American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS)

Limerick, Ireland
County Limerick is quiet farming land dotted with ruins of hundreds of castles. Mountains to the southeast and southwest offer lovely forest walks. There are water sports on the Shannon River, which winds through the city of Limerick and the University campus.  Limerick is Ireland’s third largest city and the capital of the Midwest region. With a reputation for trendy clothing shops and a great nightlife, Limerick also boasts the Belltable Arts Center which produces impressive shows and exhibitions. Old English Town and its Irish counterpart across the river are interesting places to explore, as well as the riverside walk past King John’s Castle. Spend your weekends strolling the downtown streets, stopping in shops and restaurants. Within a day’s excursion are the counties of Galway, Clare, Cork, Tipperary and Kerry.

Almost half of Ireland’s five million population is under the age of 25. The island has a temperate climate (rarely below 40 degrees F) due to the Gulf Stream. Because of its location and the traditional links with the U.S., where 40 million people claim Irish descent, Ireland has long been a gateway between the U.S. and Europe. Ireland has a rich heritage with its own distinctive language (Gaelic), music, culture and sports. It is a beautiful, green country with a reputation for hospitality.

University of Limerick

TheUniversity of Limerick is one of Ireland’s (and Europe’s) newest universities. Its park-like campus is three miles from the city on the banks of the river Shannon. The University is the centerpiece of Ireland’s National Technological Park, one of the country’s prime business locations, with 650 acres of park land. A new concert hall attracts artists from all over the world to perform classical, folk and popular music.

Academically linked with 230 other universities, it has adopted many ideas from American universities and has benefited from American benefactors through its foundation. Some of its specialist programs are aeronautical engineering, equine science, insurance, physical education and sports science and public administration. Irish studies covers Irish language and literature, history, folklore, music, politics and sociology.

Included in AIFS program fee:

• Tuition, housing and meals
• Round trip flight from New York *
• Cultural activities
• 3-day London stopover before program
• Visits to the west of Ireland and Dublin
• Services of a pre-departure Student Advisory Center and an on-site Resident Director
• University Sports Arena membership
• Computer facilities with Internet access
• Phone card on arrival to call the U.S.

*Supplement applies from 26 U.S. cities

Academics

• Academic year, fall or spring semester, summer
• Open to college freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors
• 3-day orientation on campus
• Transcripts issued by the University of Limerick

Housing and meals

• Housing in single rooms in University townhouses on campus. Students share a kitchen, living room and bathroom facilities. Each townhouse has cable TV and each room links to the main University computer network
• Monetary allowance for meals at University cafés or to cook at home

Cultural activities

• Weekly local events include concerts, theater, walking tours and sports activities in Limerick

www.aifsabroad.com

*Source:  American Institute for Foreign Study 2005-6 Academic Year/Semester catalog