Internships in Dublin, Ireland

Intern in Ireland with Intern Abroad HQ! Intern Abroad HQ offers a 2-week internship experience in Tourism Operations, while longer duration programs (from a minimum requirement of just 4 weeks) are available in the fields of Marketing, Public Relations and Hospitality.

Internship placements in Ireland are spread throughout Dublin - Europe’s most effervescent city and economic hub of the country. Friendly Irish homestay accommodation (included in the internship program fee) ensures affordability of the experience, while placements provide access to valuable professional development opportunities within the city-center.

We caught up with Graham from our local team in Ireland, to give further insight and guidance for internships in Ireland. Here’s the official inside scoop!

  1. What can you tell us about the internships currently available in Ireland?
  2. What makes the internships in Dublin such great opportunities?
  3. Tell us about the team in Ireland and why they make fantastic hosts!
  4. How do you make interns feel welcome during their orientation and first week?
  5. What can you tell us about the internship accommodation in Ireland?
  6. How can interns spend their weekends and what activities in Dublin are a “must do”?
  7. How much money do you think interns should bring to Dublin?
  8. What items should definitely be on a person’s “pack list” for an internship in Dublin?
  9. What are the most important things an intern can do to be successful in Dublin?
  10. Sign me up! How can I start planning my internship in Dublin, Ireland?

Apply to intern in Dublin!

1. What can you tell us about the internships currently available in Ireland?

The perfect introductory experience for people that can only participate on an international internship for 2 weeks is the Tourism Operations program. It’s a great combination experience which includes Intern Abroad HQ’s guided reflection course (for personal and professional development and resume building) with general insight into tourism operations. This amazing opportunity allows interns in Ireland to join tours around the country to critically assess activities and focus on marketing strategy and development.

If you’re looking for something more and can spend at least 4 weeks (or longer) as an intern in Dublin, then we offer internship placements in the fields of Marketing & Public Relations and Hospitality. These are each quite unique but you can learn more online or contact Intern Abroad HQ to request more information about joining us.

Internships in Dublin, Ireland - Intern Abroad HQ

2. What makes the internships in Dublin such great opportunities?

Dublin’s economic upturn has been widely reported as one of the best in Europe. This has resulted in some of the worlds top brands locating their HQ’s in Ireland. This has had a really positive effect for the country, bringing more opportunity to Ireland than ever before. This means if an internship candidate wants to come to Dublin - whether for the long-term or short-term - there is a much better selection of internship placements available and a better chance to gain experience. This has attracted many young, professional and career-minded people to our shores, so interns have excellent opportunities for professional and social networking, with similar people from all around the world.

Professional internships in Ireland, Dublin - Intern Abroad HQ

3. Tell us about the team in Ireland and why they make fantastic hosts!

The Intern Abroad HQ Internships in Ireland are supported and hosted by an Irish agency, based in Dublin, and our team are the only agency to specialise in offering internships, study and volunteer programmes in Ireland. Being based in Dublin also allows us to keep our ear to the ground when any suitable internships arise and we have some fantastic long-term partners in all industries. The ability to be able to visit these partners for a cup of tea (or a Guinness!) means that we can offer the best internships to students and young professionals.

Welcome to Ireland Intern Abroad HQ

4. How do you make interns feel welcome during their orientation and first week?

Upon arrival, you will be met at Dublin airport and taken directly to your host-family accommodation. A member of our team will be available to make sure everything goes smoothly. After meeting your host family and having a well-deserved Irish meal and a rest, you will then be given information on where to go for your welcome meeting and orientation with a team member. This is to welcome you to Ireland, offer some orientation advice, prepare you for your internship, and answer any questions you may have. All of the internships placements that we collaborate with have been welcoming interns for a long time, so they understand the needs of a new intern. They understand a new intern may take a few days to adjust to a new city and culture, so the first few days are spent meeting other staff, finding out about the requirements of the internship and helping you feel at home, at your own pace.

Orientation in Dublin - Intern Abroad HQ

5. What can you tell us about the internship accommodation in Ireland?

The Irish are world-renowned for our hospitality and this is true with our host families! All our host families are vetted and visited by our staff and have been with us for many years. Accommodation for interns is a single room within the home-stay. These are typically three-bedroom, semi-detached family houses. All the home-stays are clean with a sitting / living room, kitchen and a bathroom.

The program fees for internships in Ireland include breakfast, dinner and a light supper, served Monday through Friday. During the weekends, all meals are provided, including lunch. We’re not particularly well-known for our culinary variation in Ireland (!) but you can expect a good breakfast (e.g. cereal, toast, juice and an occasional sneaky Irish breakfast!), a typical Irish dinner (meat/fish/vegetables) and something light for supper.

