Study Irish Gaelic in Connemara, Ireland

Winter CUNY Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program

Connemara, County Galway, is a place of wild beauty. On the west coast of Ireland, north of the Aran Islands, lies the village of An Cheathrú Rua (Carraroe). The village is an important rural center in the Connemara Irish-speaking region. Buffered on all sides by other Irish-speaking areas, mountains, and water, An Cheathrú Rua exists in a region where the Irish language continues to be the community language spoken in homes and in shops. An Cheathrú Rua has several beaches that serve the village including a coral beach know as "Trá an Dóilín."

 

 

The National University of Ireland, founded in 1845, serves over 15,000 students. Its "Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge" (Irish Language University Academy) serves native Irish speakers and students of Irish at satellite campuses in different Irish-language villages. The CUNY Irish language classes will be held at the An Cheathrú Rua facility which is called "Áras Mháirtín Uí Chadhain"(The Máirtín Ó Cadhain Building). Students live with local Irish speaking families and receive their meals from the families as well. In addition to Irish language classes, students will also be able to participate in social activities and cultural lectures.

 

Elementary Irish 1 (3 undergraduate credits)

Program Dates: January 6-20, 2007

Eligibility Requirement: 2.5 GPA or better

Basic Program Cost: $1496

Costs include:

+ Tuition for 3 undergraduate credits (New York State Resident - all others, please e-mail Dr. Ihde)
+ Housing (sharing) and three meals per day
+ Orientation and program activities
+ Social/cultural program
+ Airport transportation from Shannon to An Cheathrú Rua on January 6th
+ Airport transportation from An Cheathrú Rua to Shannon on January 20th
+ NUI-Galway Internet fee

Costs do not include

+ International airfare ($650 approx.)
+ Personal spending money ($200 approx.)
+ Health and accident insurance ($90 approx. - required)
+ Any additional lodging expenses as a result of flying in earlier than 1/6/06 or flying out later than 1/20/06.
 

Deadline: The deadline for deposits has passed. There remain a few places still open. To join the group, send the application form below and a check for the full amount due to the "CUNYIIAS" (see below) by December 6, 2006. This payment must be received at the Institute by 5PM. We will then communicate the number of students to NUI-Galway at the close of business on December 6th.

Application Form (pdf document)
Waiver and Release Form (pdf document)

**Costs subject to change**

Prof. Thomas Ihde
Director
718-960-6776
thomas.ihde@lehman.cuny.edu

CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies
Lehman College, CUNY
250 Bedford Park Blvd. West
Bronx, NY 10468

718-960-5550 (fax)


Commonly asked questions:

 

  1. Participants make their own flight arrangements. You should be accepted in the program before you book your flight. In the winter airlines typically schedule fewer flights. The travel time between An Cheathrú Rua and Shannon is about 3 hours and as a result we do not recommend making return travel plans on a morning flight on January 20, 2007. We recommend either returning to the United States on the 4:10pm Aer Lingus flight on the 20th or reserve a hotel or B&B in Shannon or Limerick and travel out on the morning of the 21st on Aer Lingus, Continental, or Delta. See http://www.aerlingus.com/ , http://www.continental.com/ , and http://www.delta.com/ . If you would prefer to work through a travel agent, we recommend DHO Travel (Donoghue Healy & O'Sullivan Travel) at 4356 Katonah Avenue, Bronx, NY 10470. Phone 877-346-8728 or 718-994-9696 or visit http://www.dhotravel.com/ . The bus will leave from Shannon Airport at 10:00am on Saturday, January 6, 2007 and will leave An Cheathrú Rua for Shannon Airport at 10am on Saturday, January 20, 2007. Of course, participants are free to arrive in Ireland a few days early or stay on in Ireland after the course and make their own way to or from An Cheathrú Rua. Please note that neither airfare nor the cost of hotels or B&Bs in Shannon or Limerick (if needed) are included in the trip/course fee.
  2. The course is taught by CUNY Professor Thomas Ihde. He has developed the Irish language programs at both Lehman College and Bergen Community College. He has been teaching the Irish language since 1990. His maternal grandfather was a native Irish speaker from Galway and Professor Ihde spends nearly two months in An Cheathrú Rua each year. He is co-author of The Irish Language in the United States (1994) and Colloquial Irish (forthcoming). He is Past-President of the North American Association for Celtic Language Teachers and an executive board member (Irish language representative) of the American Conference for Irish Studies. He has been teaching Irish at CUNY since 2002.
  3. Registration is completed through the CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies. Once you have paid a deposit and have been accepted into the program, you can register for the course through e-SIMS or e-Permit. Non-CUNY students are welcome. Please consult Prof. Ihde.
  4. The basic cost of the program is $1496. Part of this is paid to the registrar at your CUNY college (tuition) and part is paid to the CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies (all other fees). Undergraduate tuition for a matriculated New York State resident is $510 for 3 credits. If you are taking spring classes at CUNY, you do not need to pay the additional fees (Student Activity Fee, Consolidated Fee, CUNY Technology Fee) for the winter semester. The remaining $986 should be paid to CUNY Institute for Irish-American Studies. If non-undergraduate students want to audit the course, the adult education tuition is only $280 instead of $510. Adult education students should pay the $280+$986 ($1266) directly to the Institute for Irish-American Studies. Full payment should be submitted by December 6, 2006.
  5. For more travel information, please e-mail or phone Prof. Thomas Ihde( thomas.ihde@lehman.cuny.edu - 718-960-6776). He can assist for more information concerning how to make flight arrangements, accommodations, Ireland transportation, and course curriculum. Please note that rooms are sharing. The extra fee for a single room is $225 for the two weeks.
  6. For CUNY student academic advisement and and non-CUNY student credit transfer questions, please e-mail or phone Prof. Thomas Ihde ( thomas.ihde@lehman.cuny.edu - 718-960-6776). He will be able to provide advisement on behalf of the Department of Languages and Literatures at Lehman College.
  7. Students wishing to continue Irish language studies can take on-line Elementary Irish II in Spring 2007 and on-line Elementary Irish III in Fall 2007. We expect to be adding on-line classes at the intermediate and advanced levels for both undergraduate and graduate students leading to a minor in Irish language studies and an advanced certificate in Irish language studies.