About Us
Portobello Institute was established in 1981 primarily to professionalise nursery workers. Today, it has a student population of 2,500 studying across a variety of learning methods – Fulltime, Part time and blended learning.
The Institute was originally set up by Delia Lyons and has been continuously advanced by her daughter Rebekah Lyons, another forward thinking and hard-working woman.
Delia’s legacy, vision and values continue to be part of everyday life at the college and are constant reminder through Rebekah’s want to constantly seek out new opportunity while ensuring that the ethos and quality first developed by her mother are retained.
With a core administrative and management team of 30 and around 130 academic staff, most of whom are associate staff, the Institute delivers programmes in Early Childhood Care and Education/Montessori, Fashion, Facilities Management, Sports and Travel and Tourism.
Since 1993, we have been fully accredited through awarding bodies ITEC and QQI.
Over the past ten years, since 2013, Portobello Institute have worked closely with London Metropolitan University to offer several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes aimed at the Irish market. For example, the Institute offer London Metropolitan University validated programmes in the broad fields of Sport, Early Childhood Education, Aviation and Facilities Management.
In 2021, we were aligned with both University of Essex and Liverpool John Moore’s Univeristy.
As of Autumn 2021 Portobello have been delivering BA (Hons) in PE and MSc Sports Performance Analysis with LJMU and from Autumn 2022 we have begun to deliver a range of Early Years programmes in conjuction with Essex University including our bespoke MA Inclusive Education and SEN.
With such growth, our portfolio now covers the following seven departments:
- Early Years
- Sports
- Facilities Management
- Special Needs Assisting
- Business of Fashion
- Travel and Tourism
- Health Care
In recent years, Portobello Institute have invested heavily in state-of-the-art technologies and IT systems which enable us to remain at the forefront of Educational provision.
Developing into an Institute of Higher education in different sectors has made Portobello institute larger but it hasn’t changed the ethos that Delia founded the Institute on.
Why Us?
There is a strong and shared ethos of personal care for all students who come to study at Portobello Institute. Every student is personally known by their name, ambitions and their goals are understood and valued, in a supportive environment.
Many of the tutors at Portobello Institute have a long service with the college who all know and fully believe our ethos of care. Our tutors are hugely regarded in their own industry as practitioners, leaders, and innovators.
Through studying at Portobello Institute students get the opportunity to gain quality work experience within their chosen sector while studying which ultimately can lead to securing jobs on completion of programmes. Our Graduates are highly sought after, and numerous employers seek out and encourage links with the college and its graduates.
Our philosophy at Portobello Institute is to ensure that each and every student is supported to have the opportunity to achieve their personal best. This includes small class sizes, so students will know their classmates and their tutor knows them. Portobello places emphasis on the students experience while engaged in their studies with us. Portobello has a student liaison officer in place- that offers confidential support to students, and this has led to an increase in the student retention. We also place consideration on our teaching and learning strategies, more so in an online environment with the recent move online delivery due to Covid- 19. There is a range of materials offered to students through live lectures, recorded practical videos, online activities, case studies, readings, breakout rooms – all of which ensure students individual learning styles are catered for.
Across all departments we support students to work smarter. Students who achieve a good study-life balance ultimately achieve more academically. Study time, spending time with family, participating in hobbies are all important to maintaining a positive study-life balance. Getting the right balance is important and will help maximise the time spent on study.
For many students it takes courage to follow their passion and Portobello has been the perfect choice for those wishing to choose a specific route with a full support system in place to ensure students achieve their best educational goals.
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Key Facts
Facilities
Portobello Institute is located on Lower Dominick Street, just five minutes from Dublin’s main city centre thoroughfare of O’Connell Street. The institute is accessible by public transport with the green line Luas stopping on Dominick Street and the red line Luas stopping on Jervis Street. The Jervis Street stop is a five-minute walk from our building.
The red Luas line offers direct access to the main railway stations of Dublin, Heuston and Connolly, while the regional and city network of buses all have stops within a 15-minute walk of our building. There is parking available in the Ilac centre and Park Rite on Parnell Street, both less than a five-minute walk away.
Featuring bright and spacious practical and theory rooms, over two buildings, Portobello Institute occupies an impressive Georgian building and a former convent primary school. Each department has its own unique facilities designed to deliver the practical elements of each programme.
A quiet room is available to all students to use for study or research with laptops available on loan from reception should the student not have their own laptop or tablet on site. Plasma screens are used in the classroom settings for presentation, all notes for classes are available via our e-learning platform ePortobello which can be easily accessed. Our online library Ebsco and subscriptions to various leading academic journals provides a great resource for all departments.
Clubs & Societies
Students have access to many sports clubs and societies throughout the city. We actively encourage you to get involved in activities that interest you. We have had students join Portobello GAA (men’s and ladies’ football, as well as camogie), Dublin Rebels (American Football) for example.
Information Technology
We have free Wi-fi available throughout the college building. In each classroom, have the latest technology web camera software that tracks the tutor as they move around a room, for a better experience for online and recorded classes.
All registered students are given a Portobello.com email address and are given a Microsoft Office account for use during their studies.
Sports & Fitness
We have a small gym in the college and there are many gyms nearby in the city centre. We also have a student discount with Swan Leisure in any of their gyms. We have an indoor court booking with Swan leisure for students.
Dining
As we are in the city centre there are of world or restaurants and shops nearby. We also have a student cafeteria in the building.
Student Supports
We offer student supports dedicated to helping students on their academic journeys. We want to set you up for success. We have a full-time student liaison officer to help with any day-to-day questions and each programme elects class representatives who will sit on various Committees within the Institute. You will be assigned a Tutor to support you with your learning and can offer you telephone and email support. The level of one-to-one support is a particular benefit of choosing Portobello as your Institute of choice to complete your studies.
For students who require additional supports, such as students with dyslexia or vision impairment, we have supports in place – including ClaroRead, which is a software that helps students with such difficulties to read, write and study.
Transport Links
Portobello Institute is located within the heart of Dublin City Centre on Lower Dominick Street. Situated 2 km from O’Connell Street, Lower Dominick Street is parallel to Parnell Square and the well-known Rotunda Hospital. The Ilac Shopping Centre, which gives access to Henry Street, is based at the bottom of Lower Dominick Street. All Buses and the Luas run within a ten-minute walk from the College and train and DART stations are nearby. Due to the central location of Portobello Institute, there is a full range of accommodation available to suit your requirements, tastes, and budgets.
The college’s central location makes it highly accessible for all forms of public transport:
Train/Luas
Lower Dominick Street is served by the Luas green line, with the Dominick stop right outside our front door. The Luas red line, which serves Heuston and Connolly train stations, also runs nearby. The Jervis street stop is only an 8-minute walk from the college.
Bus
The city centre is served by a huge number of Dublin Bus services with many in close proximity to the college. Many national bus routes serve the nearby O’Connell Street. From Busáras students can use the luas red line to reach the college.