Literature Study Abroad Programs in Dublin, Ireland

The program with CIEE in Dublin, Ireland is straightforward and the resources are helpful. The day trips were a lot of fun, the class was engaging, and the price is reasonable, especially for out of state students.

Studying abroad was one of the scariest and most fulfilling things I could have done during my undergraduate experience. I was a commuter student in my undergraduate program, and was not used to the independence offered to me during this program. I had the time of my life. As a Trinity student, we were given a co-living apartment about a 20 minutes walk from Trinity, right in the center of the Dublin. My apartment also offered a beautiful view of the Wicklow mountains. Trinity was an amazing school to attend, and the academics were challenging, and the classmates were interesting. I took a couple of courses that would not be offered at my home university, and I had a lot of fun. It was so cool being able to attend such a historical school, and attend its events, such as Trinity Ball. In addition to attending a school with a beautiful campus, our resident directors planned spectacular trips around Ireland as well! I felt that I saw most of the country in my four months there. We did a variety of activities and it was fun to experience with other Americans. I learned a lot about the Irish culture and history. Dublin is also a central location in Europe, and my roommates and I were able to take a couple of trips around the continent. Flights within in Europe are so cheap and you are not necessarily restricted to the country you are studying in. I saw so many sights and met a lot of different people through my travels. I will forever be thankful that I decided to study abroad. I still talk to my study abroad roommates and have visited them around the United States after our program has ended. I've also ended up back in Ireland in a graduate program at UCD because I loved it here so much. My program with API was definitely part of my journey to end up here, and I would recommend studying abroad to anyone who is thinking about it (I definitely recommend Ireland, but I'm not biased).

In the Spring of 2024, I had the opportunity to study in Dublin, Ireland with IES Abroad's Dublin Writers Program. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I was back. Those four months were incredibly impactful academically, creatively, and personally. Studying abroad taught me independence, to trust myself. It gave me the freedom to explore and encounter the world on my own terms. When I boarded the plane in January, I had no idea what to expect. I'd never traveled alone, never hailed a taxi, never lived in a big city. But the Irish are so incredibly kind and welcoming. Strangely, I never once felt out of place. Ireland was always home to me even before I touched the ground. I will always remember the shock I felt when I saw daffodils decorating the city. Somehow, those flowers symbolized the life and beauty I would experience in Dublin. As for my professors, they were some of the kindest individuals I have met. All were clearly invested in our learning but equally as invested in our time abroad. Rather than simply being a course of study or the sole focus being placed on our time abroad, the two were equally married. Academic standards were high but the materials were meant to immerse us further in Irish history, culture, and literature. Through these classes, I gained a further sense of place. I will forever think fondly of discussing literature over tea, delving into Celtic mythology, and connecting the buildings I walked past every day to the history they stood through. I will forever cherish memories of riding the DART to the seaside, exploring markets, bookstore hopping, going to services in St. Patrick's Cathedral, walking the streets, and simply taking Dublin in. Walking the city, it became mine. I've never felt so intimately connected to a place.

Going abroad was a spontaneous, circumstantial decision for me rather than a well-thought out plan. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life. I stumbled upon this program after consulting with an advisor at the International Programs Office at my school in late October. I knew I wanted to go to Ireland or Italy, and this was the only program left available due to the timing of my decision to go abroad. Little did I know that Maynooth, Ireland would hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life! Maynooth is a gorgeous college town situated on the outskirts of Dublin, Ireland. Dublin Center is easily accessible by bus or train. It is Ireland's only college town, with an active student body and a wide array of things to do. Many of the students I met and became close with were other students studying abroad (Erasmus students), from various states in the U.S. and even from countries across Europe! The Erasmus student population is what made the experience for me personally, although there were many friendly locals I met as well. Grab a pint of Guinness at the Roost, go for a hike with alpacas in the Irish countryside, or explore all that Dublin Center has to offer. Ireland has no shortage of beautiful landscapes and interesting people, and I highly recommend spending your semester abroad in this truly wonderful country. API offers excursions to all of the must-see places in Ireland, including the Cliffs of Moher, Aran Islands, the Blarney Stone, and more. They were extremely accommodating and highly proactive in ensuring that all of my needs were met before I studied abroad. I highly recommend spending your semester abroad with API.

I never felt unsafe while alone in a different country because of CIEE staff. If anything were ever unsafe, like a violent protest a few weeks ago, we were immediately notified and kept updated as needed.

