Life Outside Lectures

During your time at third-level it is important to strike a good balance between college work and recreational activities. MIC’s Students’ Union, MISU, offer a wide range of clubs and societies to suit all tastes.

MIC’s largest society, MIDAS (MIC Dramatic Arts), takes to the stage of the Lime Tree Theatre (located on our Limerick campus) each year for an end of year show. Past productions have included Grease, Cats, Aladdin, A Chorus Line and Les Misérables, and the society has often scooped national awards for its stage productions.

Sport plays a big part in the lives of many of our students and MIC has had many successes on the playing field. In 2024, the College's senior hurling team won the Fitzgibbon Cup, the much sought-after premier hurling championship trophy among higher education institutions in Ireland.

Check out the full list of clubs and socs below and if you don’t find the right club or society for you, you can always chat to the Students’ Union about setting up a new one.

MIC has a proud sporting history, and students and alumni have represented club, county and country in various sports, including GAA, rugby, athletics, handball, soccer, rowing and more.

In any given year College teams compete in intervarsity leagues and tournaments, including the Fitzgibbon Cup, Giles Cup, Ashbourne Cup, Fergal Maher Cup, Trench Cup, Purcell Cup, Collingwood Cup, Freshers Cup, Corn Comhairle Ardoideachais, Ó Maolagáin Cup and the Lagan Cup. We have also had outstanding victories in the past few years with MIC being crowned Fitzgibbon Cup winners three times, most recently in 2024, and Giles Cup winners twice.

We are extremely proud to count many national and international sports people amongst our alumni, such as international hockey players, Róisín Upton, Naomi Carroll and Anna Horan, former Ireland women’s rugby captain, Ciara Griffin, international athlete, Amy O’Donoghue and international kickboxer, Hayleigh Kiely. This year we were delighted to see many of our current and former students take home All-Ireland hurling, ladies football and camogie titles, including Kerry footballer Aoife Dillane who is studying primary teaching at MIC, and Young Hurler of the Year, Clare's Adam Hogan, who is studying Geography and History at MIC.

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The College has a vibrant tradition in the performance and visual arts, and there are numerous opportunities for students to participate in informal productions and public performances.

We are lucky to have the Lime Tree Theatre located on our Limerick campus, which plays host to the best in local, national and international performing arts. Every season has wonderful surprises so make sure you check out their current listings to see what performances will be on your doorstep. The Lime Tree Theatre’s sister theatre, the Belltable, is also located just 1km away from MIC in the heart of Limerick city. And of course, there are some great discounts available for MIC students at both venues!

Throughout the year you will also be able to enjoy regular art exhibitions at MIC, primarily of students' work but also occasional temporary displays by external or visiting artists.

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An Seomra Caidrimh

Is cuid thábhachtach í an Ghaeilge i saol na mac léinn anseo i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál agus déantar go leor iarrachtaí an teanga a chur chun cinn i measc na mac léinn, na foirne agus an phobail trí chéile i gCMgS.

Is spás tiomanta é Seomra Caidrimh don Ghaeilge ar an gcampas i gColáiste Mhuire gan Smál Luimnigh inar féidir le gach mac léinn teacht le chéile agus an teanga a úsáid ar bhonn neamhfhoirmeáilte. Bíonn go leor imeachtaí ar siúl in An Seomra Caidrimh i rith na bliana acadúla, seisiúin cheoil bheo agus ranganna aireachais ina measc. Is ócáid thábhachtach í Seachtain na Gaeilge ar fhéilire an Choláiste agus le linn Seachtain na Gaeilge eagraítear go leor imeachtaí suimiúla sa Seomra Caomh agus ar fud an Choláiste ar aon.

Mar sin, más cainteoir dúchais thú nó más duine tú le cúpla focail, is áit iontach í An Seomra Caidrimh chun Gaeilge a labhairt le do chairde agus chun taitneamh a bhaint as do ghrá don Ghaeilge.

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Limerick’s student radio station, Wired FM, is located on our Limerick campus and also on campus at the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Mid-West. The station provides a voice for the students of Limerick and offers a real alternative for fans of great music and talk-based radio in the city.

The station is well-known for supporting Limerick’s thriving music scene, especially those currently making waves in Ireland’s hip-hop scene. Besides eclectic music choices the station also broadcasts weekly film, literature, sports, Irish language and arts programmes, combined with student current affairs shows to keep students informed on the issues affecting them.

Notable alumni who have volunteered at Wired FM while studying at MIC include RTÉ sports broadcaster, Jacqui Hurley, executive producer with RTÉ Children’s and Young People programming, Eimear O’Mahony, and presenter with RTÉ Lyric FM, Ian McGlynn, to name but a few.

Any student on any programme can volunteer with Wired FM, and if getting in front of the mic isn’t for you there are plenty of volunteering opportunities for researchers and technicians.

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The MIC Limerick campus is located just a short 10-minute walk from Limerick City centre. The College’s close proximity to the city centre means our students have easy access to lots of cultural and social amenities, as well as the main rail and bus terminus, which provides excellent transport links to many parts of Ireland.

With three institutions of higher education and a combined student population of almost 25,000, Limerick is a bustling, vibrant and exciting city with so much to see, do and explore. With a selection of museums, cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, cosy pubs and stylish bars, as well a great array of restaurants and cafés to choose from, Limerick will provide you with plenty of opportunities for a great social life.

Limerick is also the sporting capital of Munster and throughout the year there are lots of activities on offer to satisfy your sporting interests. From kayaking to karting and horse racing to rugby, as well as an array of activities focusing on health and wellbeing, there really is no place like Limerick for your student experience. 

Limerick Student City Prospectus

The MIC Thurles campus is located in the heart of Thurles town. With a population of over 8,000 people, the Tipperary town is a thriving hub of shops and cultural attractions making it an ideal place to live and study in. The MIC Thurles campus is easily accessible by road and rail with Thurles Train Station just a short 10-minute walk away.  

The Thurles Market Quarter is currently undergoing major renewal and our Thurles campus will form an important part of this multi-functional space in the town centre. Given its close proximity to the campus, this revitalised space will provide a home for the MIC Students’ Union, as well as a space where students and locals alike will find the best in local food and crafts, as well as music and cultural performances.  

Thurles also offers a great social life for students so whether you’re looking for chats in a cosy pub, an eye-opening art exhibition or a cycling route with breath-taking scenery, there’s something for everyone in Tipperary.

For more about Thurles town, click here.

Mary I Students’ Union (MISU) is the representative body of students within MIC. The Students' Union is all about giving students a voice, helping them to use it and enriching their college experience. MISU provides support and advice on academic, welfare and equality issues, and also help new students to settle into life at third-level. So, if you need advice and support on budgeting, sexual health, accommodation, assignments or anything else during your time at MIC, MISU are here to help.

The Students’ Union organises extra-curricular activities for students and offers a broad selection of clubs and societies for students to join spanning the arts, culture, entertainment, education, sports, welfare and charity. The SU also run many student events throughout the year, such as club nights and gigs during Orientation and Freshers' Week.  

MISU also gives new students the opportunity to get involved in the Students’ Union as Class Reps. Class Reps sit on the Union Council and are a key link between the student body and the Union’s Executive Committee, which is made up of the SU President and Vice-President. All students can stand for nomination as Class Rep and each class in the College has at least one representative on the SU Council.

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