Cork is an exciting and vibrant place to live and you can be sure of a warm welcome.

Language

English is the official language in Ireland, Irish (Gaelic or Gaeilge) is spoken in some areas mainly along the western coast. If you wish to visit areas where Irish is still spoken you can visit the Gaeltacht areas in Ireland…

Weather

In Ireland, everyone talks about the weather. Whether it’s discussing the direction of the rain from a supermarket doorway, or musing that it’s 75°F in March from a bar counter.
Irish weather can be unpredictable, so we like to discuss it. A lot.

Ireland’s climate is influenced most by the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, it doesn’t have the extreme temperatures that other countries at similar latitude would have. The average temperature is a mild 50°F. A major warm ocean current called the North Atlantic Drift keeps sea temperatures mild too. Hills and mountains, mainly around the coast, shelter the rest of the island from strong winds coming off the ocean.

So while the weather can be changeable – it’s rarely extreme.

Accommodation

Accommodation is becoming increasingly more difficult to find across Ireland. This is the case in Cork too. We highly recommend organising your accommodation as soon as you can and to not leave it until you arrive. You can find out more here

Cost of living (Monthly)

* The travel cost is taking on the capped student LEAP fare which has remained at €30/week based on average month of 4.5 weeks

 ** Class materials and equipment cost can vary greatly, particularly for students in Arts, Sciences and Catering. For more detailed information you should contact your programme co-coordinator

 Students will also find out more information about student finance and budgeting at www.studentfinance.ie and www.ccpc.ie.

 To get detailed information on rental costs in your search area, the RTB has launched the national rent index more detail can be found at www.rtb.ie

Shopping

CIT is close to many Supermarkets. Lidl, Aldi, Tesco and Dunnes are all nearby. Wilton Shopping Centre has many useful shops including Penneys where you can buy clothing, homeware and bedding. Cork City Centre has many high street stores including H&M, Topshop, Gap, Marks and Spencers and Penneys.

Health Insurance

All students should have health insurance cover.
Non-EU students must have private health insurance for Immigration purposes. Immigration will only grant permission to reside in Ireland if you can produce private health insurance policy documentation.   In the case of visa requiring students it is mandatory to submit private health insurance details with the visa application.  (The health insurance document must be written in English).

Students are advised that in addition to medical insurance being a visa and immigration requirement the cost of Healthcare in Ireland is high. A one night stay in hospital can cost in excess of €1200. Therefore we would recommend that all students carry medical insurance in case they are taken ill or are involved in an accident whilst studying with us.  

You need private medical insurance to cover any emergency situation where you might need to be hospitalised or access to private consultations.

Options

A Obtain health cover from home country. Please ensure that it is valid in Ireland. Please note that in cases where there is a high deductible (excess) it may be less expensive to purchase health insurance in Ireland.
B. Obtain private health insurance from Irish Health Insurance providers, see below.
C. Students can also avail of the services of Bupa Global; http://www.ihi.com/.

Irish Health Insurance Companies
1. Study and Protect  - www.studyandprotect.com  
CIT has set up a new agreement with “Study and Protect” Insurance suppliers for you with competitively priced policies.
Medicover Standard: 12 months cover with an excess of €100.00 (deductible) which means it is the students responsibility to pay the first €100.00 of each claim you make and the limit is €2.5 million.
 Medicover Superior:12 months cover with an excess of €50.00 (deductible) which means it is the students responsibility to pay the first €50.00 of each claim they make and the limit is €5 million.

Information may change so please check the Study and Protect website for updates.

2. Laya Healthcare -  www.layahealthcare.ie
3. VHI -Voluntary Health Insurance Board - www.vhi.ie
4. Aviva Health  -  www.aviva.ie/online/health/
5. Irish Life Health -  http://www.irishlifehealth.ie/

Banking

You may need to open a bank account during your time in Ireland. There is a Bank of Ireland on campus at CIT. In order to apply for a bank account,You will need to fill out a form and provide docuements including a letter from CIT stating your permanent address in Cork. You can find out more about opening times here