn liom na pubs Kehoe's agus O’Donoghues i gcathair Bhaile Átha Cliath. Ba cheart díobh cuairt a thabhairt orthu nuair atá sibh in Éirinn.
Cúpla rud eile a mbeidh ar siúl agam agus mé sa bhaile ná cuairt a thabhairt ar mo Mhamó i Maigh Eo atá 103 bliana d’aois, bainis mo chairde Paul agus Melissa, Rásaí na Gaillimhe. Is breá liom bheith sa bhaile ach chun an fhírinne a rá bíonn Manhattan ar chúl m’aigne i gcónaí. Is breá liom an saol atá agam agus go bhfuil an deis agam m’am a scoilt idir Nua Eabhrac agus Éire. Le cúnamh Dé beidh mór chuid den Ph D ‘Irish identity in New York’ scríofa agam tar éis bheith in Éirinn. Ár ndóigh mar gheall go bhfuilim ag scríobh faoi Gael-Meiriceánachas, tá sé an-oiriúnach go bhfuilim ag scríobh an Ph D idir Nua Eabhrac agus Éire. Scríobh mé cuid ar an eitilt Aer Lingus fiú. Táim ag tnúth go mór le mo Ph D a chríochnú agus mo shaol a fháil ar ais.
