Program Reviews

Doing this program was one of the best decisions I've made. I tried cliff jumping, surfing, steering a boat and even Irish dancing for the first time! We also did a few hikes, built tree boxes in Bundoran and had many beach days because of the unusually hot summer. Niall, Sarah and both Ryans were all so nice and really helped us learn a lot and have a great time. The visits to Dublin, Belfast and Galway were some of the highlights and, even with COVID, we were still able to experience many of the attractions, sights, restaurants and nightlife the cities have to offer. Because of this program, I have made lifelong friends and feel far more confident about returning to college in the fall.

This was my second time with IGY! The program is a shortened version of my previous program. The adventure program ended up being just as exhilarating as the art program!

The 30 days you spend here gives ample time to explore the country and make some awesome memories. The schedule is spaced so that the week is neither crowded or uneventful.

The group I was with is much smaller than my last group; leaving for a much less hustle and bustle atmosphere.

I recommend this program to any seeking a change :)

I loved this experience since I did things I normally wouldn’t do and went out of my comfort zone to perform new actions. They had lots of fun activities and include all types of people. Also a great way to meet people your age and have a great time. The adventures and hikes are so much fun and you see so many of Ireland’s incredible landmarks and views to really get a feel of Irish culture and what it feels like to live in such a beautiful country. The staff is so amazing and you feel like you have a place and belong in this program. It’s so much fun I recommend for all

Irish Gap Year was an incredible experience. The scenery was stunning and continually inspiring and exciting. We got to hike through beautiful heather-flowered mountains and swim in clear blue waters! The other participants were excellent, fun, and kind. We all became good friends, and it was such a fantastic experience to share with them! The housing was super lovely, and the food was always nourishing and wholesome. The staff was kind, respectful, and supportive. I highly recommend this program! I couldn’t recommend it more highly!

This was my second time with Irish Gap Year; I came for the Fall 2020 semester, then came back for the summer immersion program. I was in Adventure and Leadership both times. The summer group was much smaller (7 students between the 2 groups, as opposed to 15 in A&L alone), but as a result, we all got super close super fast. We also got to travel a lot more as COVID restrictions were lifted, which was great for experiencing more of the culture. The program is a perfect mix of outdoorsy adventure (hiking, surfing, cliff jumping, biking, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, climbing, etc.) and comfortable housing (you live in a big house with modern amenities). The leadership workshops are useful, but I think the most useful leadership experience comes from being student leader and planning the student-led trip. The schedule is pretty flexible, and all the staff are super nice, fun to be around, and hilarious! We do our own breakfasts and lunches, and usually someone makes dinner for us (Onóra is such a great cook). The daily programming is always so much fun, and we’re usually done with dinner by 6:30-7 and have the rest of the night off to explore town or go to the pub (nightlife is really fun in the cities and you can make friends with locals). You make lifelong friends here and learn so much. Even in A&L, we learn a lot about the culture and folklore and get to visit ruins of castles and other old buildings. If they don’t build it into the program, I recommend doing the Irish Dance Experience in Galway with Siobhan Manson. The country is so beautiful. Bundoran is such a cute town, and the amusement park is so much fun! There’s never a dull moment with IGY, and even the few times that were tough in the moment are fun to look back on now. One of the reasons IGY is special is that it’s a pretty small company, and there are only a couple of programs running at a time (as opposed to big gap year travel companies with 50 programs across 10 countries), so you get to really know the program directors and all of the staff, and they can cater to the students and listen to what we want from the program. I can’t recommend this program enough. (Shameless plug time: to see more of what we do on a typical day, look at my Ireland Instagram @ali.on.the.emerald.isle , or see my IGY Instagram takeover posts from July-August 2021 @irishgapyear !)

Despite the restrictions imposed by Covid, my IGY program in the fall of 2020 was a wonderful gap year experience. I loved being able to travel and see parts of northwest Ireland, especially our trip to Galway and the Aran Islands. We also took many hikes to explore Ireland's natural beauty. The best part of the art tutorials was having the opportunity to try different mediums I had not previously tried, such as woodworking, which I enjoyed so much that I bought my own set of chisels to continue developing my skills. I cannot say enough good things about the staff, who took such good care of me when I developed a medical issue and made sure that I got the medical care I needed. Kate, Sarah, Killian and Ryan are fun, knowledgeable, patient and kind. At a time when many programs were cancelling, they found a way to make our program safe, fun and successful.

I really loved Irish gap year! The students and the faculty were all very kind, cooperative and supportive. We had a ton of craic despite covid being a thing (although there is not much covid in Ireland anyways). Our leaders, Fiona and Phil, made sure we had ample opportunities to see as much of Ireland as possible. We took a few trips up to Northern Ireland and visited Derry and Belfast (which I loved so much that I will actually be spending the week after the program in Belfast). We also took a trip to Galway which was super quaint and packed with a lot to do. Overall I would totally recommend Irish gap year to any student who needs a year off of college or a gap in between high school and college.

Cliff jumping, hiking, surfing, brilliant art teachers: these were all short walk from our home beside the cliffs in Bundoran, Ireland, a small surf town. The day-to-day of the program consisted of an effective mix of arts education and Ireland exploration which I loved.
Fiona and Phil, my counselors during the program, were a highlight — guiding us through challenging moments and triumphant ones with always good music. Despite Covid restrictions, the program managed to put together a great program. Thanks for all the great memories!

Doing this gap program was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. This experience was unforgettable I’ve discovered that I am a much better artist than I had initially thought and over the course of 3 months, i feel like I’ve improved on those skills. I also really got along with the tutors and feel like They’ve helped me bring out the artist in me. Our program leaders (Phil and Fiona) were amazing and I found that they’re easy to talk to and they made the program 10x better. I’ve also met some amazing people that were a part of this group that I will definitely be keeping in touch with after the program.

Attending IGY was one of the best decisions of my whole gap year experience. I learned so much about art—not only practical skills, but also the values of unjudged creativity and perseverance. Seeing the natural beauty of Ireland through hikes was wonderful, and though covid prevented us from visiting as many cities as I would like, I’ll remember the places we did visit forever. Anyone who enjoys nature, art, or is even just open to pushing themselves into something new (I wasn’t much of an artist myself before I came here) will love this program.