Jan. 5, 2005
As the Notre Dame men’s swimmers and men’s and women’s divers continue their training and competition trip to Ireland, the seven divers – senior Meghan Perry-Eaton, sophomore Scott Coyle, and freshmen Steven Crowe, Tara Hyer, Chris Kane, Mike Maggio, and Sam Stoner – offer a detailed report of their time in Dublin from Friday through Sunday, while the swimmers were training in Limerick. Their time was punctuated by being unable to train at the National Aquatic Centre when the facility was closed after sustaining damage from a New Year’s Day tornado.
Check back soon for the swimmers’ diary of their trip to Limerick, which concluded with a stop at St. Patrick’s Rock in Cashel. Also look for additional photo galleries and other features throughout the week.
Lemony Leprechaun’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
It is strikingly clever of God to have orchestrated the past few days of events – if only to provide an entertaining title for this journal entry. In the beginning, we kept a steadily enthusiastic stride through the town, constantly reminding ourselves of the training days ahead. The intense training situation left us with an array of emotions: a lingering fear of the long, hard workouts ahead, but not above the exciting anticipation of the results a few weeks down the road.
For many of us, this was our maiden voyage into international lands, while some seem almost veterans of the traveling circuit. Together we composed a group of five males, two females; one sophomore, five freshmen, and one self-proclaimed “old hag” – one apparently spry enough to still flail off a diving board with questionable grace. It is a different team, though, from what [fifth-year senior] Meg has experienced in the past. Though blessed with a sometimes unbalanced variety, there is an amazing engine within us, one fueled by individual respect, love, light-heartedness, intelligence, and a solid dedication to our team and sport. We are a team that can laugh and cry about our situation and finally settle down with our heads held high.
This entry is being written in the wake of our first wave of unfortunate events and we are crossing our fingers for a better end. We are now in Limerick with the swim team, but no diving facilities. All of our training time is dedicated to dryland and conditioning. Though this only leaves us apprehensive about the end of our season, we have to keep our focus. We can only hope that our training will leave us a step ahead of our competition mentally and physically, while giving us enough time to prepare for our actual diving. We will work together with our hearts filled with Notre Dame, diving, and American pride, with our hands awaiting our crown at the BIG EAST Championships in February.
Friday, December 31
Today was our first – and as it turned out, our last – day of practice at the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) in Dublin while the swimmers were in Limerick. We had two good practices in which we mostly dove one-meter and did a little platform, which is completely new for some of us (the Rolfs Aquatic Center does not have platforms). The pool is quite nice, having two three-meters, two one-meters, and a full set of platforms, as well as quite adequate heating.
After practice, we waited about 20 minutes for an “eight-seater” taxi, which two girls took. A very nice lady from the aquatic center made a phone call for us, and eventually we got our cab. Upon arriving at the hotel, we saw the two girls who stole our cab.
We went to dinner at TGI Friday’s with the Danches [assistant athletics director/swimming & diving sport administrator Mike Danch and his wife, Connie]. That we thoroughly appreciated! It was a great experience reminiscent of the United States of America.
On a mission to wander through the city centre, we hopped onto bus #37 from the Blanchardstowne Village. While on the bus, we participated in a musical sing-off between our group of seven American Fighting Irish and some raucous native Irishmen. Aside from our stellar performances of songs by *NSYNC and other similar bands, Mike recommended a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, which had to halt our efforts.
The group of Irishmen happened to leave the bus with our same intentions. A trip to the restroom by Tara [Hyer] and Meg [Perry-Eaton] was quite a cultural experience. They were rather shocked to be joined in the ladies’ room by one of the 20-year-old Irishmen. Interestingly enough, a 40-year-old woman began yelling curses at him before parting with a questionably-sarcastic wish of “Happy New Year, my love. Make it the best!”
The city was rather chilly, but our swole, buff bodies provided sufficient insulation. Eventually the locked doors and brisk breezes helped us call it a night. In the cab on our return, the kind driver educated us about an array of interesting facts – touching on deer-slaughtering fines, gear positions, and the midnight bells in the city, which piqued our interest a little late.
