Spotlight on: Postgraduate Study in the Republic of Ireland

Welcoming over 24,000 international students each year, the Republic of Ireland is a top destination for talented postgraduates from around the world. There are all kinds of unique research and study opportunities here, exploring Ireland’s cultural heritage as well as chance to take advantage of its more recent status as the EU’s most populous English-language country.

Despite Ireland’s relatively small size, this famously welcoming country offers a wide range of destinations for international postgraduates looking to begin their study abroad adventure.

The most obvious place to start is Dublin, the national capital and the largest city in Ireland. It’s a major higher education centre – in fact, we currently list eight Dublin-based institutions on FindAMasters! Founded in 1592, Trinity College Dublin is one of the oldest in Britain and Ireland. Dublin’s literary heritage is a big draw for the city’s students and visitors alike, with the city famously acting as the setting for James Joyce’s modernist masterpiece Ulysses. Nobel laureate Samuel Beckett also has a bridge named after him.

Cork is Ireland’s second biggest city and another university hub, with over 30,000 students calling it home. Hosting a variety of cultural events and festivals all year round, Cork is also a great jumping off point from which to explore the beautiful Irish countryside (after all, there’s a reason that Ireland is nicknamed the Emerald Isle!).

Meanwhile, Limerick hosts the University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology, as well as several smaller higher education institutions. This city is sometimes known as Ireland’s sporting capital, with Gaelic football and hurling particularly popular past-times.

For more information, check out PhD projects and Masters programmes listed on our websites.

You may need to apply for an Irish student visa if you aren’t a UK, EU, EEA or Swiss national. You can find out more on the Irish Immigration Service website or by contacting an Irish embassy/consulate in your home country.

International students arriving in the Republic of Ireland no longer need to provide proof of a negative PCR test or full vaccination. Most Covid-19 restrictions in the country have been removed, but you may still be required to wear a mask in certain settings. You can find details of remaining restrictions here.

For more information, check out the Irish Council for International Students’ COVID-19 advice for international students.

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