If you have been following along with this blog you probably know by now that I had the opportunity to go to Ireland for five weeks. I read somewhere that it takes five weeks to become familiarized with anything, so I wouldn’t call myself a pro but I do have some tips and tricks I learned along the way that I wanted to share. Here is my Ireland study abroad guide! Hope it offers some helpful information if you are trying to plan a trip to this amazing country. 🙂
Places I visited
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Limerick
- Stayed there for 5 weeks, pretty but you can do it in a weekend
- Try to go on a weekend and stop at the Milk Market, Hunt Museum, and King John’s Castle
- Food
- The Locke Bar- traditional dinner
- Catherine Street coffee shops for breakfast
- Curragowe- traditional dinner
- The Buttery- brunch
-
Killarney
- Beautiful and friendly
- Definitely visit the Killarney National Park there. The views were breathtaking.
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Cork
- Cool artsy vibe, wish I had more time to explore here
- If you go to Cork, make sure you go to Blarney castle, the grounds there were absolutely magical
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The Cliffs of Moher
- By far my favorite place I visited in Ireland. I went twice because I loved it so much.
- Give yourself plenty of time here but be prepared for any weather.
- Wear rainboots! There is so much mud you will ruin your sneakers if you wear them, I promise.
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Galway
- Artsy and angsty city. Maybe everyone was in a mood that day but it was the first city I felt a dislike towards tourists.
- Still cool though, musicians set up everywhere lots of fun to stop and listen.
- Food
- Cupan tea- cute, traditional tea place
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Dublin
- My favorite city by far!
- Make the time to go to the Guinness factory, it’s worth every penny in my opinion.
- Also, if you are of the legal drinking age, the nightlife is so much fun.
- Food
- Porterhouse Temple Bar- traditional Irish food with live music in a great building
- Brother Hubbard- artsy aesthetically pleasing brunch
- Hatch and Sons- brunch, cool atmosphere traditional Irish breakfast options
- Bars
- Temple Bar, Bad Bobs, Fitzsimons (there are sooo much more though)
- Mini trips to Adare, Ennis, Lahinch
Food to eat and drink
- You must have tea and scones at some point
- Beer! Of course. I learned to love a good pint of Guinness but be warned, it is not for everyone.
- Also order a Jameson and ginger (ale) at a bar if a beer isn’t for you, still a very Irish drink
- ANY stew. Stew is huge.
- So are pies
- I got a lentil cottage pie at some pub in Galway that changed my life
- Fish and chips
- For breakfast
- Irish breakfast (usually consists of eggs, sausage, tomatoes, and beans)
- Porridge (AKA oatmeal made with milk)
- SODA BREAD!! ugh so yummy
Getting around
- Bus Eiran is what I used for most of my time here
- I also used Dublin coach to get to Dublin
- FYI- it’s really cheap to fly to London from Ireland
- I spent 30 euro on a roundtrip flight on Ryan Air
- Side note: that was the only thing that was cheap about my trip to London (still worth it though)
- I spent 30 euro on a roundtrip flight on Ryan Air
- I stayed in hostels and Airbnbs- do your research when booking for both
Notes about Ireland
- It’s cold, cloudy and rainy 50% of the time- pack for that
- Bars aren’t open that late and it’s normal to go get drinks at 9/10
- Pubs are where you will find traditional Irish food if you want to try it
- Go to a rugby game if you can it is crucial to the culture in Ireland
- Irish people overall are ridiculously friendly don’t be afraid to ask questions
- Penny’s is huge (so are spray tans??)
- Everything is “grand”, just say you’re grand if someone asks
Study abroad advice I wish someone told me
- Weekends are for traveling but it messes up your weeks because you come back so exhausted. Catch up on sleep during the week.
- Be prepared to walk everywhere and don’t forget to eat or you will get incredibly hangry
- Have a portable charger with you at all times
- Go to the free museums!
- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STUDENT DISCOUNTS, ALWAYS ASK AND ALWAYS HAVE YOUR SCHOOL ID
- Bring a water bottle (that has a water filter or get a charcoal filter)
- Don’t forget to offset your carbon emissions when traveling
- Not sure what that means? Read more about it here.
Sending love on all of your adventures!
Sam
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