Community Choice Award Winner

Gap Year

The Irish Arts and Culture Program

Name: The Irish Arts and Culture Program
Brand: Irish Gap Year
SKU: 237253
Rating: 4.86 (98 reviews)

Hosted by

Irish Gap Year

4.86 (98 reviews)

Good for

Students

Photographers

The Irish Arts and Culture Program

Irish Gap Year

4.86 · 98 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

Ireland

Length

4 - 12 weeks

Program Tags

Adventure Travel Arts Cultural Immersion Drama

Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Timeframe

Fall Spring

Housing

Guesthouse

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

17000

Price Details

Program fees include food, all travel within Ireland, artistic tutoring, art supplies and workshops, accommodation and the full support of the Irish Gap Year team.

Who is this program for?
The Irish Arts and Culture Program is for students interested in a broad-exposure art program in Europe with tangible takeaways. This is a low-stress program designed to facilitate self-exploration using the arts as a vehicle for this journey.

Many of our past students have enjoyed taking part in a community-based program. This means that you will have your own home, neighbors and really get the chance to be part of our town. It also means that you will develop independence in an environment that resembles college life.

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Equipment Meals

What's Not Included

Airfare

Last Updated: Apr 29, 2026

Last Reviewed: May 27, 2026

Wish List

37 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The Irish Arts & Culture Program offers students the chance to explore and develop their creative side, travel across Ireland, build independence and gain a deeper appreciation for Irish arts and culture.

Take part in daily workshops with professional Irish artists in photography, creative writing, charcoal, painting, sculpture and jewellery making. This program is centered around creativity, exploration and self-expression, and no previous artistic experience is required – just curiosity and enthusiasm! Most importantly, students grow in confidence and independence while living and creating alongside their peers in the beautiful seaside town of Bundoran, County Donegal.

This creative, relaxed and community-focused program is perfect for students who want to spend their time making art in a peaceful coastal village along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS SUMMARY

This program offers a supportive community, diverse art workshops, and frequent trips around Ireland, balancing structure with independence.

AI-generated summary from verified community reviews Read reviews →

Video and Photos

Gap Year students immersed in Irish life.

Irish Gap Year students learning new art techniques.

Lucie in our charcoal sketching workshop

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

BIPOC Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many BIPOC students on our programs.

LGBTQIA+ Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many LGBTQIA+ students over the years. Ireland and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and support. Irish Gap Year provides support to our LGBTQIA+ students to help them feel secure and safe during their time with us.

Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Irish Gap Year is a Carbon Negative Company, meaning we remove more C02 from the amosphere through our ecological volunteering than we create as an organization (including student flights to Europe).

Irish Gap Year Director, Ryan Allen is the Chair of the Gap Year Association's Sustainability Commitee and created the Association's Climate Action Plan in 2023.

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Program Highlights

Live With Your Peers: Live in your own home with your fellow gappers, enjoy the freedom and fun of having your own place!
IGY's Team of Artists: Our art tutors are professional, exhibiting Irish artists who are so so fun to work with!
Overnight Travel Around Ireland: We'll travel as a group all over Ireland's culture capitals (and off piste gems)
Focus in on the mediums that interest you most, working with our expert art tutors as you prepare to exhibit your work at Le Cheile art exhibition.

Program Reviews

4.86 Rating

based on 98 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Gap Year

5 rating 85.71%
4 rating 14.29%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Housing 4.25
Support 4.75
Fun 4.8
Value 4.85
Safety 4.85

Good for Students, Photographers

Showing 97 - 98 of 98 reviews

This experience is one that I will never forget. I came to Ireland not knowing what to expect. I swear as soon as I got off the plane I could feel that the air was different. Ireland is definitely top on my list for the most beautiful places on earth. For the upcoming gappers, have your mind open. Try new things and try to meet people in Bundoran. The people in Bundoran are so interesting and with a combination of all the fun workshops, that's what made my trip. Also, the staff put together amazing trips for us. On some of the trips, I may have abused Mcdonalds too much, but that's just because I am a normal American. On the trips, I loved exploring the artifacts and sights that make Ireland so badass. We got to visit castles, breathtaking sights, meet some awesome tour guides, and learn from outstanding artists.

What would you improve about this program?

On the trips, I wish we could involve more art with hands-on workshops

We took Halloween weekend pretty serious in Bundoran and then spent Halloween night in Dublin

Irish Gap Year is an amazing program that I am very happy to have been a part of. I didn’t think I would have liked all the activities and artistic stuff but by the time the program was over I was very sad to leave because I had secretly taken a passion to everything. While on this program I have been able to do many amazing things and enjoyed meeting amazing people and working alongside them. I got to learn how to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things that I didn’t think I would enjoy. The best thing was the friends that I made on the trip and they helped me realize that it’s a lot easier when you’re part of a team that is there for eachother. But the best part of this program is the things you get to do while your with a program like IGY. I will always remember the happy times and the amazing memories and friends from my journey.

What would you improve about this program?

If I have to add anything it would probably be the amount of trips to different cities.

Questions & Answers

Location

Location:

Ireland

Currency:

Euro

Weather:

Jan-Mar

52 F / 36 F

Apr-Jun

64 F / 41 F

Jul-Sep

68 F / 50 F

Oct-Dec

57 F / 37 F

Airports:

Dublin DUB

( DUB )

Cork

( ORK )

Shannon

( SNN )

Ireland is infamous for the historic castles and the beautiful Wild Atlantic Way. If you are looking to experience lush greenery and countryside beauty, Ireland can keep you occupied for a lifetime.

About Irish Gap Year

Irish Gap Year operates semester length and short gap year programs in Ireland, Scandinavia and Europe. Being based on the northwest coast of Ireland in County Donegal has instilled in us a love of adventure, untouched nature, unique culture, rich artistic heritage and travel - All of which are foundational to our gap year programs. Our programs...