By Aaron Young
From pu-erh in Galway, earl grey in Ennis, chai in Limerick, to good old Irish breakfast on campus, last semester was a season of tea fuelled bliss for the members of UL’s tea appreciation society and this semester promises to be even better. As early as the start of week two the society has already made our first outing to scenic Galway drinking tea in such nationally renowned locations as the Secret Garden tea room, a haven for the tea loving hippie in all of us to the Corrib Tea Rooms and the Cupán Tae where we indulged our love frills, lace and patterned china in the modern embodiment of the classic afternoon tea popularised by the 7th Duchess of Bedford, the spiritual mother of all tea drinkers in these Islands.
And while we are on the topic of our next door neighbours in Britain the society is planning the biggest undertaking of its short history, we will be becoming truly international with a trip to visit our fellow Gaels in Scotland for four days of tea soaked fun as we take in the majestic sights of Edinburgh and Glasgow. The trip promises to be a truly memorable occasion as we make our way across the sea to take in everything these two historic cities have to offer. We plan to make the most of our stay visiting the ancient majesty of castles and cathedrals and drinking a traditional afternoon tea while on a river cruise through the centre of Edinburgh.
Our society has a strong membership of Irish and International students both dedicated to having a fun and relaxing time away from the stresses of the world, no special skills required. Whatever your tastes we can promise to find at least one tea or tisane from our vast collection to interest even the most discerning palate. We look forward to meeting you every Wednesday in the Millstream Common room on the southern end of the Living Bridge or at one of our special Tuesday events a full schedule of which can be found on our Facebook page.
Claire Schoenemann 
Joe Drennan 
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