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Irish Internship Program

Head to the Notre Dame Dublin Handshake page to apply to internship and research placements on the Irish Internship Program this summer.

Keep reading this page for more detailed application information.

Apply on Handshake

The Irish Internship Program attracts highly qualified undergraduate and graduate students to live and work or research in Dublin or Galway during summertime.

These fully-funded internships and research positions place students in prestigious organizations across the full spectrum of Irish life, embracing the community sector, entrepreneurship, research laboratories, engineering, politics, business, education, social justice, STEM, sport, poetry, architecture, theater and Irish culture. For two months, students are immersed in their host organizations, working alongside Irish employees and gaining valuable pragmatic experience.

Program Support

Funding for the Irish Internship Program is generously provided by benefactors of the Notre Dame Ireland Advisory Board, corporate and academic partners. Many thanks to our 2025 program benefactors, without whose support this experience would not be possible:

The Program

Students can apply to up to three Dublin or Galway-based internships on the Irish Internship Program. Irish interns have served in prominent institutions including AIG, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Gaelic Athletic Association, National Gallery of Ireland, the Abbey Theatre, IBM, and many more (see the full list at the bottom of this page).

In addition to full-time work or research experience and Cultural Enrichment programming, interns undertake an innovative weekly Professional Development Seminar, in which distinguished figures from Irish public life engage with our interns on how best to incorporate their work and living experience in Dublin into their career trajectory. Each week a panel of professionals join us at Notre Dame Dublin for a conversation about their careers; the paths they chose, the life lessons they learned, how to find careers that match values, and how they became leaders making a difference in the world. We offer timely advice as our students contemplate life after college,  encourage them to connect with mentors who can help them to achieve their goals, and help our interns to become career-ready.

We welcome applications from Notre Dame undergraduate students of any major, who have a genuine interest in learning from an Irish internship. The program seeks independent, smart, flexible, capable candidates who wish to really engage with Ireland and embrace the opportunity of living and working abroad. They should demonstrate a willingness to commit first and foremost to their work placement and host organization and to the cultural enrichment and professional development of the Irish Internship Program. They should bring with them an open, curious mind, be personally flexible in dealing with new situations, and have a genuine desire to engage with the wider world.

Internship Award Includes

  • Roundtrip airfare (up to a maximum of $1400, booked through Anthony Travel)
  • Accommodation at:
    • University College Dublin student residences (8 week Dublin internships),
    • Trinity College Dublin student residences (10 week Dublin Naughton REUs, IBM Graduate Fellows, and ND Law School Dublin Honors Scholars)
    • University of Galway student residences (8 week Galway internships and 10 week Galway Naughton REUs)
  • GeoBlue health insurance
  • Ground transport to and from work placement (TFI [Transport for Ireland] Leap Card allowance)
  • Airport pick-up on arrival
  • Professional development programming
  • Cultural enrichment program
  • Living allowance ($2000)

Program Dates

Program runs from Sunday 24 May - Saturday 18 July 2026 for the 8-week program (Saturday 01 August 2026 departure for 10-week Naughton Fellowship REUs and IBM Ireland Graduate Fellows).

Application Information

Undergraduate Opportunities

INTERNSHIPS

  • Open internship positions are posted through Notre Dame Dublin / Kylemore's Handshake page.
    • PLEASE NOTE: Students apply for individual internship positions (up to three), not to the program as a whole. Please submit a resume and cover letter that is relevant to the specific internship placement.
    • Detail why you would be a good fit for the internship placement and organization, what you hope to learn in the role, and why you are interested in an international professional / research experience in Dublin.
  • Applications for most positions open in early August and close 12 September 2025 at midnight.
    • PLEASE NOTE: New internship positions can be posted later in the fall semester and even into the spring semester. Favorite the Notre Dame Dublin / Kylemore page on Handshake to receive notifications as new positions are posted. Interviews for these positions will be conducted virtually.
  • A short first round interview for most positions will take place on campus during the week of 27 October 2025 with Maggie Arriola, associate director, and Hannah Flanagan, programmes coordinator, at Notre Dame Dublin. All second and third round interviews will be arranged and conducted by the host organizations virtually.
  • Interviews for Galway-based internships will be conducted virtually by the programme manager at Notre Dame Kylemore.

