Coming to a new city can be challenging, as you don’t know where to get the best coffee, where you can go for a walk or a run, or where to meet your new friends. But before you know it, you will have new favourite places and here are mine. 1. The University I’m not […]

After working for many years, I never thought I would find myself physically back in a classroom. I have always enjoyed learning and researching online for continuous development and growth. The thought of becoming a committed student again in a school and discovering that it might be too late was a bit scary. However, my [...]

One thing I didn’t know about Ireland before I got here, was that the Irish have different national sports that you won’t find anywhere else.  While soccer is the most popular sport in Ireland and a lot of Irish follow the Premier League, Gaelic football and hurling are ranked on the second and third place […]

As a Ph.D. student trying to find my way through the vast sea of education, I found a safe harbour on the shores of Maynooth University. From the first day I came here, I felt like I was at home. It had a unique mix of intellectual freedom and a reassuring sense of safety. It [...]

Moving to a different country will confront you with a lot of new things: a new language, new cities and a lot of culture shocks you won’t be prepared for!Here are the biggest culture shocks I had when I first moved from Germany to Maynooth, Ireland. The Weather Still in Germany, everybody predicted that there […]

As a fitness enthusiast, ISSA(USA) certified nutritionist and a student at Maynooth University, I am lucky to have access to the amazing gym facilities on campus. Maynooth University Campus Gym is a state-of-the-art fitness centre that offers a wide range of equipment, classes, and services to help students and staff achieve their fitness goals. The […]

I genuinely knew very little about Ireland when I moved here as an international student in 2022. My search for graduate programmes was based solely on the content and reputation of the courses themselves and wherever they were located was a bonus. So although Maynooth University was an obvious choice academically, I honestly had never […]

I am struck by the beauty and tranquillity of Maynooth South Campus, it reminds me of a recent trip to South Africa where I visited the botanic gardens in Pietermaritzburg. The luminous beauty of the old trees on South Campus reminds me of a particular area where I walked through on the East Coast of […]

Christmas break flew by and now exam season is lurking. The last thing you wanted to think about during the festive seasonwere assignment deadlines and January exams – and now, here we are… This December I was no longer spending the holiday season in Pennys’ cosy Christmas pyjamas. I was in sunny South Africa, struck […]

Music festivals are a big part of young life, especially in the summer. You get the chance to see many of your favorite artists at one event rather than a typical event. I was so excited to find out there was a festival in Ireland and it did not disappoint. There was plenty of food, […]

Hello, my name is Stephanie Gregory and I am currently studying Circuits II and Anthropology of Ireland for six weeks while at Maynooth University over the summer. I am from the United States of America, more specifically Houston, Texas though I currently attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas getting my undergraduate degree in Computer […]

So let me start by saying that June has been a great month. I finally was able to leave Dublin for a bit, which was super refreshing since I hadn’t been out of Dublin since the summer. I got to go on a bit of an adventure to the west of the country in County […]

This month has been hectic to say the least, as final exams has had everyone on edge and the temperamental weather has not helped much either. But believe it or not, it is the best time to step back, calm down, and be grateful. I think sometimes we forget how fortunate we actually are, and […]

For this month’s blog post, I would like to take some time to discuss the importance of mindfulness for mental health, particularly during exam season. I’m sure everyone can agree that exam season, especially during a pandemic with exam dates that have been squished together within the same week, will have an extremely harmful effect […]

Romanian Easter is a wonderful time of the year. Families gather together, go to mass the night before and light candles for deceased loved ones and then the following morning gather for a big traditional meal together. In this blog post, I just want to discuss a little bit about the cuisine and traditions of […]

It was Tuesday and the sun was beating down, it was only 10 am but it is summer now. Bright and early, rise and shine. I had made sure to plan my day ahead of today, but as usual things just happen. Come up out of nowhere. With a coffee in hand, I lazily shuffled […]

As March came to a close with the worm moon, which is the first full moon to occur after the spring equinox, I can confidently say that better weather is ahead of us here in Ireland…. Hopefully, honestly you never know here.   Also starting April 12th, restrictions are slowly starting to be lifted which is […]

Last night as I twisted and turned in the sheets, my partner whispered to me. Little fast flutters in her belly, in the pitter-patter tempo, a little person began kicking.               The 17-hour workdays are here again! Filled with many assignments and multiple group projects between the must-dos of cooking, laundry, and the odd lick […]

