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

Even though I was reluctant to leave the town I grew up in this was probably hands down one of the best decisions I have ever made. Watching all my friends go to college made me bitter to the fact that I had to go to stupid Ireland. If only I knew this would top anything any college experience any of them would have. Coming here I was so surprised on how warm and welcoming all the leaders were. The leaders gave you independence, but you also knew not to break the few rules they gave you. It was really challenging to live with fourteen people in a house especially when some of those people are boys. This type of living environment taught me a lot of patience, independence, and how to live with other people. Irish Gap year has to be one of the best Gap Year programs out there. If you are looking for a fun, safe, and adventurous program this is 100% for you.

This fall I had the amazing opportunity to spend the semester with Irish gap year. I went into this program not really knowing what to except, and After the three months I fell completely in love with the program. Irish gap year has a variety of activities from hiking to surfing. My favorite activity was definitely surfing. The feeling when you ride your first wave is so incredible, and I absolutely loved it. All of the leaders are so passionate and enthusiastic, about every activity and make everyday fun. They are definitely some of the kindest people I have ever met, and made Ireland feel like home to me. During the program I was able to develop some new close friendships, with really awesome people, that I believe will last a long time. I had an awesome three months and I believe that anyone else who chooses this program will feel the same :)

I was so nervous to do this gap year program. Being away from home for three months was something I had never done before, and I went in not really knowing exactly what to expect. Doing this program brought me out of my comfort zone in more ways than one, and I’m so glad it did. I have experienced things that I never would if I hadn’t done this program. We surfed, volunteered, and went on insanely beautiful hikes. I have learned more about myself as a leader, and my confidence has grown overall. I have great respect for the leaders who I not only look up to, but who also feel like friends to me. I am so glad I got to experience all of this with an awesome group of people. Read my blog to get a deep understanding of the program:
https://www.irishgapyear.com/blog/

This spring I spent a wonderful semester with Irish Gap Year. There is such a variety of activities ranging from hiking and surfing to volunteering with different local community groups that you will definitely get to try something new. Based in Bundoran, right on the water, the views from the house are beautiful, and you also get the chance to travel all over the country. Living in a house with your fellow gappers allows you to make close friends really quickly while still developing a sense of independence. The leaders are passionate and energetic about every activity and make each day fun. At the same time they’re there to support the students during the trip and are some of the kindest people I have ever met. I had an amazing three months and I’m sure that anyone else who chooses this program will feel the same!

My time with Irish Gap Year has been quite the adventure. Traveling across across the globe to spend three month with people I'd never met before is quite a leap, but was the best decision I've ever made. Almost everything about the program and Ireland itself exceeded my expectations. The house we lived in was beautiful and it's location was right by the water where we experienced the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. I liked having a smaller group because we all got along very well and actually bonded very quickly which made all the activities we did together much more enjoyable. The leaders, while strict when they needed to be, treated us like adults and acted more as a friend than a superior. Everywhere we traveled to was beyond beautiful, and I saw sights I would never have gotten at home. While there were some ups and downs, overall I definitely had the time of my life and am grateful for this experience.

I had an amazing experience with Irish Gap Year. We were able to spend a lot of time in Bundoran as well as all over the country. Being able to travel all over the country and live independently for three months has definitely helped us all develop some of the skills needed for college. The trip as a whole was so much fun and definitely brought us outside our comfort zones. We got to go camping, rock climbing, zip lining, hiking, surfing, and so much more. We were also able to learn all about the culture and history of the country. If you are someone who wants a chill program that’s not very rigorous, this isn’t for you. But if you love the outdoors, traveling, experiencing new things, learning, and challenging yourself, you should definitely at least consider Irish Gap year.

I had a very good time. I got to explore the Irish country side learn a bit of ancient and modern history both with archeologists giving tours and in museums. Also got much better at hiking and surfing, the views on the mountain were really pretty and the beaches and forests, p.s. big Is really fun to walk on (super squishy). The surfing was awesome and now Im leaving and I can actually stand up on a board! I got a very good tour of Ireland and have a new understanding of the country, much more in depth. I also met a ton of the local people from communities we volunteered at like with clean coasts on Aran Mor island, and the locals in Bundoran. On top of meeting so many people I also got to make really good friends with the other people on the program and the program leaders. I’m

It was a lot of fun the staff members where all so cool and the people in the house where all so cool they tools on some of the coolest hikes ever and we got to do some amazing things like go camping on a beach or rock climbing a giant sea stack the over all trip was amazing and if you get the chance to go I would do it the people here where amazing and I have made a lot of new friends and memories and the house we stayed in was super nice everyone had there on space and there was never a problem with the house and if you need something like if you where sick or you needed something for the house some one on the staf would get it for you one of the best experience of my life I can’t thank everyone enough this trip is truly life changing I would just like to thanks again for a great experience