So we returned to the five-star Travelodge for a quality 30 minutes of bonding. Six of us bundled up and toughed it out to ring in the new year, as the natives flocked to the city to hear the church bells sound at midnight. The city was, again, beautifully lit, while the “Sniffy Liffey” [local nickname for the river bisecting Dublin as a result of its stench] perfumed the air with the help of the blustery breezes. We greeted the new year with a team hug, and our togetherness was a great way to kick off 2005.
Saturday, January 1
With the new year beginning and the NAC closed for the bank holiday, we went for a fun run along the Royal Canal, which was along the back land of our travel suites. Though the trampled stones gathered no mud, our shoes did the job quite well. The canal provided us with some waterfalls, which, though small, were a neat sight. After a grueling while, however, we attempted to dart the risk of clinical fatigue and headed back.
The Little Chef [restaurant] is amazing. Some Americans enjoy the consistency of Outback Steakhouse or the original flavor of Panera – but L.C. leaves these dynasties in its dust. To highlight the meals, the terms “bacon,” “sirloin,” “hamburger,” and quite possibly “chicken,” can all be used interchangeably as descriptors. This makes ordering both quick and decisive. There has also been a trend forming – one that is “ludicrously tasty” – as the European cereal Crunchy Nuts advertises. These, however, are rumored to make one gain weight, so it is sometimes better to stick with the water.
Once we finished another scrumptious meal at the L.C., we headed back to the city. It really was quite grand! The shops were still closed up for the most part, but we managed to wander through a souvenir shop and a grocer – both permitting a supple taste of the Irish culture. After some wandering, we uncovered a hidden treasure: Irish fish `n’ chips. We thoroughly enjoyed a filling lunch, saw some more of the city, and returned home.
Our If book [which presents a series of hypothetical situations as brain teasers to be considered] became a point of interest as everyone crowded into room 96. Suddenly, however, it was as if a woolen knit was thrown over our eyes, as all of the lights were suddenly shut down. No one had a clue what had happened, and one lass was stuck climbing out of the bath tub in pitch black.
Somehow, the ND divers did not carry a pot of gold with them to Ireland. Apparently, quite the contrary: though the area almost never encounters conditions for tornadoes, it seems that the immense quantity of hot air carried with these beastly Irish divers could only cause the atmosphere to be thrown off course; hey, it happens to everyone. A tornado had relentlessly torn through a small area of Dublin, focusing on the diving well of the NAC. All that ripping had left the gods feeling challenged and defenseless. So here we were – thousands of miles from home with no pool to train in. What do we do? We decide to hit the L.C. again and call it a night.
Sunday, January 2
During a thoroughly beneficial a.m. workout in 34¢ª weather, two ginormous rottweilers attempted to catch a rather hearty breakfast. Our stellar wind sprints up a 45¢ª slimy incline worked them off swiftly, though. Following the training adventure, four of us and the Danches went to mass on Navan Road. The service was really to the point, and a group of children put together a small ceremony to pray for the victims of the Asian tsunami. Somehow, following the service, the group decided to walk the one short mile back … well, if by “one short mile,” you mean three miles.
Finally we headed to McDonald’s for a scrumptious meal and then back to the hotel. Hurriedly hopping into bus #39, we flocked up to the top for the “short” ride … and, yes, if by “short,” you mean an hour and a half, it was indeed quite quick. Only this time, we were harassed by some juveniles ranging in age from 7-14 and in weight from 20-200 pounds. The mouths on these children were vile, and they were out to cause some trouble. We were deeply offended by their name calling, as they insulted us with claims like, “You Judge Judy wannabes!” and “You Colgate girls!” They threatened us – though we know Mikey could have taken them all – and it was a bit of a scary situation, but the delinquents were kicked off the bus … so they began throwing stones at our windows. I assume the bus driver sent them away for fear that if there had been a tussle, we divers would have ended up bending the steel in the bus. He knew we are kind of a big deal, because we work out a lot.
So it has been quite the interesting few days. In between pretending we were in “Napoleon Dynamite” and not taking correct buses, we saw a lot of the city and have truly enjoyed our time together. Though we are currently concerned with the random misfortunes and inconveniences, we are able to rely on the solid foundation we have formed together. We have really appreciated the understanding from our staff and coaches – we may not know what tomorrow will bring, but we know we will be there together with plenty of stories to laugh about!