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

I had such an amazing experience with Irish Gap Year. I think it really equipped me with the necessary skills to thrive in college and beyond. Additionally, living in another country for three months really allowed me to immerse myself in its culture and learn more about its rich history. The program leadership did a tremendous job of helping students acclimate to a wholly new country, and within a short period of time, myself and my peers miraculously felt at home and not as overwhelmed with the long journey ahead of us. The activities we partook in as a group always had variety and were by no means redundant, allowing us to experience a new aspect of Irish culture every day. The program leaders also did an amazing job of recognizing our adult status and thus allowing us a great deal of autonomy and not at all overbearing or encroaching on our free time.

The three months I spent with Irish Gap Year were absolutely wonderful and were everything I could have hoped for from a gap year program. It is a program that makes the daunting task of traveling to, living in and learning about a completely new country not only manageable but rewarding and fun! Each week our group would do a number of activities ranging from surfing, hiking or biking to attending leadership workshops or volunteering with local organizations. Bundrowes house is gorgeous and quickly became a home away from home for us gappers. The staff members are caring, supportive and clearly, love their jobs and coworkers which made every activity all the more enjoyable. I believe that this program is truly for anyone and everyone. Whether you consider yourself more introverted, extroverted, cautious, spontaneous, or somewhere in between you will be able to gain from this program. The friends and memories I made in Ireland have taught me about myself and others and I know these experiences will help me as I move into the future!

It has been an amazing twelve weeks in Ireland. We have been based in Bundoran while traveling around for hikes and to visit different cities. It's been a great balance of being outside and active while learning about the culture and history of Ireland. We also did a charity work ranging from working with local kids to a whole week dedicated to beach cleans. We even got to walk in the local St. Paddy's parade in town. There is also a fair amount of free time at the house, and while traveling. We get ample opportunity to explore the cities on our own, and also do some shopping. It's a really great program where you learn a lot about yourself, others and Ireland. There are a lot of once in a lifetime type of experiences, and I'm really glad to have been apart of it.

We spent our days exploring as much of Ireland as we possibly could while immersing ourselves in nature and Irish culture while learning about the history, volunteering and having free time in varies Cities. My time in Ireland has truly been a life changing experience for me. I have made so many life long friends and memories that will stick with me forever. Living in the Gap house with everyone was such a great experience and i a so thankful for the connections and friendships I have made. I have learned so much not only about Ireland and its history, but about myself too and how to be more independent especially in another country. The staff and people here have made it a supportive and fun environment and I love being apart of it. I highly recommend this program!

I did not know what to expect traveling across the globe to meet and then live with 10 strangers, but it has proven to be a great decision. The past few months in Ireland have been both eye opening and memorable. This gap program is unique since the group is based in one location, Bundoran, while also taking students all over the island to explore new cities and towns, whether it be for volunteering or hiking. In the short time we were here, I was able to learn about and see first hand the different cultures and people within Ireland, along with the beautiful scenery that Ireland has to offer. This program did a good job balancing both what we were comfortable with and pushing us outside our comfort zones. Since the students live in the house (about 5 minute drive or 30 minute walk to town), I was able to gain independent living skills and tricks that I will take with me as I go on to college and beyond. I liked having such a small group of students, opposed to some gap programs with huge groups. Having such a small group living together, we all got super close super quick, and I have made friends that I hope to keep beyond our time shared in Ireland. We were given ample amounts of free time both in Bundoran and other cities we visited to explore on our own in addition to doing guided tours. The staff on this program are super cool. Ryan and Killian, who own the company, make sure to see us at least few times a week to check in. The program leaders were easy to get along with, as long as you do a majority of the planned activities without complaining too much. You really get out what you put in on this program.

Irish Gap Year Adventure Leadership program offers a variety of activities to do (such as volunteering, surfing, and hiking), while giving you enough free time to make the program your own. I personally loved the outdoors element. Trying new things like surfing or long hikes are experiences I enjoyed. There's also a lot of traveling around Ireland and Northern Ireland, where there are often a few preplanned activities and some free time during the trip. The headquarters of Irish Gap Year is the Bundrowes House in Bundoran, a small tourist town with some good bars and cafes. The house itself is huge and provides a great shelter as well as excellent food and banter, courtesy of chef Rita.

The biggest positive (and perhaps negative) of the program is its' core structure; the group. For three months you live with -and do almost all of your activities with- the same group of people. This means that any conflicts that arise between you and another housemate need to be resolved, as you cannot escape the conflict. Fortunately, Irish Gap Year staff are incredibly supportive and have a system in place for conflicts between gappers. I personally found the close proximity encouraged my personal growth, because I could not run away from my problems. I would advise future gappers (especially introverts like me) to carve out some time for yourself, within or outside Bundrowes house.

Future gappers should also know that they will be expected to try things to the best of their ability. Opting out of a hike because you don't want to do it is not a good excuse, and same goes for volunteering. There is leniency when you feel physically or emotionally unable. In those situations, make sure to communicate with the staff the day before, as they are willing to make accommodations if given clear communication.

Overall, I loved this program. I entered Irish Gap Year feeling stagnant on my future, and am leaving it confident in my ability to pursue my own path. Irish Gap Year gave me the support and space I needed to grow, and I am incredibly grateful for the experience.

For the past three months I have been on the Irish gap year's leadership and adventure course based in Bundoran Ireland. In the past three months I have hiked mountains all over the country, been on adventures in Ireland which most people will never get to experience, and have been pushed out of my comfort zone to do things I never thought I would like cliff jump into the ocean off a fifty foot cliff. This program is all that and more, it not only the adventure and the excitement of traveling all over Ireland but its also the people who are apart of the program. I have never felt so apart of something in my life. The two program owners are great people and really connect with the students in their program. All of the program leaders are also great people and provide fun and push the students to do their best each day of the program. The program is based in a cool small surfing town on the north coast of Ireland. The town is a fun place to go out in on the weekends and have fun with all of the other gappers. The program also takes you all over Ireland, giving the gappers the full experience of Ireland everything from small farm towns to big cities like Galway and Dublin. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to improve their leadership skills while also having an adventure of a lifetime in Ireland.

This was, without a doubt, the greatest experience of my life! When I was in high school I found out about this program, and decided to take time off from school and go abroad. This program was about leadership and teamwork. We all learned that we can be leaders in our own great way. What made this group an awesome team was the fact that we bonded on our very first day singing and getting to know each other right away. We stay in a house called Bundrowes, which is a thirty minute walk from Bundoran town, which is a great hangout spot and a great place to surf and kayake, which is very big here in Ireland. We also do lots of traveling, outdoor activities and community service work. This was definitely a life changing event for all of us in the program. One thing I would like to say about being in the program is just come as yourself and try to step out of your comfort zone at least once! One thing I enjoyed was all the friends I made and all the exciting adventures we went on. This is something you should not miss out on, so join and have an awesome time!