I never believed it would be possible to study abroad this early in my college career and I don't think it would have been possible if not for a program like CIEE. This being my first time traveling internationally and alone, CIEE provided me with the resources to establish myself in a new country while helping me learn to push my personal boundaries and be comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The experience was absolutely life-changing. I feel like an entirely different person than I was two months ago. I feel much more independent and appreciative of myself and those around me. Not only would I recommend it because of the personal growth I experienced, I would also recommend it because of the people. The CIEE staff on program, including the FDDO-specific staff, were super kind and helpful. Beyond that, the people I met on program are some of the most kind, thoughtful, and fun human beings I have ever met, and I am proud to be able to call them my friends.

I would definitely recommend CIEE Study Abroad to my peers because it allowed me to travel and learn within a very different environment without the worry of finances preventing this experience. Through the Frederick Douglass O'Connell Global Internship, I have been able to expand my skills and knowledge within Sociology and research by studying how Irish Society operates and also critically analyzing policies and the application of data in order to critique and improve it. I have also been able to explore a culture that is vastly different from my own, forcing me to adapt and be comfortable with new traditions and customs. I believe that I am a better version of myself due to CIEE and everything I have been blessed to experience within the program. I am more confident, knowledgeable, open-minded, humble, and worldly thanks to CIEE and especially the Frederick Douglass O’Connell Global Internship.

This past summer I traveled to Dublin, Ireland with CEA CAPA. I had an overall wonderful experience and found the staff both pre departure and within my host country to be very helpful. They were quick with responses and assisting in any worries that I might have had. While there, we had two CEA CAPA planned trips that were very fun and a good chance to explore the country. I met so many wonderful people on the trip too. Over all my experience was really great!

My time in Dublin with ISA was probably the best three months of my life. I studied music, history, and the Irish language at Maynooth University just outside Dublin. The university was amazing with wonderful professors, lots of fun social events, and great programs and resources. I also loved the town of Maynooth: it has a great social scene, it's very clean, and I felt very safe there. The proximity to Dublin is also great because of the city itself, but also because of the access to public transportation.

My j-term in Dublin was one of my favorite experiences in life thus far. Before going I had never flown out of the US, and never alone. I felt unprepared going into my flight as I wasn't quite sure what I was getting myself into. I felt like AIFS did not do a great job communicating, as myself and several other students felt unprepared and confused. We were given incorrect papers several times, and the syllabus was wrong. HOWEVER after everything was settled and we finally made it to our housing I had a wonderful time. Dublin is beautiful, and I felt like we were shown that. I made great friends and have nothing but fond memories.

My four months abroad had such a strong impact on me academically and personally in ways that I had never expected. I owe all of the wonderful experiences that I had in Ireland to IES Abroad and all of the Dublin staff that supported my journey. When I arrived at the Dublin airport, I was unsure how the semester would go but it was the taxi driver that soothed all my concerns and confirmed my choice in coming to Ireland. It was easy to see just how special Ireland was from the way the taxi driver spoke of it and I later would learn just how incredible the people were too. IES made it possible for me to really get to know and experience my life abroad with the people in my program from scheduled program trips to living in the same building. The friendships I made with my peers are ones I will cherish forever from grabbing snacks at the convenience store in-between classes to going on DART rides to coastal towns on the weekend. Then, there are the professors and all I can say is these are some of the most genuine and encouraging instructors I have ever had. In the writer's program, I did take a fiction writing class which was new for me but throughout the process, I felt so empowered as a writer because I was believed in. It isn't only the support in your academics, but the little things that go beyond that, for example, in my short stories class our professor made us tea every class period with a new Irish treat. I think about my experience all of the time and I couldn't be more thankful for all that IES Abroad has done for me, it was truly an experience of a lifetime.

I had the most wonderful experience studying abroad at University College Dublin with ISA! Aside from loving every second studying at the university, I was able to have many experiences outside of Dublin. UCD quickly became home, and I will always cherish the friends and memories made during my time abroad. Excursions planned by ISA allowed me to see other parts of the country and connect with other studying with ISA. I especially loved the flexibility and support of the program as I was able to safely take trips outside of Ireland during the semester. This experience was something I will always miss, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity!

Studying abroad was absolutely life changing. Especially with CIEE because I felt cared for. At every step of the way faculty of CIEE expressed diligence, organization, and overall concern for our well being. I am so satisfied with this program and my parents were as well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the level of instructional support, experiential learning, and community engagement throughout my program. CIEE did a great job of creating a unique and expansive Study Abroad experience for me.

My experience with CIEE was overall very positive. The program was well run, the CIEE facilities in both Ireland and South Africa were excellent, and we had the opportunity to work with high quality staff and instructors.

