Cork or Dublin?

Question

My daughter is going/wants to study abroad for a semester in Ireland in the spring, and she is undecided whether to study in Cork or Dublin. She will be 20 when she studies abroad, and like most young adults, she likes to have lots of fun. Which place would be the best to meet her needs (having fun of course and studying, but hopefully not in that order) because I have never been to Ireland just England, so I have no idea. I'm still undecided whether I will pay for her to go. She has a very fun loving personality, very funny person as well as very pretty, but unless she is going to study hard instead of "having fun" (party time) the whole time, I am not going to send her. I'm not against having fun, but not if it takes precedent over studying (which is very expensive to study abroad). I don't want her to be in a retirement community, but which place would be the best? Opinions are appreciated.

Answer 1

to be brutally honest Ireland isnt as safe as it used to be, violent attacks on women are on the increase even in the north theres a rape nearly every week.  dublin is 24/7 party town i cant stand dublin anymore corks getting to be a party town..Now how about belfast?  Some social boundries must not be crossed but apart from that its the greatest town on earth especially west belfast and its cheaper than dublin or cork to live in.  theres St Marys teacher training college on the Falls road and Queens university both within a stones throw of the city centre.  Theres the blacks mountain, cave hill we've got history art (1) museum the west belfast festival bars galore. and if your daughter gets in with a good bunch of mates they'll take care of her.  Theres a belfast saying "we take care of our own"  people who spike drinks would have to be mental to try it in belfast.  There are still visible and invisible boundries which either side must not cross over, segregation still prevails which is good (just my opinion) but overall its a happy town, very safe and sedate.  The reason why i'm suggesting belfast is because i'm sick of people poking thier heads in for a quick peek then pissing off again.  They dont stay long enough to see the whole town or getting to know the people.  We are simply rough diamonds.

edit: as your catholic its an added bonus, seriously we take care of our own i dont mean catholic to catholic if i had protestant mates i'd kill for them.  but if you opt for belfast your daughter will learn more in a year than 5 years in the states.  the simple fact is catholics dont mix with protestants and vice versa.  go to college yes, work together yes but mix outside of work or college its a possibility but not the norm.  as a catholic she would either have to stay in the "holy land" or west belfast, the catholic west belfast, thats andersonstown the falls turf lodge st jamses whiterock and about 10 other housing estates.  places to avoid, the shankill, donegall road tates avenue tigers bay, "the village".  i know it sounds mad but honestly its great here.  you couldnt meet nicer people anywhere in the world.

Answer 2

cork

Answer 3

Im from Dublin, and as much as it kills me to do so, I'd have to recommend Cork :-)

Dublin and Cork are beautiful cities with a lot going for them, however Cork City is smaller than Dublin and still maintains a certain small town friendliness that is maybe lacking in Dublin.

Culture-wise, Both cities have a rich and vibrant culture, with a thriving arts scene in both cities (esp in Cork). They are both in easy access of the sea and beautiful countryside only a 30/40min drive from either city.

Economically speaking, Cork would work out cheaper for rent etc...

Cork is a thriving city and there is a buzzing club/pub scene so nightlife wont be a problem, however in saying this is not part central or anything, so you need not worry!

In my opinion it would just be a lot easier to settle in to Cork and make friends and find your way around, It has all the advantages of a medium size city but as I said still has that un-intimadating small town feel to it.

Having said all that if your daughter prefers the feel/atmosphere/vibe etc.. of a bigger city, then definitely opt for Dublin.

Best of Luck

EDIT: If your going to opt for Belfast, then you might aswell opt for Dublin. I live in the city centre of Dublin and first of all it certainly is not party 24/7, The latest a club can open is 3.30am and there are only a handful of clubs which open that late, secondly, There is crime and violent attacks on women and men everywhere, in any big city, thats just a downside of life in any city and as a resident and local of Dublin City and I've also lived in New York, London and Hamburg and a few other cities across Europe, I can safely say Dublin is by no mean the unsafest city, In fact I would say its a very safe city.

In regards to Belfast, I love Belfast, It is indeed a great city with plenty to do, but it is certainly not without its crime. In my opinion, and indeed it is only an opinion, Between Cork and Dublin as you initiall asked I would definitely choose Cork, but If you are considering other cities, Galway is the best student city in Ireland.