June 27, 2007

Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University rising senior men's lacrosse player Brendan Cannon (Haverford, Pa./The Haverford School) started the first of a six-week trip to Ireland for the summer, where he will be taking classes and exploring the countryside.

Cannon, whose family traces its ancestry back to the Emerald Isle, will be taking classes at the National University of Ireland in Galway through a program at Villanova University and corresponding with GUHoyas.com throughout his trip.

"I'm writing from a youth hostel that is next door to the hotel we are staying in Dublin. We leave for Galway tomorrow (Friday, June 22) on a bus at 9 a.m., and that's where I'll be until the end of July.

"So far everything has been great. Irish people, though we may have some differences when it comes to politics, really love Americans. Every time I tell someone I am from Philadelphia, they light up and rattle of questions about Rocky and tell me how great he is.

"One other kid on the trip is from the Bronx and kids keep asking him to say "New York," with his thick accent that they just love.

"In general, they are very warm and accepting people that are genuinely interested in showing you a good time and take care to ask you about yourself.

"We'll be on the Aran Islands for three days so I won't have access to e-mail. But that will be the first real Irish experience out of a big city so I'll let everyone know how that goes.

"I'll give you something next time about my classes, home-stay and that stuff you asked about because I'll know more then.

Cannon was named the ECAC Lacrosse League's Offensive Player of the Year in 2007, helping to lead Georgetown to a 12-3 overall record, the program's sixth-straight NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearance and to the team's sixth conference title in the last eight years. Cannon scored a team-high 21 goals and added 23 assists for 44 points to lead the Blue & Gray. He was named a second-team All-American by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association.