Ireland Study Abroad Guide

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

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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

• 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 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