My name is Lorraine Helen Stanciu. Originally of Romanian ancestry, I was born here in Dublin in 2001 and spent all of my academic years in Ireland. It has been a mish-mash of cultures – speaking Romanian at home to my parents, consuming Romanian cuisine and following Romanian traditions as well as becoming more fluent […]

It’s strange how time passes, it had the ability to pass really fast but also very slow. It’s March now, St. Patrick’s day in fact. A very important day here in Ireland, unfortunately we happen to be in lockdown for the second St. Patrick’s day in a row. I could tell you to look on […]

As we move into February, we start the second semester here at Maynooth which can feel a bit hectic. Of course, everything is online, but it can get a bit confusing with tutorials and such. Anyways, in the United States it’s black history month which ironically is the shortest month of the year, although I […]

January 2021 may not have been like how some imagined a few months ago, but perhaps it is not as bad as imagined either. With the number of cases around now and the third installment of lockdown, things may seem a bit bleak. Although, at Maynooth University January is a constant, as January is always […]

Christmas time in Dublin is defiantly hectic, and even during the weekday the small streets of Dublin seem to still be packed. This year I’ll be spending the holiday season in Ireland just like I have the past year. My partner and I made the wise decision to go into town during the week instead […]

In all honesty, if you would have asked me at the beginning of 2019 what Maynooth was I would just look at you funny. It wasn’t something that I had fully thought out, but I just decided to take a chance. I always thought I did not have anything to lose by applying. The reason […]

It is now a full year since I first came to Ireland to study at Maynooth University. This opportunity changed my life: I’m learning every day in my PhD, I’m in contact with different cultures constantly, I’ve made many good friends and I enjoy every day more than ever! As someone who comes from the […]

The future is looming. An ominous statement that every university student experiences near the end of their degree. For international students, it carries extra weight because if you’re in Ireland for only a semester or year, that means that what you may be experiencing on your college back home could be suddenly unpaused. You have […]

Since it’s already the end of the first semester, I’d like to introduce how much experiences I had during this semester and help you build your expectation of studying at Maynooth University. Firstly, I started studying at the International Foundation Programme, which helps international students to learn academic language and skills, from last January until […]

As new international students, we are constantly invited to introduction and integration events, where we can meet people from all over the world and start friendships that you will enjoy and probably never forget. Unfortunately, there are not many occasions in which we can hang around a lot with Irish people, besides the classroom during […]

It is well known that Ireland has chaotic weather. If you Google the phrase “experience all four seasons in one day”, Ireland will surely pop-up in the results. I found it lovely that Irish people seem to be proud of their country’s weather and are willing to joke about it. An Irish friend recently told […]

Maynooth is a small and beautiful town which can be easily traveled with a bike, and it has a lot of cycling roads everywhere. My quality of life really changed when I decided to buy a bike. I was now able to come back home from the laboratory in the university to eat, and then […]

Depending on the situation, being away from home can be an amazing time simply because you’re no longer home. You’re away from the monotony of your usual life and everything is new and interesting. That was what it was like for me when I first came to Ireland. I couldn’t take my eyes off all […]

I finished my course, International Foundation Programme, last week, and I’d like to share what I learned over the two semesters. International Foundation Programme is held for international students who would like to improve their English skills and study skills before they start their undergraduate or postgraduate course at Maynooth University. As there is a […]

Maynooth has a beautiful campus, filled with big trees and large green areas It is magical even if it is a cloudy or a rainy day. I took many pictures all around Maynooth with my friends, and I want to share these spots with you and encourage you not to miss them when you’re here! […]

You’d think that while living in foreign country it would be easy to become tired of traveling. But like almost everything, the unusual becomes normal again. The sights that once interested me have gained a film of normality to them. The numerous Irish accents and the slang that often accompanies them, I no longer really […]

It’s already less than two months left until the academic year starts, and I guess that a number of international students will soon be coming to Maynooth University! So, I would like to give some advice about what to expect when you start living here in Ireland. 1.    Friendly and polite communications Firstly, as you […]

It’s weird to think that in order to find yourself you have to leave behind what’s familiar. The place you grew up in and the people that surround you feel like they should make up who you are, and they do to an extent. But I feel like by being away from that, it is […]

Studying abroad in Maynooth was, undoubtedly, an amazing and everlasting experience, full of great moments and great people. You will be invited to several introduction events for international students, where they will explain most of the basics of living and studying in Maynooth. However, there are other things no one will tell you, which I […]

