Fun with Fairies and Good Craic

Studying abroad for nine months in Maynooth (near Dublin) was one of the best decisions of my life! You may not have heard of the National University of Ireland Maynooth, but it is ranked among World's Top 50 Young Universities (under 50 years old). The buildings are relatively small compared to German institutes, but the campus has large gardens and green spaces that make the daily walks very pleasurable! Above you see the view that welcomed us on our arrival, below our walk to the international office on the main campus. Look at the red ivy everywhere! Superstition has it that looking at the clock in the center of the building before you graduate will make you fail. Anyway, I made it through the exams ...

Founded in 1793 under King George III of England, the first institute at Maynooth was St Patrick's College, a priests' seminary (see below with the campus church). It is a historical building which is said to have hosted various exorcisms ... you can hear the ghost stories doing a campus tour! The beautifully decorated chapel hosts concerts and the surrounding buildings host art exhibitions; it is a very cultured place.

The modern complex was finished and inaugurated in 1990 as a national university (together with the college), and the main library which you can see below is a good example of the university's technical equipment with computers and an electronic library system. The staff is very friendly and helpful, you can do tours around ... once, I helped secondary school students find their way around the research system together with the local Encatus group. In another building across the road (not in the picture), there are more computers and lecture halls, all in very good shape.

Now what does the university have to offer apart from good studying conditions? I experienced a vibrant student life with over 150 (!) clubs and societies, from various political and religious affiliations over all types of music, sports and games to rare activities such as fencing, trampoline, archery, horseback riding, busking (street music) and even a tea society! Crazy! (They also have great student support, including a mental health society if you need it during exams.) Plus, Dublin is very close if you want to explore it, and all the cheap bus trips around Ireland ... this is why I recommend Maynooth to anyone!

This is us, the international students group from 2015/6. As ever so often, there were many US-Americans, Spanish and Chinese students along with a variety of Europeans up until Lithuania ... good craic, as the Irish would say! I felt very much at home and the Irish students I met were very open, welcoming and fun to be with. Everything went well, from studying to campus life, but unfortunately the time passed quickly ... however, if you are interested in what else we saw and did in Ireland in these months, be sure to read my next blog posts! Cheers!