INSTITUTe Of STUDy AbROAD IRelAND

educational and Cultural Programs in Ireland • isaireland.com

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I could never have asked for a warmer, more welcoming, more goodnatured group of people to welcome me into Ireland. ISAI isn’t about going through the motions. It’s real and from the heart. I feel such a strong connection to Ireland itself—I’d always loved the idea of it before, but after living there for a few weeks it feels like home. Through ISAI, you come to know the place of Ireland: the land itself, the history, what makes it so incredible, without gimmicks or tourist traps. My stay there only strengthened my sense of Irish heritage, and I still ache to return.

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—mackenzie Suess University of Colorado

isaireland.com

WhO We ARe

The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland was founded in 1996, to provide authentic cultural and educational experiences in Ireland for visitors from North America. Since then, we have hosted hundreds of students, adults, families and groups, and provided a unique and unforgettable visit to Ireland.

The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland works with a number of partner organizations, cultural associations and educational institutions in the United States, Ireland and Northern Ireland. Our contacts and connections with educational, recreational and cultural providers allow us to design programs that will suit your requirements. We are happy to provide references from high schools, community colleges, private colleges and universities, from parents, students, teachers and individuals who have had their Ireland experience with us. Niamh Hamill and John O’Connell are the directors of the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland. They coordinate a team of instructors, local experts, partner-organizations, and cultural artists to work with you, from the planning stage of your trip right through to the day you (reluctantly) return home.

NIAmh hAmIll, Ph.D. Director of education, ISA Ireland Niamh, an experienced lecturer in Irish history and culture, will design and deliver a program tailored to your needs and desired learning outcomes. Niamh has been teaching U.S. visitors since 1996, and her enthusiastic approach and love of Irish culture ensure a memorable and authentic experience.

JOhN O’CONNell Director of hospitality ISA Ireland John’s expertise as a hotelier and tourism professional ensures a great Irish ‘cead mile failte’—a hundred thousand welcomes— for our visitors. John manages your requirements in accommodation, transfers and transport, activities, meal plans and any extras you need.

OUR lOCATION

The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland (ISAI) is based along the Wild Atlantic Way route, in the town of bundoran, County Donegal. This area offers us easy access to the glorious scenery of counties Sligo, leitrim and Donegal, including yeats Country, the kingdoms of the great O’Donnell chieftains, and the castles, caves and cottages of the beautiful northwest. We have the spectacular Atlantic waves at our doorstep, and every direction takes us to places of great historic and cultural importance.

Donegal is renowned for its scenery, culture and friendliness. Our programs are designed to deliver the most important element of traveling abroad—authenticity. Our guides and teachers are highly qualified experts who take you to the real Ireland. You will experience Irish culture as Irish people do, and you’ll see for yourself the cities, the rural areas, and everything in between. Although Donegal is in the Republic of Ireland, its proximity to Northern Ireland provides us with a great location for the study of conflict resolution and peace studies. The Institute of Study Abroad has been welcoming U.S. visitors since 1996. We have programs to suit all ages, shapes and sizes, with one thing in common: our programs are about culture and education. Whether you are of Irish descent or not, you will know a lot more about Ireland when you complete your trip—and we are certain that you will return again and again, as most of our visitors do.

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ISAI helped me to plan a wonderful experiential learning program featuring Irish culture and history in a magnificent location. I met their teachers and guides, enjoyed their hospitality, and experienced for myself how they deliver a wonderful and professional trip at affordable prices. The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland is genuinely providing an opportunity for community colleges that will be of great benefit to our students.

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PROgRAmS fOR COllegeS AND UNIVeRSITIeS

ShORT fACUlTy-leD TRIPS: Ireland is an ideal location for a short study-abroad trip. It’s safe, friendly and welcoming. We take care of your trip requirements, from transfers, accommodations and meal plans, and a curriculum that meets your requirements including Irish history and culture, service, environmental studies, cultural experience, peace studies, humanities, and business studies. We operate year round and can design a program to suit your calendar and core curriculum.

—Dr. Cynthia m. bellacero Craven Community College

QUARTeR AND SemeSTeR PROgRAmS: The Institute of Study Abroad is the perfect location for longer overseas study programs. We provide all you need, including Irish studies courses and lecturers, studentfriendly accommodations, transport, guided tours and faculty resources.

INDePeNDeNT STUDeNTS: The Institute of Study Abroad Ireland welcomes students of all ages who are interested in doing a semester abroad as part of a gap year, study abroad experience or fulfilling that desire to spend some quality time in Ireland. We have a range of options including a semester in Irish history and culture, a semester in outdoor adventure and surfing, Irish language programs, internships and work placements. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

isaireland.com

PROgRAmS fOR TeeNAgeRS

We love teenagers! So much so that we have a special campus just for our younger summer camp and school groups. Our campus is purpose-built for teens, and includes a high ropes suite, a surf school, and lots of indoor and outdoor facilities designed for maximum enjoyment. Our excellent staff is highly trained and experienced in working with teens, and we provide round-the-clock attention for all our groups and visitors.

hIgh SChOOl PROgRAmS: We welcome teachers and student groups all year round. Our high school programs include classroom time, service learning, peace studies, outdoor activities, arts and music, and are a superb cultural immersion experience for younger students. Faculty are fully supported from the planning stages, and all of the programs are custom designed to suit the needs of the students. Faculty are welcome to attend our annual site visit for a preview of trip options.

SUmmeR CAmP: Our Summer programs run through July and August, and we welcome individual teenagers to join with other teens from Ireland, U.K. and Europe in a wonderful multicultural and multiactivity program. U.S. teens learn all about Irish history and culture, in a fun and informal environment, through classes, field trips, tours and discussion. There’s also surfing, hiking, singing, dancing, Gaelic sports, city visits and a packed daily itinerary that has something for everyone.

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I led a group of high school students on a trip in March 2013. It was, without question, one of the best international trips that I have taken with students. Niamh and her crew were knowledgeable, professional and fun; the activities were extremely well-organized and safe; the educational portion was fabulous—interactive and experiential. I will definitely return with another group in the future.

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—Kathleen letellier Exchange Coordinator Athenian School, CA

Studying abroad was the best experience for me. It built up my confidence and made me feel better about myself. Meeting people from all around the world was an amazing experience. I am glad I got the opportunity to experience a beautiful country like Ireland.

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—Nyssa lynn Percival Teen Summer Camp

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Thanks for the most unique conference I have ever attended. I made some friends and learned a lot.

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—Peter buckingham Linfield College

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I really had such a rich experience at the conference—it was inspiring.

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—Sheila malone UCLA

A wonderful conference that was refreshing—your conferences are always special, and not just routine stuff.

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—Professor Werner huber University of Vienna

My advice to anyone interested in Irish Studies is to take the January trip and conference. It’s an awesome combination of the best things about Ireland. You will be inspired, educated and thoroughly entertained.

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—Kyra Whitehead Drew University

isaireland.com

JANUARy CONfeReNCe IN IRISh STUDIeS

Every January, the Irish Studies Department of the Caspersen School of Graduate Studies at Drew University (N.J.) and Institute of Study Abroad Ireland co-sponsor the Transatlantic Connections Conference in Donegal, Ireland. This interdisciplinary conference involves all aspects of Irish and Irish-American culture. It’s a forum for students, scholars, lecturers, enthusiasts and local experts to engage in conversations about Ireland and Irishness. All are welcome to participate in this different type of conference, that also includes performances of Irish music, drama, poetry, art exhibitions, and the fun of the Irish pub in a small coastal town. Visit taccireland.com.

JANUARy IRelAND TRIP

The January trip to Ireland precedes the Transatlantic Connections Conference, and offers an extra four days of lectures, guided tours and special events before the conference begins. The combination of trip and conference provides an excellent immersion in Irish history and culture and is open to all.

ASSOCIATIONS, ClUbS AND ORgANIZATIONS

We are happy to arrange, at any time, a group trip for adults who are interested in a cultural or educational component as part of the visit. Please note! We are focused on education, culture and authenticity, so you need to be adventurous, mobile, curious and enthusiastic. We can help you with transportation, accommodations, lectures and talks, field trips, visits to places of interest, outdoor activities and entertainment.

fAmIly TRIPS

If you’ve always dreamed of taking the kids, the grandparents and the cousins on a trip to Ireland, we can help you plan an affordable and cultural experience, which will keep everyone busy and entertained. Bundoran, County Donegal has fantastic facilities for families, including a multiplex cinema, waterpark, endless beaches, horseriding, surf lessons, kayaking, climbing and many more fun activities. We would be delighted to help you plan a great family experience that has something for everyone.

OCTObeR SITe VISIT fOR gROUP leADeRS (7 days)

Every October, the Institute of Study Abroad Ireland invites interested faculty, study abroad advisors, group leaders and organizers to attend a site visit in Ireland. This subsidized, seven-day site visit allows you to experience, first hand, what opportunities are available for your group. You can apply for a place on this trip by emailing us and completing the site visit application form.

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You will not get more generous hosts than Niamh and John, or friendlier people than those we met in Donegal. Everywhere we went, we were made welcome, and we learnt so much from our guides and the people we met. We felt like we had a glimpse of an Ireland that most tourists don’t see. We got rain and rainbows, peat bogs and sheep, castles and cathedrals, and every evening, we enjoyed returning to our little cozy pub in Bundoran, for a Guinness and a song. We were surprised at how delicious the food was, and you can never, for a second, forget the most beautiful, magical landscapes at every turn. It took us a long time to finally make the trip, and now we wish we had done it sooner, so we could go back more often.

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—Ron and betty garren New Bern, NC

Why DONegAl?

•Donegal wears Irish history on her landscape; ancient tombs, monasteries, the Flight of The Earls, castles, famine sites, stately homes and Irish cottages.

•Donegal is famous for exceptional landscapes and seascapes, including the highest sea-cliffs of Europe and the staggering beauty of the Wild Atlantic Way. •Donegal includes several Irish-language-speaking areas, called ‘Gaeltachts,’ along the coastline. •Donegal is the heartland for traditional Irish music and singing.

•Donegal’s proximity to Northern Ireland allows for exploration around the beautiful counties of Derry and Fermanagh. It is an ideal base for those studying the Northern Ireland Peace Process, and discovering the many treasures of the northern counties including the Giant’s Causeway, the Fermanagh Lakelands and Belfast City. •Donegal’s natural environment, and attention to sustainability in farming and fishing, provide gastronomic delights for the foodie and craft beer enthusiast.

•Neighboring Yeats Country offers many places associated with poet W.B Yeats and painter Jack B. Yeats, including Lissadell House, The Lake Isle of Inisfree, Glencar Waterfall and the Yeats collections in Sligo. •Donegal is the home of Irish surfing, with miles of uncrowded beaches and a lively surf culture in coastal towns.

•Donegal is Ireland’s friendliest county. There is a ‘cead mile failte’ (one hundred thousand welcomes) everywhere you go.

CONTACT US:

Phone from U.S.: 011 353 87 2941232 email: [email protected] Web: isaireland.com Skype: irelandstudyabroad Institute of Study Abroad Ireland

@isaireland

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Cover image: ©Brittni Stasiuk