Westport, Ireland

While studying abroad is an impactful learning experience in itself, classes in Westport, Ireland also feature many experiential learning opportunities. A few examples include nursing students performing clinical observations in local hospitals while students taking the history course may participate in excursions directly related to their course on Irish immigration. Students will leave these experiences with an increased framework of the world at large and a wider set of skills: yet another instance of Iona students learning outside the lines.

Scholarship Opportunity: The Charles Patrick McCarthy Scholarship

The Charles Patrick McCarthy Scholarship, established in 2023 by Iona alumnus Dennis McCarthy ’82 and his wife Angie Metcalf, supports Iona University students studying abroad in Ireland. Created in memory of Dennis’s late brother Charles, who passed away in 1981 before starting at Iona, the scholarship honors his legacy and love for Irish heritage. 

• Scholarship Amount: Cost of Trip*
  *Not including airfare and summer tuition.
• Additional application information coming soon.

Read more about The Charles Patrick McCarthy Scholarship.

Dates and Costs

Dates: May 9–May 22, 2026 (Summer Session V)

Estimated Cost: $3,000*

• *Includes housing accommodations, daily breakfast & lunch on class days, entrance fees to all Iona University planned excursions and ground transportation to all excursions and classes on most days.
• Does not include:
  • Summer Tuition (Estimated cost: $2,000)
  • Roundtrip Airfare (Estimated cost: $1,100 JFK – SNN)
  • Mandatory CISI International Health & Repatriation Insurance ($52)
  • Nonrefundable application processing fee ($50)

REQUIREMENTS

• Application Dates*
  • Nursing Students: Must complete NUR study abroad application by 5 p.m., October 20, 2025.
  • History/CSD Students: Must complete HST & CSD study abroad application by December 1, 2025.
  • *Note: Applications will close earlier if the course fills before the application deadline date.
• Must pay $500 program deposit (amount goes towards total cost) by December 21, 2025.
• Must enroll in NUR 302/NUR 3020, HST 337 or CSD 519. (Students  may enroll once summer enrollment opens, provided they have completed the study abroad application and paid the $500 deposit.)
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
• Students under any active form of academic or disciplinary probation at the time of departure will not be permitted to participate in the program.
• Space is limited and is currently reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Completing the Study Abroad application does not guarantee a spot. Those who apply for a filled course will be placed on a waitlist.

Course Options

Possible additional course options to be announced.

Healthcare Perspectives (NUR 302; NUR 3020)

For nursing students only. 

This course fosters students to critically examine the nursing profession, historical and theoretical frameworks, moral and legal issues, and standards of nursing practice. Current issues and healthcare trends are examined through the interprofessional lens. Emphasis on disparities that exist in the health care system of the United States and in the world are identified. Students are provided with the information and tools to confront health disparities and challenges and taught how to navigate the health care system in a collaborative interdisciplinary partnership. 

Deadline to apply: 5 p.m., October 20, 2025.

Apply now: Nursing

The Immigrant Experience (HST 337) 

Satisfies DCCG requirement.

This course will provide greater balance between historical developments in Ireland and the mass migration of people to the United States. Given the magnitude and variation of Irish immigration patterns in the 19th and 20th centuries, the course will focus on immigrants from the southwest of Ireland (Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, Cork, and Kerry). The southwest part of Ireland contributed the largest number of immigrants from the famine era (1847-1854) to the present. 

APPLY NOW: History 

Language Development and Disorders in School-Age Children (CSD 519)

For Graduate Students only

This course will explore the roles of the school-based speech-language pathologist and other professionals (ie: educators, occupational therapists, social workers, counselors) in Ireland. This experience will provide students with a deeper understanding of how professionals in a school must work together to assess and treat language disorders for school-age children and how cultural and geographic factors influence therapeutic practices. Additionally, the course will enrich students’ academic knowledge and practical skills in communication, focusing specifically on language development and disorders in school-age children and provide students with knowledge about school-based interprofessional practice. 

Apply Now: CSD

Questions?

Visit our FAQ page here

Contact

Nursing Course: Sherylyn Watson Ph.D., swatson@iona.edu

History Course: James T. Carroll Ph.D., jcarroll@iona.edu  

CSD Course:  Dorothy Leone Ph.D., dleone@iona.edu 

Study Abroad: studyabroad@iona.edu 

Nearby to Westport, Achill Island is home to Keem Bay Beach, one of the world's top 50 beaches.