Wexford Orientation | Georgia Southern

Welcome to Ireland!

Wexford is a town in the “Sunny Southeast” of Ireland, 100 miles down the east coast from Dublin. The town was built around the year 800 by Norwegian Vikings where the Slaney River flows into the Irish Sea. Rich in history, beauty, and local lore, Wexford is an inspiring setting for Georgia Southern students to study abroad.

Hospitality and Wellbeing

Mutual Respect: the health, safety, and wellbeing of our Wexford Campus learning community constitute a constant priority and a shared responsibility. By upholding Georgia Southern’s values and principles our students proudly represent Georgia Southern University, the State of Georgia, and even the United States.
Safety: according to the Institute for Economics and Peace, Ireland ranks as the second safest nation in the world (2024). Not only that, but the Irish are famous for their hospitality: you cannot visit a home without being offered a cup of tea and a bite to eat.
Secure Facilities: both our student residences and classrooms are optimized for safety and security. No more than four students share an apartment, and only they can open their apartment-entry door. Non-Georgia Southern individuals are strictly forbidden from joining our students anywhere in the Talbot Suites complex. Georgia Southern University’s Learning Center sits in a safe neighborhood, and access requires a code. Professional security companies provide 24/7 monitoring of both Talbot Suites and the Learning Center.
Police, Hospital, Ambulance, and Emergency Services: the Wexford Town Garda (police) headquarters is a four-minute drive from Talbot Suites. And the full-service Wexford General and University Hospital is a four-minute drive from the Learning Center. Emergency services are available 24/7 by dialing 999.Georgia Southern communicates with the local police chief the details of each program.
Physical Health: Georgia southern collects all important health information for every student in our program. By law, all Irish restaurant menus are coded for the top 14 allergens.
Doctor & Hospital Care: in cases of more severe illness, a member of our program staff will accompany the student to either the University Hospital or the Wexford Primary Care Center. Hospital visits in Ireland cost a flat fee of €100 which Georgia Southern covers.
Wexford General and University Hospital:
- Newtown Road, Carricklawn, Wexford Town
- County Wexford, Y35 Y17D, Ireland
- +353-53-915-3000

Address of Wexford Primary Care Center:
- Grogan’s Road, Townparks, Wexford Town
- County Wexford, Ireland, Y35 DA39
- +353-53-911-4201

Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing: should you find yourself concerned about your mental health and/or emotional wellbeing, you can talk in private to the a member of our program staff who can help you find appropriate professional assistance, whether within or outside the Georgia Southern care family. If suicidal, self-harming, or other severely depressive thoughts are affecting you, we recommend either of the following respected, confidential services: (a) Samaritans Ireland, whose 24/7 freephone number is 116-123; (b) Pieta, whose 24/7 freephone number is 1-800-247-247. Pieta’s no-charge crisis therapists are available by texting HELP to 51444. Alternatively, you can make an appointment for its free, non-crisis, 1:1 therapy by calling 0-818-111-126. Pieta has a physical location just south of Wexford Town. The Wexford Campus and the university’s Counseling Center have created a webpage detailing Wexford- and Ireland-based mental-health and wellbeing services.
Access to Georgia Southern Health Resources: when studying on the Wexford Campus, you continue to have access to many of Georgia Southern University’s Georgia-based health and counseling services, whether for physical or mental health needs. The best place to start is the Health Services homepage, which has information about making telehealth appointments. You can also call +1-912-478-5641; or email health@georgiasouthern.edu.

Public Transportation

Wexford Town offers three transportation links to Dublin: Irish Rail; Expressway; and Wexford Bus. For passenger pick-up and drop-off in Wexford Town, all three services are clustered at or beside O’Hanrahan Train Station on Redmond Square, a straightforward, 10-to-12-minute walk from Talbot Suites or a four-minute walk from Georgia Southern University’s Learning Center.

Northbound from Wexford Town, the Irish Rail route terminates in central Dublin. You can buy a roundtrip or one-way train ticket on the Irish Rail website: tickets are delivered by email and show up as a QR. The river and sea views from the Wexford-Dublin train make this one of the most beautiful rail journeys on earth.

Wexford’s two bus services offer more frequent service than the train, providing a run in either direction almost every half-hour. The drive to Dublin takes approximately two-and-a-half hours. Our program covers the cost for all required trips. All luggage is stored in a bay accessible from the outside of the bus which the driver opens at each stop.

A Warm Welcome

Nearly 200 years ago ships from County Wexford began making the 40-day voyage directly to Savannah. Since that time Georgia and Wexford have continued their close relationship: George Washington appointed a Wexford man to lead his navy; Frederick Douglass travelled to speak in Wexford; and President Kennedy visited his ancestral home there. In fact, many family names common in Savannah—Corish, Kehoe, Rossiter, Stafford, and more—are seen in Ireland as Wexford names. All this makes up a strong foundation for our warm partnership with Wexford and her people.