… because they wear gold-coloured helmets, or the Fighting Irish as the American football team at Notre Dame, Indiana is also called!

The main building, with its famous Golden Dome, is the center piece of Notre Dame’s past and present. Today, it serves primarily as a headquarters for administration, although it still contains classrooms, harking back to a time when it was a crossroads and students learned, ate meals and lived within the building.

The Golden Dome was added in 1882 and was most recently re-gilded in 2005. The re-gilding process uses only about a fist-full of gold leaf to cover the entire structure. On top of the dome you will find the most recognizable landmark of the University – a 19-foot, 4,000 pound statue of Mary, the Mother of God, “Notre Dame” (“our Lady”). With this beautiful adornment, the main building is 187 feet tall making it the second tallest structure on the campus after the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

The current structure is actually the third building to stand on the site; the first was built in 1843 which was replaced with a larger one in 1865; that one burned down in 1879, after which the third, and current building, was erected. It really was a sight to behold and I am only sorry that I was pressed for time and unable to take a tour of the beautiful campus.

The average fees at Notre Dame University, before aid, are in the region of $48,000 per year for tuition plus around $17,000 for books, on-campus room and board!