Location
Multiple Locations +5
  • Ireland
    • Dublin
  • Czech Republic
    • Prague
  • Germany
    • Berlin
    • Munich
  • Italy
    • Bologna
  • Austria
    • Salzburg
Length
4 to 12 weeks
Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility
Health & Safety

Program Details

Compensation
Unpaid
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Host Family
Language
English
Weekly Hours
40
Age Min.
18
Age Max
65

Pricing

Starting Price
13900
Price Details
Internship program fees include visa support, work placement, accommodation, airport pick-up/drop off, all food (breakfast and dinner 7 days a week) and the full support of the Irish Gap Year team, all travel within Ireland and Europe.





What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals SIM cards Transportation Visa Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare
Jun 17, 2024
May 03, 2025
22 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Irish Gap Year’s Dublin Gateway Internship Programme is an unparalleled experience, blending eight weeks of professional work placement in Dublin city with three weeks of immersive travel through continental Europe by train. The programme combines professional development with adventurous, cultural exploration across Ireland and Europe, all alongside a group of like-minded peers.

Designed as a second-semester (spring term only) programme, our Dublin Gateway Internship is our most independent offering, ideally suited for students who have completed a structured gap programme, work experience, or a college semester in the autumn. While our interns enjoy significant autonomy and freedom, they also benefit from the camaraderie of being part of a cohort. Expect the light-hearted blend of structure, responsibility, freedom, and fun that IGY is known for!

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion 💙

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

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.

Program Highlights

  • Learn to surf in Donegal, on Ireland's rugget west coast
  • Overnight Weekend travel in Ireland
  • Professional Work Placement and Host Family Guaranteed: Regardless of your level of experience, we can guarantee an internship placement in most areas of interest. Our host companies are all small to medium sized (5 – 50 employees).
  • Great Program Locations: Dublin City is vibrant, urban, hip and attracts young professionals from all over the world. The Wild Atlantic Way is a place of spectacular natural beauty and traditional Irish culture. City or Country - Your choice!
  • Travel Europe in the Spring: Berlin, Munich, Prague, the Austrian Alps and Northern Italy

Program Reviews

4.85 Rating
based on 13 reviews
  • 5 rating 84.62%
  • 4 rating 15.38%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.3
  • Support 4.65
  • Fun 4.85
  • Housing 4.15
  • Safety 4.65
Showing 1 - 8 of 13 reviews
Default avatar
Joseph
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Igy program

The experience I had here not only gave me a foothold for living in Ireland from now on it also provided me a place where I can gain work experience until getting a job in the field I want to work in. The trips we took weekly gave me a good reference of what to expect from Ireland and showed me where I can have fun and the activities that are around. I also learned a lot about the history of certain parts of Ireland and the culture of it as a whole. 10/10 would recommend to anyone interested and would do it all over again

What was your funniest moment?
When I thought I missed the last bus just to run 8 blocks to catch it and be told it’s a 24 hour line
Pros
  • See the world
  • Build a resume
  • Is you want it’s a good way to begin citeznship
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Can be a bit isolating if you don’t know anyone
  • Nothing that’s really it
27 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Catherine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My journey

The Irish Gap Year staff are amazing, and not only did they check in with us weekly, we also went on trips and they always made sure that we were safe and happy. Being able to intern at a company has really helped me feel more certain on my future and what I would like to study in university. It was a very rewarding experience, I got to truly experience what it is like to be an independent adult. I grew as a person on this journey and made some lifelong friends along the way. I met people from all over and I learnt from them as well. Thank you so much, Irish Gap Year!

What was your funniest moment?
There were many funny moments but my top favorite definitely has to be when we went to Galway and saw the Galway Hooker, you had to be there, it was the joke for the entire trip. And of course us playing Ed Sheeran’s “Galway Girl” every time we leave the hostel.
Pros
  • Personal Growth
  • Lifelong friends
  • Experiencing something new and exciting
Cons
  • The weather
21 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Anna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Hot Press and living in Dublin!!

I have absolutely zero complaints about this program. from day one i was given loads of support and guidance considering i was sent out on my own. My job placement was fantastic and inspirational to say the least. I was paired with a host family that lived incredibly close to town but i still felt completely safe! Living in Dublin was an experience in its own, and an amazing one at that. I made lifelong friends and would do it again in a heartbeat! The city is large but comforting! there’s always something to do, I cannot wait to go back for uni in the fall!