There’re a lot of opportunities to explore Ireland during your stay at Maynooth University. Today, I’d like to share my experience of the break between the second semester and the summer semester of the International Foundation Programme. I went to Waterford for a two day / three night holiday. Waterford is a city located on […]

The time I spent at Maynooth University as a student has been really inspirational, as it has helped me develop in various ways, both as a student and as an individual. The students are very easy to get along and the faculty members at the university are very approachable. Maynooth University has been awarded Ireland’s […]

Before arriving in Ireland to do my Master’s degree at Maynooth University, I had a few questions in my mind about the process of moving to another country and about the course I had chosen. A few of them are listed in this post. Hopefully it can be helpful for prospective students: – My course […]

In the era of globalisation and digitalisation, everything is interconnected and moves so fast, sometimes just with a click. In the digital age, it seems that boundary is not a matter anymore. People can communicate with each other across borders. It is believed that globalisation brings about both advantages and disadvantages. Are there more advantages […]

The time I spent in Maynooth University has been filled with a variety of experiences. My experiences were ranging from academic to socio-cultural elements. The broad range of experiences I had here has left a very vibrant and positive impact on me. These experiences have immensely helped in my personal development. Maynooth University has a […]

Last month I received some visitors from my home country and as part of their travel itinerary here in Ireland, we discovered Dublin city. So, I compiled in a list a few tips I shared with them places to shop and visit at the city centre: Touristic attractions Dublin city is divided by the River […]

I have enjoyed every moment in this beautiful place. It is not so crowded as in Dublin, yet it does not mean that Maynooth is a quiet place. I like the quietness of this place. I often wander around the Maynooth University Campus or Maynooth town after class on bright days. I want to take […]

Hello again, all! So excited you’re back to read a bit more about my Irish adventures. Maynooth has been such an incredible host university, its crazy how fast this all went by for me. I’m already beginning to feel nostalgic. So far I’ve been diving into my academic studies and I’ve really been enjoying my […]

A famous Irish poet once said that life imitates art. As I walked through the South Campus on the last weeks and saw the first attempts of spring to come, I could not help to think that it is interesting how, at least for me, life, in fact, tends to imitate nature. I have mentioned […]

My friend asked me “Why do we need equality?”- It is an interesting question but not easy to fully answer at all. Firstly, I want to put a question “Do we want to be discriminated against because of any reason?” “Do we want to be discriminated against just because of our gender, age, culture, geography, […]

My name is Siddhartha. I have been a student with Maynooth University since September, 2018. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Law. My time spent here in the beautiful town of Maynooth has been very memorable. I have rejoiced every moment of my social and academic life. However university is about academics and a […]

One of the advantages of living in Europe is that you can get to many different countries in just a few hours. London is one of the cities I had the chance to visit recently in a weekend, taking a one and a half hour flight with the low-cost airline Ryanair. Although there are tons […]

As I’m writing down these words I’m celebrating Vietnamese Lunar New Year with my family members and friends. We call it Tet in Vietnamese. The traditional Tet of Vietnamese people is calculated by the lunar calendar, thus Tet often occurs at the end of January or early February. I had a chance to talk with […]

I knew when I was getting ready to come to Maynooth that it was going to be very different from what I’m used to in America. I prepared myself by researching the cultural differences, finding out how Maynooth’s class scheduling goes, and telling myself to keep an open mind no matter the circumstances. I knew […]

Hello, all!  I’ve noticed a majority of my time this month has been spent in the libraries, so I figured this months blog would be the perfect time to talk about finals, coping methods, and studying techniques! Maynooth’s fall term starts in September so depending on if you’re a full year Erasmus student/one-term it will […]

Time flies. I have been here, in Maynooth, for four months already. I have friendly and openhearted classmates and meet very helpful lecturers. Every day that goes by, I have learnt or known something new in my life. It may be a new way of learning, new interesting stories or even a new melody. I […]

My journey to Maynooth has been filled with numerous adventures. An integral aspect of being a part of a University of high global repute is that you get to meet students from multiple nationalities. University life abroad is not solely limited to the academic aspects. Assimilation into the culture of the country in which one […]

Can you believe that three months have already passed since I moved to Ireland? That is one quarter of my time here. Before moving abroad, one year sounded like such a long time, but now every time I look back it seems like life has been passing with the front facing forward. It is almost […]

According to the 2018 Condé Nast survey, Ireland has three cities in the top ten friendliest cities list, with Cork (third place), Galway (number five), and Dublin (eighth place). I can feel this friendliness with all my heart. Galway, a harbour city on Ireland’s west coast, is located in the place where the River Corrib […]

