Dublin. Home to the humble pint of Guinness, the (in)famous Temple Bar, and believe it or not, it was once home to some of your favourite celebrities. The Irish capital has some of the best nightlife, colleges, and student resources that the country has to offer, so it’s no surprise that some famous faces decided to study here.

No, you’re not gonna see Kim and Kanye on this list, but you are going to see three big names– all of whom have a special place in their heart for the capital.

1. Dara Ó Briain

There’s more than meets the eye to stand-up comedian, Mock the Week host, and all-round travel man Dara Ó Briain. Not only is he considered one of the nation’s funniest chaps, but also one of its most intelligent TV personalities – there’s a reason why he’s selected to host all the sciencey and mathsy shows such as School of Hard Sums, and that’s because he’s sharp-minded when it comes to his mathematics.

Born in the coastal town of Bray, just a 45-minute drive away from Dublin, O’Briain headed to the capital to study mathematics and theoretical physics at University College Dublin (UCD) – so who knows, if you’re heading to UCD to study this September, you might end up becoming one the nation’s most-loved TV personalities too.

2. Dominic West

Dara moved just 45 minutes down the road when he decided to study in Dublin, but the move was a little bit further for world-famous actor Dominic West, who was born and raised in Sheffield, England. Known for his Golden Globe-nominated performance in hit US show The Affair, as well as a leading role in The Wire, West’s ability to adopt a US accent resulted in the common misconception that the Yorkshire-born actor is actually from the US of A.

In fact, following a rather highbrow education at the prestigious Eton College, West headed… west to the Irish capital to study English at Dublin’s Trinity College – that’s the one with the super-fancy library, by the way.

3. Courtney Love

Okay, so this is a bit of a strange one, but founding member of the band Hole, and wife of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, is an honorary patron of Dublin’s Trinity College (again, the one with the fancy library). After a childhood spent on American hippie communes and a brief stint in New Zealand, Love headed to the Irish capital to be closer to her then-favourite band, U2.

Living in a house near St. Stephen’s Green, she fell in love with the city and enrolled onto a theology course at Trinity College. She didn’t quite manage to complete the course, but her shamrock tattoo proves that Dublin is a special place to her. She returned in 2011 to become an honorary patron of the college, as a member of the institute’s Philosophical Society.

Dublin: A Blend of Creativity and Academia

It’s no surprise that Dublin’s amazing colleges have produced some of the brightest minds that the world has ever known. But at the same time, the charms of the city continue to attract and inspire comedians, musicians, actors, and other creative people – all of whom are proud to say that their time at college in Dublin has helped them to unlock their passions.

If your mind is set on the creative capital of Ireland, then take a look at our student accommodation.