five quick points about ireland
• dynamic, modern country with a young population
• internationally recognized for being safe and friendly
• huge emphasis on education and an increasingly popular location for english-language studies
• technologically oriented economy
• despite modern direction of recent years, respect for tradition continues
location and geography
the republic of ireland includes 26 counties and represents five-sixths of the total area (84,421 square kilometers) of ireland (the other sixth is northern ireland, which is part of the united kingdom). the capital city is dublin.
ireland consists of a mostly level to rolling interior plain surrounded by rugged hills and low mountains, with sea cliffs on the west coast. the river shannon separates the midlands from the west. to the northeast is northern ireland (u.k.); otherwise, the republic is surrounded by water.
climate
the climate is “oceanic” or “maritime temperate” – mild, moist, and changeable with abundant rainfall and lack of temperature extremes due to the warming influence of the gulf stream. in general, the climate is similar to the u.k. except that it has higher rainfall and more cloud cover.
history and population
ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years. irish ancestry includes a mix of many peoples such as the celts, normans, vikings, and scots. once part of the u.k., the country became increasingly sovereign over the course of the 20th century, with the republic of ireland officially declared in 1949.
historically, emigration was caused by politics, religious oppression, and economic issues. over 80 million irish people and their descendants currently live in other countries. since the 1990s, thanks to an agreement in 1998 ending civil strife as well as to economic expansion, this trend has been changing: more people are now moving to ireland than leaving the country.
the total population of ireland is around 5 million. english is the main language, with a minority using irish as their mother tongue.
society and culture
ireland consistently ranks among the friendliest countries in the world for newcomers and tourists. ireland is predominantly christian, and mainly roman catholic. english and irish (gaelic) are the official languages, although gaelic is a minority language.
myths and legends are an integral part of irish culture. traditions such as music, irish dancing, social outings at the irish pub, and wearing something green on st patrick’s day are a very important part of the culture. the irish are well recognized for their love of storytelling, their wit and humor, and for a distinctive musical rhythm or lilt in their voice in conversation. at the same time, they have embraced modern culture, and international students will see both traditional and modern culture side by side in ireland.
living conditions and cost of living
the irish council for international students (icos) explains: “every year, estimates are published which give an indication of how much it costs to live as a student for one academic year (nine months) in ireland. recent figures for dublin have ranged between €10,000 and €15,000, and largely depending on the type of accommodation chosen. these estimates include rent, electricity, food, books, laundry and medicine, as well as travel passes and social expenses, but exclude tuition fees. rents and prices for goods and services are generally cheaper for students living outside of dublin.”
icos provides a good deal more information on living costs, as well as how international students can make the most of their budget: https://www.internationalstudents.ie/info-and-advice/practical-information/cost-of-living.
since joining the european union (eu) in 1973, ireland has transformed itself from a largely agricultural society into a modern, technologically advanced economy which is now ranked eighth in the world in terms of purchasing parity. notably, the republic of ireland is ranked in the top 10 countries in the world on the human development index, which basically registers the overall well-being and progress of a population. the economy is increasingly a “knowledge” economy with a focus on services and high-tech. ireland’s currency is the euro.
government
the republic of ireland is a parliamentary democracy with two houses of parliament: the upper house, senate (seanad) and the lower house, house of representatives (dail). the popularly elected president is the head of state and the prime minister is the leader of the national parliament. local government takes place through elected county councils for each of the 26 counties.
education system
ireland has one of the best education systems in the world. in fact, many believe the education system is a major reason for the country’s rapid economic growth in the last few decades. responsibility for education lies within the department of education and science, which administers all aspects of education policy.
there are three main sectors of formal education: primary (eight years), secondary (six years) and tertiary/higher education (universities, institutes of technology, colleges of education, nui colleges, and independent colleges). in recent years a fourth sector, called further education, has been added to promote the concept of lifelong learning throughout a person’s career and life. tuition fees are charged to some international students but not others; please see this education in ireland link for details.
in terms of higher education, ireland has 7 universities, 11 institutes of technology (iots), one technological university, 15 private higher education institutions, and 7 colleges of education.
all government-approved academic awards in these institutions are internationally recognised. there is a wide range of technical and vocational training programmes available in ireland. prior to the covid-19 pandemic, english-language programmes attracted roughly 120,000-130,000 students a year of all ages and nationalities.
information specific to international students
with a relatively young population an internationally acclaimed emphasis on education, and a reputation for being a safe place to live, ireland can be a very exciting place to be a student.
citizens of the european economic area (eea) generally do not have any special requirements to study in ireland. for some countries outside the eea, a visa is not required. it is important to check country-specific requirements via the department of foreign affairs website.
if a visa is required, the irish naturalisation and immigration service (inis) website provides detailed information of how to apply and the essential documents that must accompany an application. some of these requirements include a letter of acceptance for enrolment in a recognized course, immediate access to a specific amount of funds, proof of private medical insurance, proof of english-language level sufficient to meet entry (e.g., ielts 5) and ability to complete the course, mainly for students who intend to enroll for third-level institutions.
international students studying in a full-time recognized course of at least one year’s duration may be eligible to obtain casual employment of up to 20 hours a week. ireland also offers generous work concessions to international students.
more information
irish council for international students: https://www.icosirl.ie
tourism ireland: https://www.ireland.com
education in ireland: https://www.educationinireland.com
irish immigration service: study visas: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland
irish national framework for qualifications: https://www.qqi.ie/what-we-do/the-qualifications-system/national-framework-of-qualifications