The Mitchell Scholarship

Class of 2025 Mitchell Scholars Gathered in Galway

26 May 2025.  Trina joined the Class of 2025 in Galway for the final group gathering. That year flew by!  It was an unusual year in that there was no Mitchell Scholar studying at the University of Galway, so we wanted to visit to make sure that everyone visited Galway while on the island.

We spent a day in Clare.  While the weather did not cooperate (the Irish summer ended that day!) we did just get in a pic at the Cliffs of Moher before the fog enveloped us.  One day was spent in Galway and we were delighted to be joined for lunch by Dr. Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, the Chairperson of the University of Galway.  Dr. Quinn had a long and distinguished political career, holding several Ministries. She was the first woman to hold an Irish cabinet post since Countess Markievicz had served in the first Dáil! It was also great to catch up with Daire O’Criodain, former Irish diplomat-turned-aircraft-leasing expert.  Daire worked at the Irish Embassy in Washington, DC when Trina first started on Capitol Hill. Also joining the lunch was Alex Metcalfe, VP of International at Galway University.

Mitchell Scholar alum Ali Watkins who lives in Galway and Derry now with her husband, Dylan, invited us to their home.  She had planned to take the gang for swim in the sea but, with a small craft warning, we agreed that it would be best to not lose a Mitchell at sea!