Mount St. Mary's University students will have the opportunity this fall to travel to Dublin for a semester, alongside Jamie Gianoutsos, Ph.D., associate professor of history, and Jessy Jordan, Ph.D., professor of philosophy.
Those who study abroad in Dublin this fall will be the first cohort to take advantage of a semester abroad that costs the same as a semester on campus, thanks to Mount St. Mary’s University’s partnership with the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (HSHJ) in Stillorgan, Ireland.
“We’re delighted to lead a group of Mount students as they study and explore abroad. Ireland has so much to offer,” shared Jordan. “Thanks to the generosity of the HSHJ and the hard work of faculty and administration, students have a more convenient study abroad option than ever.”
Ireland is a timeless country, with contemporary cultural offerings like a vibrant arts and literature scene, plenty of shopping and a rich history, with historical sites dating from the Neolithic Period and beyond.
The country’s proximity to the United Kingdom and continental northwestern Europe makes it a convenient starting point to explore Europe, while its beaches, mountains, and historic villages offer plenty to see without leaving the country.
For the next three years, the Dublin semester abroad will be offered every semester. Students will stay in Clonmore House, an 18th-century home on the campus of the HSHJ, St. Raphaela’s.
The leasing of Clonmore House has enabled a lower-cost study abroad option. Tuition, room and board costs will go toward tuition for 12 credits, breakfast and lunch every day, a spending card for a local grocery store, passes for the Dublin bus and commuter train, health insurance, and weekend excursions to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Galway, Ireland. Students will be responsible for their flight, passport costs and personal spending money.
Study abroad students take only four classes and have three-day weekends that allow plenty of time for trips around Ireland or other countries in Europe. Every participant takes a course on Irish Life and Culture, exploring everything from pub culture to Gaelic sports to castles.
Other available courses will include Atlantic Encounters, Philosophy in the Modern Age, Ethics and the Human Good, and Irish Identity: History, Culture and Conflict. Students will also have the option to take online or independent study classes being offered on campus.
The partnership with the HSHJ sisters was entered into on a lucky chance. Ed Egan, J.D., C’77, director of the pre-law program and first-year symposium, and lecturer in the department of political science, had reached out on a whim to Sr. Claire McKiernan, a friend and Belfast native who spent a summer working at the Shamrock restaurant in Thurmont, Maryland. In response to Egan's query if she knew of any housing opportunities for study-abroad students, she helped him place an ad in a newsletter that circulates to every religious house in Ireland. Just a few days later, he heard from Sr. Mary Corr, whose community had a house that could work on their convent campus, St. Raphaela’s.
“That was the first little serendipitous moment,” noted Egan. “These efforts have largely been supported by Raphael Della Ratta, C’92, as part of his Climb the Mount initiative. And Clonmore House so happens to be part of St. Raphaela’s.”
After Egan made a few visits to St. Raphaela’s and Clonmore House with former Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of International Programs Amanda Beal Krouse, Ph.D., and Elizabeth Strauss, Ph.D., assistant professor of history and interim director of international programs, the agreement was signed. Clonmore House will become available just a few weeks before the Fall 2025 semester abroad students will arrive.
“The beautiful, safe, convenient location is perfect for exploring Dublin and the entire island of Ireland. Sr. Mary Corr, Sr. Marta Silva, their community (Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) and the surrounding community of Stillorgan have already made the Mount feel at home. We've felt the warm Irish cead mile failte (a hundred thousand welcomes),” Egan exclaimed.
Stillorgan is a coastal suburb of Dublin, only a 15-minute commuter train ride from Dublin city center. Just a few minutes walk from St. Raphaela’s, students will find a village center with pubs, shopping and restaurants.
The HSHJ operates a school with 1,000 students and plans to offer student teaching opportunities to Mount education majors. Their campus also includes a small chapel, where Adoration is offered most days, and another guest house that Jordan, Gianoutsos, and their three children, Samuel, Micah, and Claire, will live in and welcome students to.
Students interested in applying for the fall semester in Dublin should watch their emails—the application link will be sent out within a week, and space is limited. The application will be available until March 28. Accepted participants will pay a $450 deposit. Interested students are encouraged to speak with their academic advisors, and review the Mount’s foreign study financial aid webpage and the international programs webpage for more details.