I attended the Irish Gap Year Arts and Culture Program in the fall of 2025, and it was by far one of the most amazing adventures of my life. The experience was truly transformative. I learned so much about myself and discovered how much joy there is in living, learning, and creating alongside my peers.

Throughout the program, we worked across a variety of artistic mediums with an incredible team of professional local artists. Their guidance and passion made the creative process both inspiring and accessible. In addition to the art component, we explored many parts of Ireland, immersing ourselves in its rich culture and artistic heritage. We even learned how to bake and cook delicious traditional Irish food, which was such a fun and memorable part of the experience.

I can’t say enough wonderful things about the staff. They are some of the kindest, most caring people you will ever meet, and they truly make you feel like part of a family. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for a meaningful, enriching, and unforgettable experience.

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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.