The benefits of staying with an Irish host family is that you will feel completely at home and welcome. Due to the infrastructural development of Dublin city over the past 50 years, the majority of our host families are in suburban areas, a short bus ride from the centre. This means that your host family will be located in a spacious, safe and green area with lots of parks, but with all the amenities of a city on your doorstep! Another excellent benefit of home-stay accommodation for interns, is that it helps to keep the internship programs extremely affordable. It’s rare to find cheap accommodation in Dublin so this benefit is especially attractive for students and young professionals. Alongside Intern Abroad HQ, we’re committed to providing internships that are as accessible, safe, and reputable as possible.

Internships accommodation in Dublin

6. How can interns spend their weekends and what activities in Dublin are a “must do”?

Dublin is a fantastic city for activities, with so many it would be impossible to describe them all! But, as we have a young and diverse population there are a number of events and activities to keep you busy. Dublin has one of the best live music scenes in the world, so every night there are theatres, clubs and venues offering the best in live music and dance. We also have a vibrant creative culture, with areas like Temple Bar stuffed with art galleries, music shops, cafes, second hand shops and flea markets. As Dublin is also coastal, we have many beautiful coastal towns to explore. We’re also lucky to be based at the foot of the Dublin mountains, so if you want a break from it all you can be in the mountains within a short bus ride to explore our green valleys, dense forests and wild hiking routes.

Intern Abroad HQ weekends in Ireland

7. How much money do you think interns should bring to Dublin?

Dublin is not one of the cheapest cities in Europe, but it is possible to live without spending too much money. For commuting from your home-stay accommodation to your internship placement in Dublin city, interns should purchase a weekly Dublin bus pass, which allows unlimited travel on city centre forms of transport (expect to budget €40 per week for this).

Remember that the internship program fee covers dinner and a light supper, served Monday through Friday. During the weekends, all meals are provided but you’d of course need to source your own food during the weekend if you wanted to be out and about doing tourism or sight-seeing activities. Lunches are not included during the week and should be budgeted for accordingly. A pint (our standard drink) is around €5, a meal (Italian / Indian etc.) can cost from €10 and you can find some cheap eats to keep you going from sandwiches to burritos from €4 - €10.

Apart from that, other costs would be things like entrance to museums, galleries and tourist attractions. Check out packages such as “The Dublin Pass” which grants free entry to many top attractions. It’s free to pick up the pass if you collect it from Dublin collection desks, located within the city. Or, look them up online to have it sent straight to your smartphone.

Fish and chips in Ireland

8. What items should definitely be on a person’s “pack list” for an internship in Dublin?

Number 1 is a rain jacket! As the popular Crowded House song goes, we experience “four seasons in one day” in Ireland. Ireland is directly exposed to the Atlantic so it’s possible to wake up in the morning in August with a clear blue sky and be running for shelter from the rain by lunchtime! A good mix of light / warm clothes is advisable. We do get heat in the summer but it can quickly turn cold. At least one warm jumper, hoodie or fleece is advisable as well as some shorts (in case we get some sun!) and t-shirts. Apart from that, don’t forget your charger and plug adaptor - we have a similar 3-pin plug to the UK.

What to bring to Ireland

9. What are the most important things an intern can do to be successful in Dublin?

Ireland is very welcoming and Dublin is a very open-minded city (but rural areas can be slightly more reserved than in the centre). We’re very polite, so ‘please’ and thank you’ goes a long way here! The Irish are also hard workers, so showing enthusiasm, professionalism and trust will allow you to reap the rewards in work. If you want to learn as much as possible and gain as much as possible from your internship, go the extra mile and the team at your internship placement will love you for it! Finally, it’s important to get out there and explore Ireland! It’s a beautiful island, easy to navigate with a wealth of culture, nature, history and friendly characters.

Explore Dublin, Ireland - Intern Abroad HQ

Sign me up! How can I start planning my internship in Dublin, Ireland?

Internships in Dublin have two start dates available every month (usually the first and third Monday). Opportunities are flexible and there’s something for everyone! It can be challenging to take the first step, but once that decision has been made, the experience only gets better.

  1. Apply online first. The application process is non-obligatory and free.

  2. After applying, you’ll receive more details on how to confirm your internship placement.

  3. To confirm, you’ll register online after your application has been accepted. This means taking care of the US$499 deposit, which enables us to provide services and pre-departure support. Affordabla Ireland internship fees can be reviewed online.

  4. Once you’re registered, the adventure begins! Intern Abroad HQ will support you with prepping for your trip… and we will look forward to seeing you in Dublin!

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