I would recommend CIEE becasue I liked the small size of the program in Dublin, Ireland, how everyone is from everywhere, the only thing I could say is to maybe include lunch from the cafeteria at school.

Studying abroad with IES in Dublin gave me the opportunity to live in the heart of the city. The accommodations came with a private bedroom and bathroom which really helped my roommates and I quickly adjust to living together. Through my accommodations, I was able to make friends in my program and met people studying at other places in the city. The prime location allowed us to easily walk to Croke Park for a Gaelic football match, or to discover new pubs with traditional Irish music. My classes were just a short tram ride away. I loved my quite morning routine of taking the tram and then walking to class along the canal. In my Irish Communal Identity class, we spent most classes outside exploring Dublin. Our instructor brought us to new areas each week explaining their history and their identity in modern Dublin. On weekends, my friends and I often explored the areas surrounding Dublin, frequently taking day trips to go hiking. IES also brought us on an excursion to Glendalough, one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. IES was very supportive and encouraged us not to just visit Dublin but to live in it and experience it.

I studied abroad in Dublin with IES in the Spring of 2022 and had an incredible experience! Ireland itself is a great place to study as it is full of rich history and beautiful sights with plenty of things to do. With this, going abroad with IES really enriched my experience. From pre-departure on, I felt incredibly supported by the staff at all points. Any issue I had was able to be addressed quickly and effectively leading to a great experience overall. The professors were all extremely knowledgable and I thoroughly enjoyed all of my courses and came away with great knowledge from each one. At no point did I feel unsafe or unsupported; in fact, everyone in the program was more than willing to help in any way, whether that was an academic issue I was having or if I needed recommendations on where to take a day trip to. I truly cannot recommend this program highly enough as I had the most incredible experience through them.

My semester in Dublin was definitely the most memorable of my time in college. From before we arrived to the day we left, IES kept in regular contact with us to make sure that everything was going well. They gave us an orientation with plenty of practical advice that you might not think of yourself, and they sent out information and suggestions for things to do throughout the semester. We had a couple of group outings and trips led by IES, and plenty of opportunities to travel within the country and all across Europe on our own. The Trinity campus is beautiful (I was drawn to the program from seeing photos of the Old Library!) and right in city centre so you're constantly exposed to local culture; I often found myself stopping at some shops on the way home to get a hot chocolate or fries with garlic sauce (they're the best). The apartment we stayed in was very nice and modern with plenty of space, privacy, and common areas to socialize. It was pretty close to campus, all things considered, only a short walk or shorter tram ride away. My roommates and I were all strangers when we arrived but quickly became friends were watching movies, cooking, and traveling together in no time! Almost everyone in all of the IES Dublin programs lived in the same building, so we made a group chat and had a big extended group of friends to go out with. The actual classes at Trinity are a lot different in much of Europe than they are in somewhere like the United States. Instead of multiple shorter classes a day on alternating days like at my home school, I had two one-hour sessions or one two-hour session of each class a week. Depending on the class (I took English modules), grades are also based significantly or even 100% on the final exam. This was definitely an adjustment in the sense that I did feel a bit less engaged with school overall, since it was less in-class time and fewer assignments throughout the semester and it could sometimes be easy to push classwork off; then, when finals came, it was a lot of work all at once. This has pros and cons, mainly that you have more free time but need to have significant self-discipline. You just have to make sure to keep up with your work, though, since more of the responsibility is on you alone; you have to really care about your studies because they are important to you rather than because someone is making you. This is a very good thing to learn, though, since a lot of other things in life require self-motivation and accountability. This more open schedule was a great way to have things structured during study abroad, though, because it left a LOT of time to explore locally and travel on long weekends! I definitely recommend joining a couple of clubs to truly feel connected to campus; they have a lot of fun events both on campus and at local venues. Studying in Dublin was not only fun for a short time, but allowed me to realize how much I really want to live abroad long-term. You also learn so many things living in a new culture and how to adapt to them. Public transport is really convenient within the city, and trains are great for traveling across the country. You have to ask for the check at a restaurant, but tax is all included so the total is nice and even and easy to add up in your head. Even going to the grocery store at first is a whole experience on its own—a lot more people bring their own bags (which is great!), some "staple" foods are a bit different, and Irish dairy has a totally different taste. And when you finally leave, you feel a bit homesick in reverse, because what you consider "home" has been split into more pieces. It's like you always have somewhere else in the world, in the back of your mind, to go back to and still feel familiar and comfortable in. Overall, my semester abroad in Dublin with IES really bridged that gap of apprehension between the expected and the unknown, and it helped prepare me to travel and live abroad once I graduate.