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

I had a lot of fun in Ireland with Irish Gap Year. Even with COVID restrictions, they were able to fill the weeks with fun activities and adventures. Both the leaders and administration were incredibly easy to talk to and were always willing to hell me out. For example, when I wanted to surf more they were able to find me a board to use for the rest of the trip. I also had fun traveling around Ireland. Although COVID limited the amount of travelling we could do, I was able to visit Galway, County Mayo, Claire, and Sligo. My favorite out of the trips was visiting Galway.

Irish Gap Year was one of the most valuable and amazing experiences I have had. In a time where there were so many uncertainties due to COVID-19, IGY was able to work around all the hurdles and issues to create a life-changing time in my life. The views from Bundrowes (the house we lived in) never failed to amaze me, and the sunsets were one of my favorite things. Even though I had never surfed before, I quickly learned how thanks to the amazing leaders, Sarah and Niall. All of our group would surf together and then watch the sunset over the horizon. Another thing that I really enjoyed was our trips. Although we were not able to travel after level 5 began, we did manage to go to Galway. We got to walk all around the city, and then we cooked dinner all together at the hostel. There are so many moments that I will cherish forever, and I highly recommend participating in IGY; you will not regret it.

I did the adventure program and it was everything I could have asked for. All the staff are really great, the program leaders feel more like friends rather than people who are in charge of you. We only got to go on a few trips before Ireland went to level five, but the trips that we did go on were really fun and the hostels were nice. Even with the covid restrictions we still did a lot of fun activities. If you enjoy hiking or surfing come on this trip. The house is also really nice and there’s plenty of space for everyone

Irish Gap Year was a fun way for me to mature and grow as a person. Through Irish Gap Year, especially in year like 2020, I learned that it’s important to shed a positive light on everything to the best of your ability. We started out with 2 weeks of quarantine which then turned into 4 which was unfortunate, but in a positive way it gave me more time to share with my original 3 from Portbeg. Once the whole group linked it was a blast and I never looked back. Highly recommend the trip, the first two weeks can be tough because you’re dying to get to be with the whole group, but you still do lots of fun activities such as surfing and hiking, and once you’re all together it becomes a blast.

I am so happy to have participated in the Adventure & Leadership Program in the fall of 2020. Although COVID restrictions were put in place during our stay in Ireland, we still had an unforgettable experience. The staff's ability to adapt to these restrictions was incredible and allowed us to continue to do awesome activities. My favorite activities included hiking, surfing (lots of it!), kayaking, cliff jumping, rock climbing, farming, camping, and exploring the beautiful town of Bundoran. When I first got to Ireland, I wasn't a huge hiker or a confident surfer. Now, I absolutely love to hike and feel very motivated to do so at home. I feel much more confident on my surfboard and cannot wait for my next opportunity to surf. Volunteering was also an important component of the program. We began to build a community garden, a project that will be worked on for years to come. We also spent some time at a local farm, learning about sustainability and the environment. Not only did we get to participate in these incredible activities, but we also took part in a few leadership workshops which were great learning experiences for all of us. Another incredible component of the program was traveling! Being able to explore different cities and towns throughout the country was something I'll never forget! I also wanted to mention how thankful I am to have met the other kids on the program. I am so glad to be leaving Ireland with so many new friendships. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to have an awesome experience abroad and learn more about themselves along the way!

I truly could not recommend this gap year program more. I have had an amazing time over the last three months and I am so grateful for my time in Bundoran. Despite the restrictions present due to Covid-19, I cannot thank the Irish Gap Year staff enough for continuing to provide us with an active, fun, and lively environment on a daily basis. I have had so many incredible experiences that I will cherish for years to come. I was continually blown away by the amazing views both right outside my back door as well as through our travels around the country. I found myself so excited every morning to participate in all of the activities planned for the day including surfing, hiking, cliff jumping, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, volunteering, as well as more. Additionally, I am so glad to have had the opportunity to participate in numerous leadership workshops in order to gain important skills that will benefit me in college and beyond as well as learn more about myself as a person and leader. I had a great time living with peers in a beautiful house right on the coast and I am so thankful for all of the meaningful friendships I have formed. Thank you Irish Gap Year for providing a comfortable environment to try new activities, step outside of my comfort zone, and help me learn more about myself and my passions over these past three months - I have had the time of my life!

I had a blast on the Adventure and Leadership Program in the fall of 2020. Even though our trip was affected by COVID, with a two week quarantine and level five restrictions, it was still amazing. Each day I woke up excited for the adventures ahead of me. We did so many outdoor activities, such as surfing, hiking, kayaking, and many more. Throughout the program we did a lot of volunteering: working on a community garden, working at a local farm, picking up trash on the beaches. From sustainability to using power tools, I learned so much during each volunteering experience. The town of Bundoran was a beautiful place to live for three months and I am glad I have had this experience. I would highly recommend this program for anyone looking push their comfort zones and have a ton of fun in the outdoors everyday.

I enjoyed my time in the Irish gap year. Our activities even during lock down were of a wide variety that allowed me to push my comfort levels and try things I would normally not do, like hiking Croagh Patrick. Even though we were not able to go to most of the cities and were mostly restricted to Bundoran the Irish gap year leaders were able to adapt to the conditions and find fun and creative activities that kept us busy. These experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life and will push me to do more things that make me push my boundaries. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is hesitant about college or would like to take a quick break from college.