Come to Éire for knowledge, for education, experience, culture, language, music, abundant heritage, literature, scenery, food, architecture, the Guinness, festivals, adventure sports, the craic, the arts (ad infinitum!).
Stay to nourish your soul.
During both our short faculty-led programs and semester-long faculty-led programs you will experience world class teaching both inside and outside the classroom through an immersive authentic cultural experience is not limited to those who have been born in Ireland – The Celtic Connection can transcend many generations and cultures. You will experience our wonderful historic sites, beautiful landscapes, amazing heritage and contemporary culture. You will connect your heart and mind with real Irish people. The Celtic Connection is powerful one that can have a simple and transformative effect on all our lives – both student and teacher. Many of our students who have come to Ireland had not previously traveled abroad. It is a great first step into the wider world, and for many, the first of many journeys.
Everyone has a little bit of Irish Sparkle in their soul. Let us unlock it and create another place of belonging for you.
Our Study Abroad Programmes are offered outside of the regular University/College/Summer schedule, thus giving students an excellent opportunity:
- to earn Credits
- to avail of the programmes outside of the academic year
- to interacting with local people and to participate in the everyday life of the community
Our tailor-made programs are typically 2 weeks programmes designed hand in hand with each University/College to ensure the appropriate amount of credits are well earned.
How our Study Abroad Programs work
Our passion is your experience. Celtic Culture is driven to ensure that we inspire your students during their time with us. We get to know faculty and group leaders and take the time to understand your requirements and objectives. Once the development process is in hand, we take care to ensure that your ongoing feedback is reflected in the final product. Our Goal is that the Study Abroad Program element of each University Program adds significant value to the overall student learning experience and perspective.
Each Study Abroad Program is crafted to the educational and cultural requirements of the faculty and institution. We will develop and deliver a program that will add value to the overall University/College Course by ensuring relevance and effective learning. The Celtic Culture Study Abroad Program may be focused on a particular category of studies or it may have an interdisciplinary program focus. Our expert lecturers will always work with you until we have created the most beneficial and impactful program for your group.
Most of our programs are open to U.S. College and University students and faculty. Please contact us to find out if there is a program suitable for your needs or if you would like us develop a bespoke study trip tailored specifically for your students educational and cultural requirements.
We have been working with U.S. Colleges, Universities for a number of years, providing first-rate, good value, memorable and authentic experiences in Ireland for student groups. We have had the privilege of proudly sharing with these groups the extraordinary local expertise and talent that Ireland has to offer. Our team teaches and mentors your groups on the ground. At the planning stage our team works hand in hand with your institution to provide a Study Abroad Program that seamlessly meets your educational and cultural needs.
We consistently find that working directly with Colleges and Institutions results in a better fit regarding both course content and delivery in addition to being easier to administrate.
We are very happy to put you in touch with our partner Colleges and Universities in the USA for reference and feedback.
Please click on the below links for more information on some of the fields of study in which we provide courses. Please not this is not an exhaustive list:
Communication, Media + Arts Courses
- Sounds of Ireland: Music, Media and Culture
- Irish Identity in History and Media
- Creative Writing: Writing the Irish Landscape
- Irish Literature
Liberal Arts in Connemara – Immerse yourself in Irish culture and society
- Images of Ireland: A Sociological Perspective
- Irish Identity in History and Media
- The Archaeological Heritage of Ireland – from the First Settlers to Medieval Castles
- Irish History: Conflict, Identity and the Shaping of Modern Ireland
- Irish Traditional Music and Dance
- Irish Language Classes
- Cultural Traditions of Ireland
- Gaelic Culture and Literature; From Cú Chulainn to the Cultural Revival and Beyond
- Celtic and Irish History
- Creative Writing: Writing the Irish Landscape
Exercise Science
- Coaching Methods
- Health & Fitness: An Irish Perspective
- Science of Traditional Boats and Sailing
- Sport and Exercise Psychology
Why Study Abroad?
There are a variety of reasons to head abroad to a foreign country to study for an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
- Become independent – develop you as a person
- Experience a foreign culture and see the world
- Help you gain a high standard of education
- Find new interests
- Learn a new language
- Make new Friends
- Change the way you think
- Boost your employability – Discover employment opportunities
- Explore your new heritage
- Network for your future
This Study Program about has been designed to excite and educate. This Celtic Culture Study Abroad Program offers students the opportunity, not just to study, but to be immersed in the diversity, beauty and cultural richness which Ireland has to offer. Based in the stunning Connemara Gaeltacht, along the Wild Atlantic Way, The Celtic Culutre Campus is located in a unique hub of a thriving culturally abundant Irish Community. The Connemara Gaeltacht is a unique Irish speaking district where rich traditional cultural values live comfortably alongside contemporary Ireland. It provides an ideal location for learning immersion in Irish Culture in its most natural environment. Our Goal is that this Celtic Culture Study Abroad Program element of your University Program adds significant value to your overall student learning experience and perspective. The Program is designed maximise the participants learning experience through the uniqueness of the curriculum. Your cultural requirements and learning objectives are taken into careful consideration. That which you learn in a classroom environment is then reinforced by a range of tours and activities specifically designed so that students engage in ‘participative learning’ – we have found over the years that this is the most effective way to make that Celtic Connection. We will provide for most of the participants’ needs – transport, meals, accommodation, first class tuition from experts, a wide range of cultural entertainment, various cultural and sporting activities, excursions to places of cultural, historical or national significance.
- Spend two-four weeks living and studying in the Galway Gaeltacht in the West of Ireland
- Gain credits in your home University
- Visit some of Ireland’s most important historical sites and attractions that form an integral part of the programme
- Attend classes on our State-of-the-Art Campus
- Benefit from a bespoke and unique Program developed specifically for your group to add value to your core curriculum and to suit your academic calendar.
- Many experiences are created by our unique local access. These activities are not on the open market
- Indicative Course Content
- Irish Identity/Myths and Legends of Ireland – learn about the great myths of Children of Lir, Tír na nÓg, Maeve and the Brown Bull of Cooley, Fiachra and the Fianna, Cúchulainn and Ferdia, Diarmuid and Gráinne
- The Irish Language – learn the basics and how the language has evolved in a social context. Learn how the Irish language has influenced the spoken English word in Ireland.
- History of Ireland
- Irish heritage
- The Role of Religion
- Irish Literature from the Land of Saints and Scholars
- Irish emigration
- Sport – learn about our rich traditional sporting history
- Traditional Irish Music & Dance
- Celtic Art – learn the basic of Celtic art and how it influenced culture, religion, society, modern day jewellery and the ancient buildings of Ireland v
- Archaeology – learn about the ancient buildings of Ireland
- Ireland and the EU
- Nationalism and Northern Ireland
- A Social History of Irish Family Life
- Ireland Free State a Social History – from 1922 to today.
- Maritime History and Traditions of the West of Ireland
- Irish Society
Indicative Programme Tours
- Patrick Pearse Cultural Centre
- Kylemore Abbey & Victorian Walled Gardens
- Aran Islands
- Máiméan Pilgrimmage
- Brigits Gardens
- Aughnanure Castle
- Marconi Station
- Galway City Museum
- Nora Barnacle’s House
- The Claddagh Ring Museum
- Country Life Museum, Castlebar
- National Famine Museum, Strokestown
Programmes Fees
Generally, the following is included in program fees:
- 15 tuition credits,
- Accommodations,
- Overnight excursions,
- Day field trips and tours,
- Group & extracurricular activities,
- Other group cultural and social activities
- Meal vouchers for some meals,
- HTH international insurance plan,
- A program orientation: Program Handbook & orientation held at on Campus and in Galway city,
- Full on-site support
- Transportation to and from airport in Ireland
Credits
3 Credits per module
Location
- Coláiste Chamuis is based in Ros a’Mhíl along the Wild Atlantic Way route, in the heart of the Connemara Gaeltacht in County Galway.
- Our state of the art campus can be found in a Culturally Authentic location that is direct proximity to the pulsing life of Irish Culture – our campus is literally built in the heart of a living thriving Irish Cultural Hubspot.
