EIL Intercultural Learning

We now know that the first EIL activity in Ireland was on July 1st 1964 when 10 American students and a group leader landed at Shannon Airport to commence an 8 week adventure in Ireland. John McNichols who was the leader of that group spent the last few weeks in Ireland and we had the privilege to spend some time with him and to hear his stories. He says that in 1964 the group were known wherever they visited in Ireland as they had made two appearances on RTE TV. Of course this was in the days of black and white TV in a country with just one channel. How things have changed.

It was a real privilege to meet John and he told us that he was "deeply moved to see how EIL had grown in Ireland" since his visit when everything was "organised in the kitchen of Maire Murphy who lived at The Rise in Mount Merrion" in Dublin. Of course since then the organisation has grown hugely and we now take care of almost 2,000 students and volunteers each year. It was really interesting to hear John talk about culture shock and the difficulties highly confident young people had in adapting to a new culture. It made us feel little had changed in 45 years.

John is still in touch with some members of the 1964 group and he told us every one of them still feels their summer in Ireland was a "defining life changing and character forming experience". He was originally scheduled to lead a group to Mexico, but was switched to Ireland at the last minute and history was made as the first ever EIL participants left for Ireland. Unfortunately John's father died suddenly shortly after he returned from Ireland and his plan to lead to lead EIL groups to other countries over the following years had to be abandoned.

John, a retired high school teacher and football coach, now spends much of his time broadcasting sports commentary and teaching sports journalists in Monterrey, California.   It was his first trip back to Ireland since 1964 and he spent four weeks retracing much of the itinerary of the original group. I'm glad he got a chance to spend some time with Judy Roche (Chair of our Board) and Paul Conway (former Board Chair) while in Dublin and that he was able to come and spend an evening in my home and a day in our office as well as spend a day touring Blarney and Cork with Aisling Meade and Fiona O'Leary. It was very important for us to meet somebody who was such an important part of our history. It reminds us that we have 45 years of achievement and success and makes us think of people like Eddie Cassidy and Carol Bergin and others who helped build EIL along the way.