A lot of people may be hesitant to choose Dublin as a study abroad location, be it the rumors that it’s always rainy and cold or the appeal of Elon’s center in London being so close. However, during my three months abroad, I met the kindest people on the planet in Ireland, saw the most beautiful green scenery and got to know a small city like the back of my hand.
Your neighborhood
The housing in Dublin that we lived in was in Dublin 7. The neighborhoods of the city are split by the River Liffey, which cuts the city in half north to south. All the odd numbered neighborhoods are in the north, and the even in the south. Near the apartments in Stoneybatter, there are lots of hidden gems for coffee, brunch and sightseeing. To get some exercise in, many people would take a run to Phoenix Park, the biggest park in the city, which houses the president’s home and the Dublin Zoo. Phoenix Park
Wuff is located only a few steps away from the apartments, and has amazing eggs benedict. For a more traditional Irish breakfast, Cowtown Cafe is about the same distance in the opposite direction, and is surrounded by adorable coffee and cake shops like Love Supreme and Slice.
Academic life
There are three main universities in Dublin to choose to attend, Dublin Business School, Trinity College and University College Dublin. DBS and Trinity are located in Dublin 2, which is the most vibrant neighborhood and is the center of the city. Everything in Dublin is walkable, and there is a bus system and overground train but most people just walk everywhere. I attended DBS, which I felt was a great decision.
I was placed on the journalism track, and integrated into classes with all Irish students my age. We produced our own magazine, took field trips to museums, wrote feature articles about local celebrities, and produced our own videos and screening event on Viking history. Using the city as our campus, it was a truly unique experience and one that absolutely enriched my academic life.
Dublin 2 is home to Saint Stephen’s Green, Grafton Street, Christ Church Cathedral, the nightlife of the city and the creative quarter. There’s a pub, coffeeshop, boutique or bar around every corner, but here are some of the best. If you’re looking for a traditional Irish stew lunch, The Hairy Lemon can’t be missed–literally, the outside is bright green and yellow. A few steps away is Accents Coffee and Tea, which is the cutest place to do some homework in between classes. You order coffees and teas upstairs, and in the lounge downstairs is a room full of couches and blankets perfect for waiting out the rain that inevitably will interrupt one of your days. Next to school, Havana offers a wrap & soup student lunch special. Even though it is a chain, if you feel you need a break from all the potatoes, Chopped is similar to Sweetgreen and is a make your own salad bar. There is a stereotype that Dublin doesn’t have good food, but that’s simply not true. Over the past few years, more diverse restaurants have been popping up that serve excellent ramen, sushi, European and Italian meals. The city, although it has an incredibly rich history, is becoming much more cosmopolitan with it’s entertainment options.
Exploring the emerald isle
The FIE program will bring you on two trips across Ireland, to the West Coast to see Galway, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren, and to Northern Ireland for Belfast, Giant’s Causeway and Derry. Howth, which is a little fishing town with a beautiful cliff walk, is about 30 minutes on the DART train and only costs 6 euro roundtrip.
Howth
Outside of these trips, everything is about a 3-4 hour drive in the country, which makes day trips easy and necessary to do. The Blarney Stone and castle are a must see, and a day trip to the Wicklow mountains will give breathtaking views and show you where parts of P.S. I Love You and Braveheart were filmed.
Gaelic football is very popular in Ireland, but the season is short. If you are abroad in the spring, look into getting tickets to a game at Croke Park early on in the season. We were lucky enough to get tickets to the women’s final in September, but most of the games are in the spring and summer.
Getting to and from Dublin airport is super easy, you can take a bus roundtrip for 10 euro or split a cab with friends for about the same, and it’s only about 30 minutes away. Dublin is the headquarters for Ryanair, so almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe–Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, or England–is accessible to you.
If you are thinking about studying abroad in Ireland, please feel free to reach out! I’d love to offer any extra tips, suggestions or advice, so email me at khoey2@elon.edu .