- 1 hour 50 mins easy drive from Shannon International Airport.
- 2 hours 55 mins easy drive from Dublin International Airport.
- Galway city is on our doorstep a mere 30 mins easy drive.
- Very accessible and served by public transport.
- The area offers easy access to all the wonder that Connemara, Aran Islands and Galway has to offer.
Campus Facilities
- Capacity on campus: 300 Students
- Modern, purpose-built facilities.
- World class fibre optic broadband connectivity
Faculty
- Siobhán Denvir Bairéad and Seán Denvir are the directors of Coláiste Chamuis. They coordinate a team of lecturers, academic staff, instructors, local experts, partner-organisations, and cultural artists to work with you, from the planning stage of your course right through to the day the student (reluctantly) returns home.
- Director of Connemara Campus
- CC Resident Campus Director is present on-site full-time to welcome and support you during your term abroad.
- Academic Coordinator
- CC Academic Coordinator is available full-time to welcome and support you during your term abroad.
- Manager for Accounting and Administration
- Academic Staff
- Each module is taught by established Irish scholars and with input from local experts in specific fields.
- Our talented and motivated staff subscribe to the Celtic Culture philosophy of sharing the many facets of Irish Culture, the Irish Language and Irish Heritage with as many people as possible in an impactful and positive way.
- Over the years we have cultivated a teaching community that is invested in sharing it’s passion and knowledge of Ireland as a living culture with overseas and domestic students of all ages and backgrounds.
- Guest lectures by leading experts in all fields of study from writers, world renowned musicians, playwrights and Emmy award winning directors
Accommodation
Live with other students in dedicated campus accommodation
- Shared and single rooms available
- Partial board (breakfast and dinner Monday – Sunday) is included.
Homestay accommodation with a local Irish family can be arranged
- A homestay offers the opportunity to make life-long friends, gain higher proficiency in the language, and experience the culture from “the inside.” All host families are carefully selected and experienced with hosting students.
- Living with local residents is part of the immersion experience. Instead of being a tourist, the student gets to know what it’s like to be part of a different culture
Terms
1. Fall Semester
The Fall semester is an excellent time to experience the town when tourism slows down and students are able to establish much better friendships with local merchants. With rather warm weather, Ireland remains green throughout the Fall season and temperatures range from 55 degrees (F) in September to 48 degrees (F) in early December. Students studying for a full semester in Connemra are able to experience other places around Ireland, with trips to Dingle, Dublin, Belfast, Sligo, Mayo and other parts of Ireland.
2. Spring Semester
The Spring semester begins after the New Year’s parties have left; Galway is one of the most sought-after places to celebrate the new year. The early Spring semester has far fewer tourists so students are able to get to know local merchants and strike up many friendships in area. Dingle has a moderate climate and temperatures range from 45 degrees (F) in early February to 55 degrees (F) by April. Students studying for a full semester in Connemra are able to experience other places around Ireland, with trips to Dingle, Dublin, Belfast, Sligo, Mayo and other parts of Ireland.
3. January Short Term
The January short term offers an excellent opportunity for students to experience Ireland between the Fall and spring semesters. Many students are fully involved in their major programs of study, sports, internships, and work. The January term allows students to take a 3 credit course without many of the normal distractions from home. Residence in Connemara in January offers a great chance to miss some of the heavier tourist seasons and the weather is very reasonable, with temperatures normally ranging from 45-50 degrees (F). All courses get involved in the classroom as well as field trips.
4. May Short Term
After a long academic year of school, study abroad in Ireland and spend two weeks in Connemara. Give yourself a break before your summer activities begin. Take one more rewarding course in a beautiful setting. In addition to time in class and on field trips, students have many opportunities to do some fun activities like surfing, horse riding, hiking, paddle board, kayaking, and shopping for Irish products. We normally offer two May sessions each year.
Accommodation and travel (within Ireland) can be arranged to suit particular requirements.
Contact Siobhán directly at siobhan@celticculture.ie to discuss your College/University’s interests and requirements at no obligation.