Study in Dublin

A lively cultural calendar

If you study abroad in the spring, be prepared to don your green clothes and experience the excitement of St. Patrick’s Day in the streets of Dublin.

The city of Dublin loves a celebration - and so there are MANY. There’s:

• Dublin’s International Film Festival and the Six Nations Rugby in February
• Irish Grand National horse races in April
• Bloom in the Park and International Literature Festival Dublin in May
• Forbidden Fruit alternative music festival on the grounds of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Taste of Dublin, and Bloomsday (think Edwardian dress and a celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses as well as a retracing of Leopold Bloom’s steps) in June
• Longitude music festival and the Street Performance World Championships in July
• Dublin City Liffey Swim in August
• All-Ireland Finals (for fans of Gaelic games), Culture Night, and the Dublin Fringe Festival in September
• Dublin Theater Festival, the Hard Working Class Heroes (a three-day music festival for unsigned Irish acts), and Hallowe’en in October
• Christmas-related festivities in December

Great places to sit and study

Whether you prefer studying in libraries or coffee shops, Dublin offers a number of options to find your perfect study spot. The Bald Barista or Coffeeangel are close to Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Business School, and provide a peaceful atmosphere for learning, as well as delicious coffee and desserts.

Excellent nightlife

Harcourt Street in central Dublin is home to some of the best nightclubs in Europe. Dicey’s Garden has the most inexpensive drink prices around early in the week. Copper Face Jack's next door has a low cover charge during the week and is huge, with lots spots to dance and mingle.

Temple Bar is also an exciting location with a good atmosphere (however, this is often thought of as a bit of a tourist trap, so be careful with your pennies).

Rich history to explore

You may be aware that a number of the world's biggest technology companies have their European headquarters in Dublin, but Dubliners are more proud of their history than anything else - with these new developments sitting alongside the richness of the old in this constantly changing global city.

Dublin was first referenced as far back as AD 140 when it was called Eblana. The Celts were believed to arrive around 700 BC, and it was around 841 that the Vikings showed up. While the exact dates of Dublin’s foundation are unknown, it has a long and rich history and has gone through many transformative periods over the centuries.

Historic sites you’ll want to visit include Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the National Museum of Ireland, Trinity College Library, Christchurch Cathedral, the Georgian Merrion Square, The Little Museum of Dublin with its collection of everyday items from the 20th century, and the Dublin Writer’s Museum.

If you ever find yourself looking for a fun yet historical place to eat or listen to live music, head over to The Church which was founded in 1699 and converted into a restaurant, pub, and cultural space in 2005.

Unfortunately, Dublin is one of the more expensive students cities.

Accommodation, travel, food and drink are just a few of things that are expensive in the city.

Numbeo estimates that a single person's monthly costs will be US$1,060.68 without rent, but rent for a one-bedroom apartment will set you back US$1,986.87. Now it's clear to see why Dublin has an unimpressive rank for affordability.

Known as the Silicon Valley of Europe, Dublin offers a number of jobs in tech and start-up spaces. Dublin has seen an influx of tech giants choosing the city as their European base in the past few years.

Huge corporations like Amazon, Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn have all created hubs in the city, partly due to the low corporate tax in the city.

Dublin boasts one of the youngest populations in Europe, meaning graduates hoping to start their careers in Ireland should feel right at home.

With the fastest growing economy in the European Union (EU) Ireland is a great option for those on the job hunt.

The service sector dominates the job market in Ireland, however, opportunities can be found in a number of major industries including the growing technology sector where demand for IT workers is high.

If you're looking for a niche The Irish economy has skills shortages in a number of areas including:

• Business and finance - accountants, business intelligence analysts, financial advisers, risk and compliance professionals
• Engineering - biomedical engineers, chemical engineers, electrical engineers, energy engineers
• IT - app developers, data analysts, software developers, IT support specialists, programmers
• Healthcare - doctors, nurses, pharmacists, opticians, radiologists
• Hospitality - chefs
• Transport and logistics - logistics and supply chain managers, supply chain analysts, transport managers.