Partner Universities

CIS currently partners with the following university in Ireland:

Dublin City University

Trinity College

University of Limerick

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People and Culture

As beautiful as Ireland's landscape is, the country's main attraction is its people: their hospitality, their wonderful use of language and their marvelous sense of humor ensure a warm welcome. Enter a pub in Ireland on a rainy day, and you'll find a room full of friends. Although English is the main language of Ireland, it's spoken with a peculiar inflection that at first you might think is foreign. In fact, there remain areas of western and southern Ireland, known as the Gaeltacht, where Irish is the native language. Since Independence in 1921, the Republic of Ireland has declared itself to be bilingual, and many documents and road signs are printed in both Irish and English.

Culturally speaking, the Irish have had the greatest impact on literature. Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Yeats, Samuel Beckett and James Joyce are just some of the more famous names, many of who are studied in university writing courses. Ireland, of course, has been portrayed on the big screen (Michael Collins, My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, The Crying Game and The Commitments) and has its share of musicians frequenting the world's radio stations (Bob Geldolf, Elvis Costello, Sinead O'Connor, U2 and the Cranberries). However, Ireland's locals prefer an evening of folk music, jigging and a pint of Guinness to the glamour of Hollywood. Nearly every town and village has a pub renowned for its music, with the names Chieftans, Dubliners, the Wolfe Tones and Christy Moore proudly associated with true Irish music.

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Geography and Climate

Ireland is an island in the Atlantic Ocean situated 50 miles northwest from Britain in the Irish Sea. It stretches 310 miles north to south and 186 miles east to west, thereby making it possible to drive the length of Ireland in less than a day and to traverse the width of the country in a few hours. Much of Ireland's elevated ground is close to the coast, with almost the entire Atlantic seaboard, from Cork to Donegal, being a series of cliffs, hills and mountains, with few safe anchorages. Most of the center of the island is composed of flat farmland or raised bogs. Ireland has only two cities of any size, Belfast and Dublin.

Despite its northern latitude, the Gulf Stream moderates Ireland's climate. The temperature only drops below freezing intermittently during the winter. Summers are comfortable as the temperature rarely hits 85ºF and it stays light until around 11 pm. Whatever the time of year, be prepared for rain because Ireland is wet. If you do find the rain getting you down you might find some comfort in the Irish saying: "It doesn't rain in the pub!"

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Health and Safety

As a whole, Ireland is as safe a destination as you could expect. Friendly people, small cities, and an abhorrence for violence, make this a worry-free place to study. Of course, much has been made of the sometimes violent political and social problems (referred to as the "Troubles"). But, as pointed out in many guidebooks, you always face more danger from erratic drivers than from the Troubles. Recently, dramatic steps have been taken by the divided political parties to secure peace in Northern Ireland once and for all.

Whether you will be studying in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, you will need to have health insurance to cover you in case of accident. While students who will spend more than six months in Northern Ireland will be able to use the national health plan, we recommend that you always purchase supplemental insurance. The Center for International Studies can make arrangements for you to purchase comprehensive international heath and travel insurance for about $50.00-$75.00 per month.

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