Hi there!
I am German and i think my home country is actually a great place to study, which you could consider for these reasons:
-no tuition fees (though you do have to pay a "semester contribution" of around 300€, but in most counties you get a student ticket that is included in that fee, so you can use all public transport in that county)
-you can start your studies with each new semester, so you could take some time off and start with the summer semester in January next year.
- since youre from Ireland (EU country), you are eligible for a few loans, such as KFW, to help you finance your studies.
Hope this helps x