I was fortunate to have spent time in Ireland during the Christmas holidays. Christmas in Ireland is the largest celebration of the year although 8 December is traditionally viewed as the start of Christmas with many putting up their decorations and Christmas trees. Also, the landscape begins to twinkle with festivities, Christmas markets are buzzing, […]

I had arrived in Ireland on the 17th of September, 2018. Upon my arrival I was initially nervous regarding how my international experience would be. I had no idea of how I would get to the town of Maynooth from Dublin Airport. It was my first challenge in this new country. But soon enough I […]

The way to spend a wonderful time is not only in Ireland but studying here you can visit other Europe countries at weekends and holidays. Ireland has “Dublin Airport” which is a hub connecting with many other countries for reasonable prices. If I visit Germany from Japan, it would cost approximately seven times compared to […]

During the study week, I went to Strandhill, Co. Sligo on a surf trip. Strandhill is a vibrant seaside village and a pleasure resort located in the west of Ireland. With its wild Atlantic waves it is a very popular spot for surfers throughout the year as well. In other words, it is one of […]

Leaving behind a small two-children family, I was ahead to Ireland with a hope for new knowledge and skills. Many things jumped into my mind: homesick, cultural shock, meeting new people and exploring a new destination. My first moments in Ireland made me feel “Yeah, good choice”. Ireland is so green and fresh. I fell […]

The idea to move to Ireland came to me in 2014, when I started to get curious about the culture, researching about the country and processing my visa. My motivation was to study abroad and learn from different cultures; therefore, I was ready to write a new chapter in my life. When I got my [...]

Hello, my name is Siddhartha Roy. Currently I am pursuing my Master’s in Law from Maynooth University. I arrived in Ireland on a bright sunny morning on the 17th of September, 2018. After having cleared security check at Dublin Airport, I was greeted into this beautiful country by bright sunny weather. I then proceeded to […]

So firstly I want to dive into the kind of individual I am before I go on to explain my arrival to Maynooth and to Ireland in general. I am an Economics major with a minor in Business Management, I plan on working for a corporate after I graduate but then ultimately working for a […]

So, I am finally here. Arriving at Maynooth and setting my feet for the first time in the campus has felt just like I have been transported to the images I saw on the Google website back in Brazil. It still feels like I am inside a dream, every time I cross the beautiful path […]

Where I am from (Zimbabwe), Halloween is not a big deal. Kids don’t dress up and go trick or treating. There are no pop-up costume shops. The grocery shops don’t dedicate an aisle to decorations and masks and sweets. I remember asking what Halloween was when I was younger, and my mom said that it […]

Maynooth living and studying was very different from my home University. I did not know what to expect when coming over from the United States. At home, my University is somewhat bigger, so the first rule of thumb is I was expecting to have to walk a lot further to get to my classes. I […]

MA in Anthropology and development  1.      How different was living in Maynooth, Ireland and studying at Maynooth University from life in your home country?  People make the difference in Ireland, especially at Maynooth. I have travelled quite on business purposes before, however, I did not find the warmth, the ease in people which I found in Ireland. My home […]

Politics, Rennes 2 in Brittany Question 1 : Here, it is most expensive to live here than in France (rent and food in general). Moreover, the alcohol is more expensive as well! The most annoying part for me here was to live with a host family because it is really hard to find a place […]

After January exams, I had some time before starting classes again and I decided to use the opportunity to see more of Ireland. To get to Galway, I journeyed almost directly across the country from east to west by bus. I was interested in Galway because the National University of Ireland Galway was my second-choice […]

I had my first contact with Maynooth University in 2013, when I started an English course with the language centre. I stayed on for another year studying biotechnology and returned to the University in 2016 to pursue my PhD in Biology. Since the beginning I have only had good experiences. The University allowed me to […]

I have become fairly familiar with airports. When I leave home destined for Dublin, I look forward to the freedom I have in Ireland to live my life completely independently. I get to decide what I eat every day, what I do in my free time, and I can pursue my degree whole-heartedly. I also […]

The question I get asked most often from both Irish and American friends is how my daily life is different in Ireland compared to the United States. A typical day for me living in Ireland is drastically different than in the United States. To be honest, I’d say that the biggest difference would be my […]

I’ve now gone through the leaving-someplace-I-love process more times than I’d care to remember. And let me tell you – it never gets easier, at least for me. This time around it was even harder than four years ago, at the Erasmus exchange. Back then, we all left to our various home countries, but now, […]