LIBERAL ARTS RESEARCH

  • Research project proposals for "Liberal Arts Research Grants" are accepted via Handshake on a rolling basis throughout the academic year. These grants fund independent, undergraduate research projects in the humanities and social sciences with an Irish Studies or Ireland-related topic. Funding is provided by Notre Dame Dublin, Keough-Naughton Institute for Irish Studies, scholarship summer enrichment funding, or other on-campus resources.

STEM RESEARCH

  • The application process for the Naughton Fellowship REU Programme is distinct. Applications are collected via the Notre Dame Graduate School portal and assessed by the Naughton Fellowships Committee. REU applications open in August, and close in December. You can find out more about the REU application process here.
Graduate Opportunities

IBM IRELAND GRADUATE FELLOWS

  • PhD students in their third or fourth year studying Computer Science and Engineering, ACMS, Math, Physics or related disciplines are eligible to work and research at IBM's only European Research lab in Dublin for 10 weeks over the summer from late May to early August. Graduate students must be nominated with a letter of recommendation by their PhD supervisor.
  • Applications are collected via the Notre Dame Dublin Handshake page under the IBM Ireland PhD Research Internships posting. The application package must include a resume, cover letter/statement of interest, and letter of recommendation. 
  • Available research projects at IBM Ireland will be detailed in the post on Handshake.
  • Contact Maggie Arriola, Associate Director at Notre Dame Dublin, for additional information. 

NDLS DUBLIN HONORS SCHOLARS

  • First year Notre Dame Law School students are eligible to apply to funded internships offered in five of Ireland's leading law firms. Applications open on IrishLink in December. Find out more programme and application information here.

Summer Internship and Research Placements

Internship and research opportunities available this coming summer can now be seen on Handshake. Please favorite the Notre Dame Dublin / Kylemore page on Handshake to receive notifications and updates.

CURRENT AND PAST PLACEMENTS INCLUDE:

PLEASE NOTE: Not all internship placements are on offer every year. Please check the Notre Dame Dublin / Kylemore page on Handshake for this year’s placements.

CORPORATE

  • AIG
  • Allied Irish Banks (AIB)
  • Bank of Ireland
  • Bank of America
  • EquiLend
  • Exeter Real Estate
  • Industrial Development Authority (IDA) Ireland (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Ornua
  • The HR Company

CULTURE

  • Abbey Theatre (sponsored by the Patty & Kevin Ronan Family)
  • Archaeological excavation sites in the Boyne Valley
  • Arts Council of Ireland
  • Chester Beatty Library
  • Comhaltas Ceoiltéoiri Éireann
  • Corrymeela Community
  • Dublin Port Heritage Archive (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Fiontar & Scoil na Gaeilge (Irish Language)
  • Foras na Gaeilge (Irish Language)
  • Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Irish Film Archive
  • Irish Museum of Modern Art
  • Irish Traditional Music Archive (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Kylemore Abbey (Galway) (sponsored by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies)
  • Leinster Rugby
  • Museum of Literature Ireland (sponsored by the Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies)
  • National Folklore Collection
  • National Gallery of Ireland (sponsored by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies)
  • National Library of Ireland
  • National Museum of Ireland (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Pavilion Theatre
  • Poetry Ireland (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Science Gallery

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

  • Benefacts.ie
  • Centre for Talented Youth Ireland (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Don Bosco Care (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Green Sod Ireland (Galway)
  • Irish Cancer Society (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre
  • Rediscovery Centre (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Youth Education Services (YES) Migrant and Refugee Access Programme (MAP) (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)

RESEARCH

  • Analyzing and Researching Ireland North and South (ARINS) Project (sponsored by the Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies)
  • DCU Water Institute, Urban Citizens 632 (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Keough Naughton Institute for Irish Studies Research Grants
  • UCD Centre for Cybersecurity and Cybercrimes Investigation
  • UCD Centre for Disability Studies (sponsored by the Brian & Deidre Clingen Family)
  • Naughton Fellowship REUs at Trinity College Dublin, Dublin City University, University College Dublin, University of Galway, and University College Cork

STEM INDUSTRY

  • Acadia, An LSEG Business
  • Access Earth
  • Atlantic IP Services
  • Carey Building Contractors (Galway)
  • IBM
  • Jazz Pharmaceuticals
  • Medtronic
  • MJ Conroy Construction (Galway)
  • Telnyx

NDLS DUBLIN HONORS SCHOLARS

  • A&L Goodbody
  • Mason Hayes & Curran
  • Philip Lee
  • Wiliam Fry
  • Whitney Moore