Ireland is rich with culture, history, and vibrancy meaning there’s plenty to see and do to enrich your student experience with out of the box activities that will make others wish they were studying with you!
Ireland is well known for its Guinness, whiskey, and of course the famous St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Though, there are many more things to experience in Ireland than just these three classics.
Top 5 Things to Do in Ireland
Trying to narrow down the top things to do to enjoy student life in Ireland was a challenge for us because there is so much to see and do and we know you will want to do it all! That said, we’ve managed to pull together a short list of the absolute best things to do in this stunning country.
- Experience Ireland’s Interesting History
Learning more about history is one of the perfect things to do in Ireland. Why not escape the rain in somewhere like Kilkenny or King John’s Castles? Or keep warm in a museum like the Galway City Museum? It’s thought that humans first lived in Ireland around 10,000 years ago meaning there are around 10,000 years worth of history that you can explore during your student life in Ireland.A must-do on our list of cool things to do in Ireland has to be Cork City Gaol, a 19th-century jail that is now a popular heritage site. The Gaol also offers a student discount meaning this is a relatively cheap thing to do in Ireland! Unless you’re like us and spend more money and time in the gift shop afterwards… - Embrace The Student Culture in Cork
Cork is a city that is absolutely buzzing with life and culture so there’s always something to see or do. If you want to enjoy student life in Ireland then you’ll be spoilt for choice with the number of festivals that take place in Cork each year… and we’re not just talking about music festivals.From colourful multicultural festivals (like the Bantry Kupala), to storytelling festivals (such as the International Short Story Festival), and even a jazz festival (the Cork Jazz Festival is not one to miss)! If these don’t sound like much fun to you, we still encourage you to try them out and you might just find a new interest you didn’t know you had!If you and your college mates are foodies like us, the English Market needs to be on your list of things to do in Ireland at the weekends. The market is well renowned for having lots of local and fresh produce as well as foods from around the world. Stuck for dinner? Get yourself down to the English Market for budget-friendly, super-tasty food!Check out our blog for other activities you can do in Cork. - Bring Adventure into Your Student Life The National Parks
Visiting the national parks is one of the top things to do in Ireland simply because they are free (mostly!). Luckily for you, Ireland has plenty of National Parks to choose from where you can go adventuring. Visiting a National Park is also a relatively cheap thing to do in Ireland so you’re not going to break the bank by visiting. Here are our top picks:Killarney National Park
Killarney is an amazing option for the super adventurous who love anything outdoorsy. Here you can go walking or hiking, canoeing, and kayaking. Additionally, if you’re going in a group and you don’t all like the outdoorsy things, there’s Killarney House and Gardens, Ross Castle, and mediaeval ruins to explore.
Glenveagh National Park
Another option is Glenveagh where you can also go hiking, but here you can rent bikes to cycle the park on, and you can try out fishing too! Similarly to Killarney, Glenveagh has a 19th-century castle and gardens where you can experience some of Ireland’s history.
Connemara National Park
Connemara is another beautiful National Park you can explore. It is perfect for hiking, but similarly to Killarney and Glenveagh, there is plenty of history to see around the park. There are lots of ruins dotted around the park – some up to 4,000 years old – and nearby to the park there is Kylemore Abbey and Estate, a Victorian Era castle with walled gardens.One last thing to note here is that these parks welcome wild camping, so if you don’t do everything you want to in a day you can always stay and camp! Camping, canoeing, hiking and fishing are all cool things to do in Ireland so why not do something different with your weekend and try it? - Go on a Roadtrip & Visit the Sandy Scenes of Donegal Bay
Easily one of the most fun things to do in Ireland because of the variety of things you can enjoy in this beautiful location!Fancy trying a touch of surfing? It’s budget-friendly and a must-do when visiting Donegal Bay!Perhaps chilling on the beach with friends to watch the sunset is a better way of unwinding after a long day studying? The sandy scenes are perfect for this and because Donegal Bay is on the West Coast of Ireland, it’s a great place to sit back and watch the sunset as it sets in the West – be sure to take your camera!!In our opinion, this is maybe one of the best free things to do in Ireland, aside from parking charges (or hiring a surfboard if you’re brave enough) you can enjoy the beach without having to spend loads of money – pack a budget-friendly picnic, sit back and soak in the sun whilst enjoying nature at its best! - Do a Dublin Trip at Least Once!
Speaking of things to do in Ireland this weekend…have you seen all that Dublin has to offer yet?If you’re looking for fun and quirky things to do in Ireland, being the capital city, Dublin definitely has something to offer you. Our personal quirky pick is the National Leprechaun Museum.Our other top recommendations are the Dublin Botanical Gardens which is one of the best things to do in Ireland this summer, Dublin Zoo, and also the National Gallery which showcases artwork by artists such as Picasso, Caravaggio, Schöllkopf, and Yeats.Dublin also has plenty of restaurants and bars to spend an evening in after you’ve explored the city and we have some fab student accommodations in Dublin! And how could we forget to mention that we are located by the Guinness and Teeling Distillery Tours too!
Things To Do in Ireland To Get The Most out of Student Life
Hopefully, we’ve given you some inspiration with this blog, or even some weekend plans to help you have the best student life in Ireland.
At Nido Living, we put emphasis on having memorable experiences in communities where students feel supported and important. Our modern and sustainable student accommodation aims to provide spaces for this purpose and to help students grow.
Looking to find accommodation for your student life in Ireland? Check out our Nido Student Accommodation in Ireland or contact us today.