FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University officially opened its newly renovated and expanded campus in Dingle, Ireland, on March 28. This marks a significant milestone in the University’s two-decade-long commitment to higher education and community engagement in the region.
The campus, known locally as Ollscoil An Chroí Naofa and informally as SHU Dingle, will welcome students into its new state-of-the-art facilities following years of sustained growth.
Sacred Heart University, based in Fairfield, CT, has maintained a study abroad presence in Dingle since 2004 operating out of the Díseart Centre of Irish Spirituality and Culture.
SHU Dingle hosts more than 500 U.S. college students annually, welcoming participants from Sacred Heart as well as from a variety of other U.S. institutions. Students engage in immersive semester-long and short-term study abroad programs taught largely by local instructors.
Course offerings span diverse disciplines, including Celtic religious traditions, Irish folklore, Irish music, filmmaking, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, environmental studies, nursing and more.
The program’s annual influx of students significantly contributes to the local economy and cultural landscape. Additionally, SHU Dingle serves as a vital source of employment for faculty and staff, who not only provide high-quality instruction and administrative support but also engage in innovative research initiatives such as the Deep Maps Corca Dhuibhne project, the Dingle Watershed and Weather Tracking Project and the John Moriarty Institute.
In 2017, Sacred Heart University acquired the former Christian Brothers School in Dingle, undertaking a comprehensive restoration to transform the site into a premier higher education facility. With the completion of the renovation and expansion project, SHU Dingle is now poised to welcome even more students to its enhanced campus.
Following the ceremony, members of the public were invited to tour the new campus and explore its facilities firsthand.
More information about the offerings at SHU Dingle can be found on the program’s website.
About Sacred Heart University
As the second-largest Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing private doctoral institutions in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 100 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus. Sacred Heart also has a campus in Dingle, Ireland, and offers online programs. More than 10,000 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: College of Arts & Sciences; School of Communication, Media & the Arts; School of Social Work; School of Computer Science & Engineering; College of Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education & Human Development; the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology and the Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing. Sacred Heart, a Laudato Si’ campus, stands out from other Catholic institutions as it was established and led by laity. The contemporary Catholic university is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, and at the same time cultivates students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives, professions and in their communities. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition, and Best Business Schools: 2024 Edition. Sacred Heart is home to the award-winning, NPR-affiliate station, WSHU Public Radio, a Division I athletics program and an impressive performing arts program that includes choir, band, dance and theatre. www.sacredheart.edu