Question
My children are grown up and have recently left home, and I’ve also moved to the south Dublin area. I suddenly have a bit more time to myself and would like to use it well. I’d love to take up a new interest or hobby and, ideally, meet some people locally, but I’m not looking for anything too formal or academic.
What options would you suggest?
Answer
What you describe is something many people experience when life begins to change. Children grow up, routines shift and, sometimes for the first time in years, there is an evening in the week that is actually your own.
Taking up a course can be a great option, but I would not necessarily think about it as “going back to education”. Adult and evening education can be much more relaxed than that. For many people, it is simply an opportunity to get out of the house, meet others and spend a few hours doing something enjoyable.
The social side is one of its most underrated benefits. Joining a class immediately gives you something in common with the other people in the room. You might arrive knowing nobody, but whether you are learning a few chords on a guitar, tracing your family tree or discovering that your artistic abilities are not quite what you imagined, conversation tends to follow naturally.
That can be particularly useful if you have recently moved to an area and want to feel more connected locally. A short course provides an easy way in. Everyone is there for the same reason and nobody is expected to be an expert.
There is also a much wider range available nowadays than people sometimes realise. Evening courses are no longer confined to traditional academic subjects. You might find anything from art, acting, creative writing and music to beekeeping, bike maintenance, sewing, fermentation, wellbeing or newer areas such as artificial intelligence.
My daughter’s classmates have left for a grind school and she is desperate to join them
A good example in south Dublin is Dublin College Blackrock, formerly known as Blackrock Further Education Institute, or BFEI. Alongside its full-time programmes, the college has developed a substantial night school with creative, practical, cultural, technology and wellbeing courses. Its current programme includes acting, beekeeping, genealogy, guitar, fermentation, photography, bike maintenance, AI and even wine appreciation. The range has developed in response to the interests and requests of the local community.
Most people taking these types of courses are not looking for another qualification. They may want to develop a hobby, challenge themselves a little or simply have an enjoyable evening in good company. More formal and accredited options are available too, including QQI courses, if you later decide to take your learning further.
The timing of your question is also good. Most autumn evening programmes begin around late September, with another intake commonly taking place in January for the spring term. September is therefore an ideal time to see what is available and enrol before classes get under way.
Sites such as nightcourses.com provide a useful overview of adult and evening courses nationwide, and it is also worth checking colleges and adult education centres in your own area.
My advice would be not to overthink the choice. Pick something that makes you curious, particularly something you have always fancied trying but never quite got around to. Give yourself one evening a week that is not about work, family responsibilities or getting things done. You may learn something new, make a few friends and have a bit of fun along the way.