Three international students in Ireland on learning ‘just how nice this country is’

Three foreign students — from Canada, the US, and Iran — tell Jonathan deBurca Butler their various experiences of living and studying in Ireland has been overwhelmingly positive

Cole Curnew from Newfoundland with the flag of Canada’s Qalipu first nation at ‘Kindred Spirits’ in Midleton.

When he arrived in Ireland, Cole Curnew felt at home. Though he was almost 3,500km from his native Newfoundland, the mix of “spiritual and historical connections” between the two places immediately put him at ease.

“I grew up listening to The Irish Rovers, The Dubliners,” says the 24-year-old. “Newfoundland music and Irish traditional music are very similar.