It wasn’t the whole month of May, only a last couple of weeks and the first part of June, but we experienced the Irish Summer in its full and undimmed glory! There was sunshine, blue skies, shorts, sleeping with open windows, open-toed shoes and visits to beach (and also sunburnt cheeks on my part), all […]

I originally wanted to get my degree abroad because I wanted to travel and experience a new culture. Ireland has definitely done that. I’ve gotten to travel to Cliffs of Moher and Galway and explore Dublin more than I would ever as only a tourist. And even in Maynooth it seems like there’s always something […]

There was rain, wind, a tiny bit of sun and thank the higher forces, no snow J We were really blessed with three perfectly sunny days in a row, which is unbelievable! Don’t get me wrong, there’s sun all the time – but for 15 minutes, followed by rain, clouds, and then everything all over […]

  Even before coming to Ireland, I had heard about the rich culture and tradition of this nation. With this culture is entwined the very famous festival St Patrick’s Day, which is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. According […]

My name is Jasna Rajnar Petrovic, a recent graduate from the beautiful green capital of Slovenia which goes by the name Ljubljana. I did an Erasmus exchange semester at Maynooth University 4 years ago, but I fell in love with Ireland so I was looking for an opportunity to come back. It presented itself in […]

So, I thought it would be nice to start of this blog with a quote, because it’s true. These six months have flown by so quickly, but luckily, I’m the pilot J. That’s one thing I definitely discovered while being here in Ireland. When I first came to Maynooth in September, the end of February […]

Ten months has passed since I came to Ireland and I can’t believe how fast time went by. I am missing my life here more and more with each passing day as I have only about 2 weeks until go back to Japan. I would like to look back on each month I have spent […]

So, January flew by this time. What it was, I have no idea, but it’s a good sign I suppose. On the 3rd of January, I arrived back in Ireland after celebrating (an amazing) Christmas back home. It was nice to catch up with friends and colleagues after being away for two weeks. Of-course, one […]

DECEMBER! Definitely one of my favourite months of the year. A month filled with loads of happiness, thankfulness, food, presents, drinks and parties. Yes, why can’t it be December at least twice a year J? The first excitement of December was getting tickets to the Christmas Carol Service in the College Chapel (or actually my […]

For Christmas this year, I am very excited because this is my first Christmas abroad. To tell the truth, Christmas is not a traditional festival in China, so it is just like a shopping day for most of people. When I was a child, I wondered what Christmas was like abroad. This holiday, my wish […]

Two months have passed since I came to Ireland and actually I am used to the study and living environment here and I like them. As an international student, I’m curious about almost everything in my new life here. So, for the first blog, I will share my trip to Galway. I have to say […]

Here comes my second blog! A lot of things happened since the last time I wrote, all of them amazing to my delight. I was supposed to be uploading this blog by last week, but since I was busy experiencing all of them amazing experiences I am late on my blog. However, this delay resulted […]

Namaste! I am Nikita Sarawagi from India, pursuing my Masters in Data Science and Analytics at Maynooth University. It’s been two months away from home and it’s the beginning of a whole different era in my century as a human. To be honest, I was slightly panicked about my new life in another country since […]

At the moment I am writing this, I really start to realize how fast the days have flown by here. It only feels like yesterday that I put my feet on Irish ground for the first time. Arriving in Dublin was overwhelming and seeing the city took my breath away. Did I ever saw such […]

Time flies by quickly, my first academic year is going to end, when I look back, there are really many cherished memories to last a lifetime. Here in Maynooth University, I not only make loads of good friends, but also get prestigious academic achievements, all of those will become invaluable treasure for my whole lives. […]

  Having learned so much about the ancient Celtic tradition in my old Irish classes here on campus, I couldn’t wait to get a chance to explore Scotland and see how much of it had remained there, as well. Thankfully, my chance finally came, and my friend Nathalie and I left for a four day […]

Location Maynooth is a cute town that is only 15 miles from Dublin City Centre. Buses and trains run directly from Maynooth to Dublin, so you have easy access to everything Dublin has to offer in less than 45 minutes. As Ireland’s only college town, Maynooth has shops, pubs, cafes, parks, and everything else a […]

My Erasmus year is coming to a close way to quickly! It feels as though I have been in Ireland for only a couple of months. I’m not quite sure how this happened? Maybe it was the nights at Brady’s that blurred my time recognition? Finding a room in Leixlip I found myself smack in […]