Hi,
I'm currently an RCSI GEP in "4th year," that means 3 years of actual time at RCSI.
You're quite right, the first year of the RCSI GEP program is held largely in Sandyford, at a small, but really nice, building opposite the Stillorgan Luas (
Irish:tram) stop. The exception to the rule is that anatomy is held at the main campus on St. Stephen's Green at the City Center end of the Green Luas line. The full Luas trip takes about 20 minutes.
The majority of GEP students live in the city center or somewhere along the green Luas line first year. Dublin is organized into numbered postal districts with the City Center south of the Liffey as D2 which includes St. Stephen's Green and the main campus. All of D2, the eastern edge of D8, western D4 (Merrion Square, Upper Baggot Street), and northern D6 (Rathmines, Ranelagh, Rathgar) are pretty popular places to live. If you're really fond of your morning sleep you can get a place in Stillorgan or Sandyford (D18) but that area really shuts down at night--including transport to/from--and you'll feel cut off from most of the college social life.
Actually, I personally think you can get everywhere in Dublin in under an hour on foot, and out to Sandyford and Blanchardstown (where you've classes second year) in 20-40minutes on a bike. But I'm the athletic sort, and you do need to have wet weather gear at all times.
To find a place look on daft.ie. I know arriving in new city without an appartment set up is daunting by most standards but the Irish rental market moves very very fast (apartments get posted and the good ones are rented on the same day). Trying to get a place months in advance and from abroad will likely make it very expesive for you. Stear clear of places like Aungiers Street and Mercer Court. They used to be slightly over priced by Dublin standards, but now that the bubble has burst they are insanely overpriced and just exist to prey on first years who want to have everything set up before arriving. If you would like to do some prep work, getting a letter of enrollment from the college, having some tenant recommendations and a rental history, proof of financial ability to pay rent, and opening an Irish bank account (which is a huge headache and might really hold things up), are all things that may save time later. If you are overly worried about getting here without a place to stay, book a short visit over the summer to set up a place. The difference in rent prices will pay for Airfare and hotels in under 6 months.
A small piece of advice, if you are viewing an appartment the landlord is basically interviewing you. Make a good impression and they'll call to offer you the place a bit later. Though the rental market is strictly speaking a renters market right now, landlords would rather not rent a property to someone they think is dodgy. Emphasize that you're a
post-graduate student at the RCSI as undergraduate medical student equals trouble in landlord's minds.
My first year, I stayed in a hotel for the first few days and then found something on the College's accomidation notice board
http://www.rcsi.ie/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi. I don't think that was the best way to do it, and I'd recommend using the notice board and the CIMSA facebook group to find some people in your class to live with as larger numbers drop the pricing really fast. Then see if anyone is willing to offer a couch for you when you first get to Dublin and are looking for a place. If you're Canadian, the CIMSA meet-and-greets over the summer are a great way to set this up.
The second year is a different story. You're relocated to Blanchardstown Hospital (about an hour north-west of the city by Dublin Bus, under 30 minutes as I bike, and 20 minutes by commuter train). About half the class usually decides to live out there, which is socially trying but people make a go of it. I lived in town for various reasons, and biked out evry day through Phoenix Park.
In terms of having a car, I don't know any GEPs who bought one and we all get along just fine. I've had to bum the occassional ride of one of my Irish classmates (who by and large will own cars) but its usually not a neccessity.
Hope it helps.