Hi Danielle, my name is Joe and I just got accepted to do an internship in Ireland this fall. I’m from a small town in the US and have never traveled outside of my state before. I would really love to get to know more of the world, and I think Europe is the first step I’d like to take outside of my comfort zone. From what I’ve heard, Dublin is a good place for someone with little travel experience, which is why I applied in the first place. I’m just nervous to take this big step to go abroad by myself. Do you think Dublin is a good choice for me?
Hi Joe, thanks for writing in. I’m really excited to hear that you want to gain international internship experience. As a current international intern, I’m having an amazing time getting to see the world while gaining valuable work experience, and definitely recommend that you give yourself the chance to experience the same. Like you, my first time living abroad was actually in Europe as well. Here are my top reasons why I think you should do an internship in Ireland.
1. They speak your native language
One of the most intimidating things about going abroad is living in a country that doesn’t speak your native tongue. My first time living abroad was actually in the Czech Republic, in a country where I had no previous language experience. Now I’m currently interning in South America, and though I had a basic level of Spanish prior to coming here, I can definitely say it is difficult at times. The great thing about interning in Dublin is that you’ll never have to deal with a language barrier yourself, because everyone in Ireland speaks English. This definitely makes it easy to adjust to life abroad as an international intern in Dublin.
2. Ireland is small and easy to navigate
Rather than moving to an enormous city abroad, a good stepping stone for someone who hasn’t lived outside of their home-state is to move to a smaller city, like Dublin. Most of the city is walkable, and the public transportation system is extremely user friendly. The metro and buses both close around midnight, and can take you anywhere you need to go. It’s really difficult to get lost in a city like Dublin. By the time you leave your internship you’ll feel like you’ve really gotten to know the culture through your expertise of the city.
3. The people are extremely friendly
A good thing about a place with a small-town vibe is that the people who live there are typically friendlier than those from big cities. The Irish are known for being extremely personable, and in general are very warm with regard to tourists. If you ever needed help, they would happily assist you. Dublin itself is full of young people, mainly students in fact, that are also eager to get to know people from other countries.
4. The nature is amazing
When most people think of Dublin, they think of future photo-ops at the Cliffs of Moher, of course. Dublin is also home to Phoenix Park, the biggest enclosed park in any European capital city! From feeding baby deer, to having a picnic with friends, it’s easy to get out of the city to enjoy a relaxing day outside.
5. The history is alive in the architecture
Dublin Castle, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Malahide Castle are just a few of Dublin’s attractions that draw in history buffs. Rather than just reading about history in books, you can go on several experiential visits to ruins across the country, only a short ride away from Dublin, to learn about what happened throughout the years in this beautiful country’s past.
6. There is something for everyone in Dublin
Whether it’s going on a literary pub crawl in the Temple Bar sector of the city to see where your favorite authors wrote their stories, frolicking around the Cliffs of Moher, or pretending that you’re in Game of Thrones, it’s rare that you’ll find yourself bored in Dublin. After all, Ireland was once home to some of the most inspiring writers of all time, including Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett, whose stories were inspired by this wonderful country. In comparison to other cities, Dublin has tons of free things to do. All of the museums are free, for example.
7. You are in Europe and can easily see other cities inexpensively
As you mentioned before, you see Dublin as a great stepping stone to getting to know more of Europe as well. While in Ireland, you can easily take a weekend trip elsewhere in Europe inexpensively through websites like easyjet.com or ryanair.com.
Interested in doing an internship in Ireland? Learn more about our program.
Photos by
1. The Intern Group
2. Bridget McAndrew
3. The Intern Group