Iona University is abuzz today as the university announced that it is opening a campus in Ireland.

On a day marking the school’s  83rd birthday, Iona President Seamus Carey says they have finalized a yearlong negotiation to open the campus on the historic 450-acre Westport House Estate along Ireland’s west coast in Westport, County Mayo.

Carey says he expects students to be studying there by May 2024.

But that's just the beginning of the achievements celebrated today.

Last year, Iona transitioned from college to university status.

Recently, it gained recognition in the Princeton Review's list of the best 389 colleges nationwide. The Wall Street Journal also ranks Iona at an impressive 66 among the nation's best schools.

According to school administrators, new student enrollment has shown steady growth over the past four years.

Last year, Iona expanded to their new Bronxville campus, located at the site of the old Concordia College. There, they launched the New York-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, featuring cutting-edge technology including lifelike mannequins for student training.