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

OThe Adventure and Leadership program that Irish Gap Year runs has been one of the most interesting and worthwhile experiences of my life. We spent most of days surfing, hiking, and exploring the scenic northwest coast of Ireland. I learned so much and met some amazing people. Going into this program I wanted to have an open mind and be open to change due to the ever present COVID-19. Anyone from the US are required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, but in all honesty, even though it wasn’t the most ideal, I am grateful that I had that time to adjust to a new place and create bonds with people in smaller groups. When we moved into Bundrowes I was so excited!! I was not disappointed either. The rest of group was welcoming and I thought that the way the leaders eased us into the actual program was well thought out. It was helpful that they did not start us off with a intense hike. The rest of the program moved smoothly, at least to me. There were some bumps in the road, like Ireland going into Level 5, however, I think that we made the most of it. We were still able to do a lot. It was a fantastic 3 months and I would highly recommend this gap year program.

I was in the Fall 2020 program, and because of COVID, we definitely didn’t get the full experience. The pubs were closed the whole trip, we ended up having to be in restricted movement for almost a month, and the country went into Level 5 lockdown (we could only go 5km from our house), so we only went on 2 trips. We also couldn’t interact with the community at all, which was disappointing, and we didn’t have a chance to rock climb or zipline.
Despite all of the limits of the program related to safety and laws, I had a blast! We went surfing, kayaking, cliff jumping, hiking, biking, and walking, as well as doing some art (since we couldn’t do parts of our scheduled trip, we got to do jewelry making, acting, videography, and found art workshops), working on a farm, volunteering (picking up trash and planning and building a community park), doing leadership workshops, and learning about soil science, farming, and sustainable living. The group dynamic was wonderful (the adventure group was like a family by the end, and we had a friendly rivalry with the arts group, including a prank war), and Bundrowes House is a very nice place to live. There are always quiet rooms where you can chill out, but there’s always something happening somewhere else. We had some pop-up pub nights in the house because we couldn’t go to real pubs; everybody did party tricks, the staff acted as bartenders, and we had some different themes.
I tried a bunch of stuff for the first time on the trip. Learning to surf, living with people so different from me, and trying alcohol, among other things, taught me so much about myself and what motivates me. I also learned about Irish history and culture, geology, and environmental science. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in having a fun and productive gap year.
I made an Instagram page on which I posted about everything we did, if anyone wants to see more pictures: @ali.on.the.emerald.isle

The Irish gap year program is the best place I could have been given the global covid situation. There were very supportive staff and the activites, though severely restricted due to the pandemic, were made the most of by the staff. We went hiking, surfing, and were still able to visit Galway before Ireland went into lockdown. The program is also structured in a way that fosters a really strong group dynamic. It pushes everyones' comfort zones whether it is with flexability, kayaking or dealing with living with others.

I was apart of the Fall 2020 Adventure group. Halfway through our program Ireland was put into level 5 lockdown restricting our movement to 5k from our house. Even with these tight restrictions for half the program it still managed to be loads of fun and enjoyable. If the pub culture is not enough to bring you too Ireland, then the town of bundoran should. The reason the 5k restrictions never seemed daunting was because of how amazing the area is. Great surfing beaches and amazing hikes are within distance always making the trip fun.

I am sure in a normal year Irish Gap Year would be an amazing and fascinating experience, and before Ireland imposed a lockdown with a restriction of 5km, it was. The trips and hikes we did were amazing and it was overall an outstanding experience. However, after lockdown was imposed some activities created to fill our days were fun, such as pub night, while other activities such as acting and making planters out of plastic bottles could sometimes be uninteresting and tedious. The people at IGY are wonderful and the other gap students are truly amazing.

The Adventure and Leadership Program with Irish Gap Year was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life. From surfing on the beautiful beaches to climbing scenic mountains, this program has everything that any thrill-seeking person would love to experience. Aside from the adventure part of the program, you get to learn a lot about leadership skills during the workshops that are held once a week. Personally, the program helped me become a more responsible individual. Over the course of the program, gappers volunteer with numerous different programs such as Liquid Therapy, and Clean Coasts. Liquid Therapy is a program where children with additional needs are taught how to surf and Clean Coasts is a program where people help clean up beaches by picking up any litter they can find. Both of these volunteering programs were great opportunities that I gained a lot from. Last but not least, there are 7 great overnight trips across the country to places including Dublin, Belfast, and Galway, as well as one trip that the group gets to plan themselves! I would highly recommend this program to anyone that is interested in developing themselves as a person and having an exciting experience abroad with lots of outdoor activities.

The adventure and leadership program was an incredible way to spend my Fall 2019 semester away from home. I had decided to go on a gap year roughly midway through my Senior year of high school; I was slowly losing motivation, and desperately needed a break from academics so as to rest and recuperate before starting university. As well, I wanted to gain some life experience and mature as a person before I started college. The adventure and leadership program helped me achieve both of those goals. Over the course of three months, I and thirteen others explored the Irish countryside, hiking to some of Ireland's most famed natural attractions, such as the Cliffs of Moher, Slieve League, and Mt. Errigal. We got to live in several of Ireland's major cities, including Dublin, Galway, Derry, and Belfast. Finally, We worked with several Irish volunteer organizations, helping to clean up local beaches, mentor local kids in the water, and act as a farmhand at nearby farms. All the while, the gap year staff took care of us, made sure we were safe, and helped keep our spirits up. The Adventure and Leadership Program provides a perfect balance of independence and security, safety and adventure; and all in a safe, friendly, English-speaking nation. If you're looking for a program that pushes your boundaries, gives you hands-on experience in a variety of subjects, and gives you the opportunity to live with ten or more other teenagers just like you, you can't get any better than Irish Gap Year.

Irish gap year was a great experience full of amazing leaders who all were all fun and very supportive. The whole three months were well planned out and it never felt repetitive. Our two main leaders Sarah and Joe made the program fun and a safe environment. Every staff member were fun to be around and tried to give everyone the best experience possible. I loved all the outdoor activities we did especially the hiking and surfing. Before coming to Ireland I never did a lot of hiking and it was difficult but the views made up for it. learning to surf was an great time and I was well supported by all the staff. Traveling around Ireland was amazing. All of the different cities across Ireland had so much to do. The Guinness factory and kilmain jail were my two favorite places in Dublin. Over all the program was a great experience and will definitely help me out in the future.