Orientation in Dublin: Inside CIEE's Teach in Ireland Program!

Read as Katie, a 2025 alum, shares her orientation experience in Dublin!

Thinking of moving to Ireland through CIEE’s Teach in Ireland Program? Congrats! You are on track to making the best decision of your life. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to know as many details as possible surrounding your first few days in Dublin, Ireland, and what may come after summer ends. Luckily for you, I am here to help. As a recent participant in the CIEE’s Teach in Ireland program, I have the information you need to calm your nerves before your move across the pond.

ARRIVAL DAY 

CIEE Ireland’s orientation is more than visa requirements and leap cards (though that is covered later on); it’s about acclimating the second you get step foot in the Emerald Isle. The CIEE Dublin team was waiting right outside of terminal two, ready to take us into the city. Naturally, we had some time to kill while we waited for everyone to arrive–I recommend taking this time to freshen up after your long flight. Grab a coffee. And most importantly, say hello to your fellow teachers. This will be your first of many opportunities to get to know everyone.

Prior to check-in, we went for a stroll to get lunch, which is included in your program fee, and saw a few main sites. We crossed over Ha Penney Bridge, before coming upon the infamous Temple Bar. Fun fact: Temple Bar is both a pub and a district! We stopped to see Miss Molly Malone and soon found ourselves in St. Stephen’s Green for a chat and a breather.

Eventually, we popped into our hostel rooms to get situated and ready for dinner. If the word “hostel” is causing you to panic, don’t fret. The accommodation is clean, safe, and is only shared with those in your program. No mixed 8-bed dorms here! 

Joined by the Dublin team, we had traditional Irish meals, which we ordered ahead of time to enjoy soon after arriving in the restaurant. I had a classic fish and chips, plus a pint of Guinness, of course. Though none of us managed to split the G this first night, you can rest assured that that milestone was met eventually.

We had the rest of the evening for ourselves, though it’s recommended you don’t go out too late as the area will still be new. Some people walked around for a few hours, but I strolled down Temple Bar quickly before having an early night–the jet lag was getting to me!

DAY 2

The next morning was for our orientation presentations. For our orientation, we had one day where we covered all the need-to-know information, though this is sometimes split into two shorter days. The first section of the day covered CIEE-specific safety measures, grocery stores, phone plans, etc.

After our provided lunch, we got into the nitty-gritty about legal documents. This included registering with the immigration office, scheduling PPSN appointments, and starting bank accounts. Following the presentation, we had time to work through the bureaucracy websites with the program directors there to help us. Once we felt comfortable with our progress, we had the rest of the day ourselves.

Some things, like immigration and PPSN, will be started online. Phone plans and bank accounts, on the other hand, may require some in-person work. A fellow teacher and I headed to Vodafone to set up Irish phone numbers while others stopped in AIB. There are multiple options for these things, so you may or may not have to attend them in person.

DAY 3

The final day of orientation was the one I looked forward to the most: a trip to Howth. With its gorgeous cliffside and fantastic seafood, the short trip to Howth is well worth it. The Dublin Team escorted us from the hostel to the train station, where we boarded the DART (a form of public transport in Dublin). The ride was about half an hour and was covered by our program fees.

It takes a leisurely 15 minutes to reach the start of the cliff walk. Once the trail begins, the views immediately take your breath away. Though we started our hike with some fog, it eventually cleared and we had the most stunning view of the sea. We spotted colonies of seagulls and even a few seals bobbing in the water below!

Though the cliff walk isn’t particularly difficult, I would highly recommend comfortable shoes, layers you can easily take off, and a water bottle, as we all were quite hot by the end.

Afterwards we had the option to stay in the town or head back into Dublin. A few of us decided to grab lunch and stroll around Howth, again being such a lovely way to get to know each other.

After the few days of orientation, I felt much more at ease with the move! I found the CIEE Dublin staff to be very welcoming and offered lots of personal insights into their life in Dublin. The presentations they gave were so valuable, especially for the bureaucratic steps that may be difficult to find online. It reminded me how organized I needed to be, as moving abroad comes with a unique set of challenges.

Aside from my TEFL practicum, I had never taught in a school setting. It’s safe to say the first few days with the students were nerve wrecking, but after six weeks, I felt much more confident. Setting my lesson plans was a huge relief, but I found adapting them for each class to be especially rewarding. Seeing what the students took to and finding ways to make the lessons more engaging was not only fun, but was also great practice for a skill necessary in everyday life. 
 

Teaching English in Ireland is an incredibly unique opportunity because not only can you learn about your students’ cultures through their discussions, presentations, and progress, but you also learn about Ireland’s culture. I taught Irish culture lessons, which I was nervous for initially, but my school helped me out tremendously with resources. Additionally, I worked with various Irish teachers that I learned so much from, both about the country and teaching.

This program connected me with many great opportunities and people and I am unbelievably grateful. Following the conclusion of my employment, I went on holiday to the Balkans for a few weeks, something that would have been much harder to do had I not been living only a few hours by plane.

I came back to Ireland in September to finish out the rest of my year-long visa. I am currently living in Galway, where I was lucky enough to find a job and housing. Here I’ve met even more great friends and travelled to various places both in and outside of Ireland. I even have plans to soon visit my roommate/co-teacher from my time in Dublin!

To those that are looking to spend their summer in Dublin, I encourage you to talk to everybody. Get to know those in your program, your fellow teachers, the student coordinators. The more connections you make, the better your experience will be!