Adventure and Leadership Program: Semester Length, Fall and Spring Cohorts

This program was a really good choice for me. I came out of high school not really knowing what I want to do in life. I did some researching and found this program. I noticed that there was hiking and surfing and was instantly gravitated towards this program. The staff are super nice and will support you with whatever you need. Definitely recommend looking at this program, it has a lot to offer. The program is held in a small town called Bundoran there is good pubs and tons to do in town. This experience has helped me grow a lot as a person

I absolutely loved my time with the Irish Gap Year. I have learned so much and have a new spark lit under me. The leaders are amazing, I’ve made life long best friends. I’m so excited to see where my new sense of adventure takes me in the next chapter of my life which would not have been possible without this program. The surfs and hikes were my favorite part both of which I hadn’t done much of until coming to Ireland and will definitely continue them with my return back to the states. Highly highly recommended doing this program!!!!

I had an amazing time in the Irish gap year program. Consistent support and activities was exactly what I signed up for. People always around you and learning to live within a group. Consistent adventure including hiking, surfing, and climbing. Amazing leaders with you the entire time who are amazing people and extremely easy to talk to. Diverse people from mostly America with completely different backgrounds and experiences that you will learn about and become friends with everybody. Cold and rainy weather but if you pack correctly will not matter that much. Cool town that you are allowed to explore and embrace on the weekends when you have free time.

I had a blast here. I learned from all the traveling around Ireland that we did. We went to Dublin, Galway, Derry, the Aran islands, and basically everywhere else. On top of that, we really got a chance to settle into the town we were staying in, Bundoran. The town is cute and safe and a relatively easy walking distance from where we stay, so we went in all the time.
As for the program, we did a ton of hiking and surfing, and we explored every mountain and waterfall we could find. And, we did a lot of volunteering like beach cleanup day and liquid therapy, which were both pretty unique and special experiences.

This program is great if you’re looking to explore the beautiful country of Ireland, both the remote countryside and big cities like Dublin and Galway. The hikes and surfs are some of the most rewarding things, and I can truly say that I have learned so much about myself. Through the leadership workshops, I was able to reflect on myself in a structured way, while also having fun learning with my group. The leaders are amazing, funny, and thoughtful people who are helpful and encouraging. It is also great to be able to live in houses with people your age, and it teaches you how to be a great roomie and housemate while also having a ton of fun!

This program was great craic. I learned so much about being responsible and living with others, as well as getting out of my comfort zone. I also pushed myself to try new experiences and hike and surf! It was so beautiful and fun although it was hard at times. The leaders are great but look out for the french one. He’s too french. (just kidding paul) I definitely recommend going if you want to push yourself socially and physically in a beautiful environment!! Girl today, leprechaun tomorrow. Surfing is lit and also cold but so fun.

I had a lot of fun in this program. I made some great friends, I loved the staff and felt like they really cared about us. I enjoyed going to each part of Ireland and seeing different cities and landmarks. I enjoyed the independence of living in a house with a bunch of other 18-20 year olds and finding out how to prioritize myself and meet my needs. I really enjoyed surfing, climbing mountains, and camping in the woods. Overall, I would consider it a positive experience that I will look back on fondly. I only have a few small criticisms. There was way too much time spent in the bus driving to the different locations. Our trips to the cities were fun, but only lasted 2-3 days. And about halfway through the program, the small town of Bundoran might become a little boring. In order to really get the most out of the program, you have to be very conscious of making the most of each activity and being fully present. If you are, you'll probably have a great time.

I haven't had the best experience with gap programs in the past so i was hoping that this program would be better. because of my adhd and my love for talking I've always always had trouble making friends throughout me life. But, here I was housed with other people that like to joke around and talk as I like to. I had the best gap year experience I could've hoped for with the amazing and funny staff to my awesome roommates to spend amazing adventures with whether that's farming, surfing, hiking, exploring bundoran, or having a craic with a pint at the pub yeh?

I feel like our group could've had longer trips to the places we go to like Galway or Dublin. I also feel that we didn't do enough hiking.

I have a ton of pictures and videos of the program but this website's standards for uploading them are restricting all of mine.