Ireland is an island divided into two political areas. The Republic of Ireland in the south is an independent sovereign state whilst Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. Ireland is one of the wealthiest countries in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)
Whilst Irish Gaelic & English are both official languages, Ireland remains the only english-speaking country in the Eurozone.
Today, the vast majority of people speak English, which makes it easy to get around studying, living & working. All graduate & post-graduate courses are taught in english.
Native Irish is still being spoken & taught in schools particularly in the western parts of the Island.
The emerald isle has magnificent and beautiful landscapes that are well-preserved. Dun Aonghasa is one of the world’s oldest hill forts built in 1100 B.C. and there are tombs at Listoghil that date back to 3500 B.C. There will be opportunities to explore Ireland’s green, lush countrysides and quaint little towns.
The Irish are known to be some of the friendliest people in the world. Dublin was voted by Lonely planet as the world’s friendliest city on multiple occasions.
Ireland is home to some of world’s best universities such as Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin & National University of Ireland, Galway. These universities are in the top 1% of research institutions in terms of global impact.
There are 9 prestigious universities and 15 technological institutes offering over 5,000 internationally recognized qualifications. 35,000 international students from more than 160 countries are in attendance.
The Irish government’s commitment to investing 782 million annually into higher education will continue to drive an excellent education system & fund world-renowned research institutes with state-of-the-art-facilities.
Aside from being one of the safest countries in the world, Ireland attracts a large number of foreign students every year due to its excellent reputation for education and welcoming culture.
Ireland boasts many historical cities and a rich culture of music, sport & drinking. Enjoy a pint of Guinness, Kilkenny or Harp Lager in one of the many Irish pubs whilst cheering on local teams in national sports like Gaelic football & hurling. Or you could explore some of the 30,000 castles & ruins on the island.
82% of Irish citizens are roman catholic, with 40% of the population under 25 years old. With such a young population it is impressive that Ireland still has one of the highest church attendance rates in Europe.
Ireland is also known to be one of Europe’s most entrepreneurial countries. In fact, some of the world’s biggest & best international businesses and companies such as Microsoft, Google & Apple all have offices & research facilities strategically located here in order to source new recruits from local universities.
There are also plenty of opportunities for study & research collaborations via partnerships between local universities and the industry.
International students are allowed to work part-time up 20 hours per week or 40 hours during during holidays.
Post study VISAs for 2 years are available from the government as the “stay back option” after graduation for non-EU students who study at level 9 or above in the national framework. This presents an opportunity to secure a job and apply for a work permit/green card.
With the numerous perks as mentioned, it is no surprise that Ireland is amongst the top destinations worldwide for international students.
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