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

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.

If you are looking for a program that is outdoors adventure, than this is your place to go. throughout this program I have meet so many people that are going to be life long friends, I have made some amazing memories that I will cherish forever . it is the perfect amount of traveling around Ireland and staying put in the small town. and the leaders/ staff are very personable and easy to talk to. Most of the time it feel like I'm talking to a friend instead of someone "in charge" or "Higher up". the outdoor activity's are equally challenging and breath taking. Irish gap year has help me become more confident with myself because of the leadership workshops we do I've also become a stronger. peer leader I 100% recommend doing Irish gap year!

For those who love hiking and getting a bit out of your comfort zone this program is meant for you. I personally have never been the most outdoorsy person but this program pushed me and I learned to appreciate the experience and ended up having a lot of fun. The program is based in bundoran which is a great little town right on the water and the community is very tight knit and is easy to get involved with. There is plenty to do around the town on the off days you are given to go explore (every Sunday) in addition the Bundrowes house is in a beautiful location about a 20 minute walk from the town. The staff/leaders of the program are very easy going and supportive and the house cook Rita always makes amazing home cooked meals. I would recommend this program