What was your funniest moment?
my funniest moment was when my brother visited on st. patrick’s day. which isn’t necessarily a moment but we laughed a lot and made tons of friends!
Pros
  • so many life skills gained
  • meeting great people
  • dublin is a fantastic city to live in
Cons
  • lots of learning on your own
  • public transit..
  • busy at times
19 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Keira
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a LIFETIME

Everything about Irish Gap Year’s Internship Program was amazing! I personally got the privilege of working at one of the most highly visited tourist bars in Dublin City Center and learned so much! I can now confidently say I know how to properly pour a perfect pint of Guinness. On top of the work experience that I received IGY also provided us with a number of other activities such as travel to different parts of the country for weekends, surfing lessons, and weekly activities with the other interns. While I sadly wasn’t staying in the city center, which I thought might be a problem the public transportation is so helpful and easy to get from place to place it was no problem at all! On top of all of that even with the IGY head quarters being in Bundoran I still could count on there support whenever I might have needed it. If I could do it all over again I definitely would- only negative I can think of is that it’s over!!! Thank you so much IGY and special shout out to Lauren our group leader for always making our meets up so fun and showing us around the city as a true dubliner <3

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The most nerve-racking moment I had was the first night I was out in Dublin City Centre past 10pm and trying to navigate the public transportation. But thankfully everyone in Dublin is so friendly and I had a working phone so between the directions on my phone and the help of people around me I got home perfectly fine. But definitely recommend if you do this program to get an E-sim you don’t want to be just relying on wifi while in a big city!
Pros
  • Meet amazing like minded people
  • Learned new skills that can actually be used in future jobs/ life situations
  • Got to travel all around Ireland and see new beautiful scenery
Cons
  • The only con is that you are not always close to the other fellow interns a few of us lived nearly two hours away from one another!
77 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Ethan
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Ethan’s Review of Irish Gap Year Program

I interned with a local accounting firm in Blackrock. The experience was pretty much what I expected and I am glad I was able to get valuable work experience as well as experience living independently for the first time.

Having a cohort of other interns (even though they worked and lived far away) was really nice as we could hangout together after a long work day. The highlights of my time were the program-organized trips (especially Bundoran and Galway), hanging out with my intern friends and playing pickup football with my host family.

My objective for my gap year was to gain work experience as well as travel the world. I am glad that the Irish Gap Year Internship Program gave me the opportunity to do both.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Go exploring. You will have way more alone time than you are normally used to. Get comfortable with being by yourself, exploring different places and being alone with your thoughts. If done correctly, it’s a very peaceful opportunity for maturity and personal growth. Sometimes after a long day of work, I would go exploring or walk out to the ocean/beach and just watch the sunset and listen to music. I will never forget these days where I was so at peace with myself.

Also, 100% journal about each day. It will help the memories last forever.
Pros
  • Fun times with friends in the cohort
  • Good work life balance
  • Great places to explore in Ireland
Cons
  • Long commute to hang with friends or to the city
  • Long work weeks
  • Bad weather (to be fair, coming from someone from California)
85 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Maureen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IGY Internship Program in Dublin

I am so grateful to have participated in the IGY Internship Program in Dublin. I was able to build a solid portfolio and gain work experience as an editorial intern.

Working in an Irish office helped me to build friendships with coworkers, which made the experience all the more immersive.
We also spent time traveling around other parts of Ireland, viewing historical and natural sights. This was my favorite part!

Thank you IGY for providing me with this experience and new lifelong friendships!

Pros
  • Immersive cultural experience
  • Nightlife
  • Building a solid portfolio
Cons
  • Dublin is expensive
  • Housing
131 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
brin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish Gap Year

I had a great experience with the program, and felt like I learned a lot through my internship at Hotpress Magazine. I am happy with the portfolio I built during the experience, and was grateful for the independence the program gave me, living in Dublin.

I also had a lovely time on program trips, traveling throughout the country and especially appreciated that they both had a mildly structured element, but also gave us time to explore on our own.

I built strong friendships with the people in my program as well, and am grateful for that.

Pros
  • Great internship
  • Great people
  • Fun trips
Cons
  • The housing situation got a bit dicey for me and a friend of mine
123 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lukas
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish gap year is an amazing experience

Irish gap year has been an amazing experience for me as it has provided me with experiences I would not have had otherwise, not to mention how much practical work experience I have gained though this program, I’ve been working a job in the field I want to major in and i have learned so much before even going to college. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel to several places I would not have otherwise, I’m so happy to be able to see so many places that I wouldn’t normally be able to visit. Irish gap year is awesome.

Pros
  • Good experience
  • Good on resume
  • Fun
Cons
  • A little tiring
123 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers