The Irish Arts and Culture Program

Irish Gap Year was a great experience for me. Ireland's scenery is breathtaking in all types of weather and the staff are very friendly. The program is well made with trips to most of the major spots in the country and some of the smaller places for fun activities. The programs good for people of all experiences with art, tutors are friendly and experienced. Well balanced program between giving students freedom and being strict. Sometimes staff are a little dramatic. The main setting for the program is perfect for getting students used to living on their own, letting students walk into town and, for the most part, take care of their own living quarters.
(Phil's a legend)
Highly recomend Irelands grass for its softness, perfect for naps or picnics on good days by the cliff walk. Also recomend bringing electronics and leaving plenty of space on your phone for downloading and photos.

Accommodations: Stayed in Portbeg Holiday Homes with half in one house and half in the other. Very clean, housekeeping comes once a week. We had a fridge, dishwasher, microwave, washer and dryer. We have the option of having our laundry done for us.

Food: Five days a week dinner is made for us, the quality is acceptable. Groceries are bought for us.

Staff: A nice, supportive group of people. Very helpful and available when we need them.

Trips: Got to see Dublin, Belfast, Galway, Doolin, Derry, and Dingle. Good balance between planned activities and free time to explore. Stayed in upscale hostels.

Workshops: Art workshops were lots of fun, our instructors were very nice and helpful. Tried plenty of new mediums, though I wish we had been given more Focus Workshops to work on what we wanted in preparation for our expo.

Doing this program was a very last minute decision for me, but I am so glad that I decided to come to Ireland! We explored so many different counties within Ireland and to be able to live in Bundoran was an amazing experience. Bundoran is a quaint town and we live within walking distance from downtown which is really nice. I got along great with my housemates, the rest of the arts group, and also the adventure group. I was a bit worried about doing an arts program having never really done art before, but with the help of the tutors I learned to create art that I was really proud of!

This program was such an amazing experience. I learned so much here not only about artistic practices but also about myself. The art tutors were all super great and could help you whether you were a new artist or had practiced for years. Not only is the art side amazing but there are so many trips and cultural experiences while your over here. We got to travel all over the country and see so many amazing cities. The staff are all so friendly and are willing to help with any problems you may be having. This program really gives you a lot of freedom to explore on your own. Sundays gave us time to explore Bundoran, or nearby towns on our own but also have a relaxing recharging day if you need it. Also its so cool to see everyones work together in the final expo, you feel so accomplished after. This is a truly amazing program and I would strongly recommend.

Made great friends and memories and explored Ireland

My god was it fun. The friends you'll make, the things you'll see, the experiences you'll have, all make this program so very worth it. You won't find another program that is this fun and relaxing, while still fast paced and stimulating. You will love the tutors and faculty, especially Ken and Phil (they're so awesome). The houses are nice enough, can't really complain. You will have to get used to shitty wifi on this trip, it's inescapable. The sub trips (both overnight and day trips) are enjoyable, although I wish we went to Donegal town one more time. Honestly though, all the good parts to this experience far outweigh the bad. I can't say it enough, you should come.

The Arts and Culture program was great to broaden my understanding of art and allow me to explore new mediums. I feel that at least for my group we would’ve liked to have some more adventure stuff and have more of a balance. Also at times the trips we went on weren’t spread out enough. They were all super fun just sometimes too much at once. I think this program has helped me learn how to live on my own and coexist with other kids which is helpful for the future. This program has given me some lifelong friends and some great memories to take with me now that the program has ended!

Irish gap year was really good for meeting new friends and clearing my head. I met a lot of really great people and it was nice experiencing life so far away from my hometown. If you’ve had a rough high school experience or are just looking to get away and have a little fun I highly recommend Irish Gap year. Everything except for the food was a 10/10. They kind of cycle the same few meals over and over again which wasn’t the best. Other than that I have absolutely loved this program, the people who run it, and the new friends I’ve made.