Program Reviews

I had an amazing time on this trip! Even though a lot of it was changed because of covid, the trip was still a very fun and enriching experience. The program leaders at IGY are super friendly and supportive, and I made lifelong friendships with everyone in my group. There were lots of chances to go surfing and spend time outside, and I was also able to join the adventure and leadership group a couple times when I wanted to go on longer hikes. We did some great workshops, and the tutors who taught them were friendly and very talented. I grew a lot from this trip and had a lot of fun.

My experience here was so beyond incredible. I’ve made so many incredible friends here’s a learned so much about Ireland and the culture. I seriously enjoyed every single day of being in Ireland.
I’m so so sad to leave. Like this has honestly been the highlight of my life so far; doing this program. There was never a dull moment with the group, we all became so incredibly close so quickly. The independence that you are given on this trip really allowed to me find myself in ways I never have before. This program has changed my life. I’m so thankful for it

I had a wonderful experience that will prepare me for the next chapter of my life. I made many hopefully lifelong friends. I was glad to have done this program. I would like to thank all of the staff of Irish gap year. Including, but not limited to, Kate, Sarah, Killian, and Ryan. I would also like to thank all of my instructors including, Paschal, Lani, Aideen, Ken, Caroline, Maura, Rossa, and others. I would like to thank all those people for really making my gap year complete. I more so was happy to spend time with my fellow gappers.

My initial nerves to come on this trip completely faded as soon as I met the staff and my peers. I had a great time connecting with not only the other students but the tutors as well. I always felt extremely supported by the IGY staff and loved getting to talk with them as well. The opportunities to work with such unique artists was amazing, not to mention the absolutely beautiful natural scenery. Despite the pandemic having an effect on our trip, IGY made sure it was an incredible experience nonetheless!

I absolutely loved my time in Irish Gap Year’s Arts and Culture Program!! Even during the pandemic there was still a lot we could do. By far the best part was the people I met. I made some really amazing friends on this trip and our leaders and tutors were so great! Ireland is also absolutely stunning! The art program was really valuable too. I was able to do painting, charcoal, theater, found object art, photography, and a bit of woodworking, jewelry making and printmaking! I’m incredibly proud of the work that I created during this gap semester and it was so fun being able to bring it all together in our own art exhibition at the end! I had a fantastic experience that I will never forget.

I made incredible connections with peers on this trip and was also giving the opportunity to deepen my understanding of my own artistic process. With great instructors and a variety of art genres I was able to create things I was really proud of and have fun while doing it. The program leaders were kind and helpful every step of the way! I loved this program very much it was a great experience, I learned a lot about myself while also getting to enjoy life with other wonderful people and create beautiful art.

This gap year program is amazing for artists and non artists wanting to get into art. It’s also for those who want to explore and have a great time living with others. Personally, I had an amazing time and a large part of that was due to the amazing friends that I have made here. I also enjoyed learning from the wonderful artists and they each helped me expand my horizon. I had a great time working on my exhibition with the people here. I also can’t forget the help of my program leaders and I am so thankful for their support.

This program was a wonderful experience for me. I knew coming in that things were not going to be as they usually are, due to the situation surrounding Covid-19. That being said, I feel that Irish Gap Year did a very good job of keeping the program fun and engaging, while having to adapt it to follow Covid-19 restrictions. We were able to travel locally and experience our own little corner of the country.
Most of all, I will never forget the amazing people that I met while here. The program leaders have been thoughtful and understanding. The are always willing to listen to our questions and concerns.
I would definitely recommend this program to a friend.

My time with Irish Gap Year over the past semester was an amazing experience! Though the pandemic meant we had to quarantine when we arrived and prevented us from being able to do some of the usual program activities like meeting more people in the community, going on more trips and doing liquid therapy, I still had a great time. We were able to go on a couple trips in the beginning where we stayed in pretty nice hostels, went on hikes and had some free time for exploring the town. Later on, however, when Ireland introduced more COVID-19 restrictions, we were not able to go farther than 5k, or go anywhere in town that was not the grocery store, pharmacy or a few takeout places. Obviously though, that was not IGY’s fault and we were still able to do amazing and fun things! We surfed a lot, went cliff jumping, kayaked, went on some bike rides and went on lots of hikes which was all very fun! We also volunteered on a farm, learned about sustainability, had leadership workshops and worked on designing and building a park/community space near the house. The staff were really great— approachable and super fun! The house was great to live in too. I had two roommates and we had a very spacious room and our own bathroom. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it!

I had a lot of fun in Ireland with Irish Gap Year. Even with COVID restrictions, they were able to fill the weeks with fun activities and adventures. Both the leaders and administration were incredibly easy to talk to and were always willing to hell me out. For example, when I wanted to surf more they were able to find me a board to use for the rest of the trip. I also had fun traveling around Ireland. Although COVID limited the amount of travelling we could do, I was able to visit Galway, County Mayo, Claire, and Sligo. My favorite out of the trips was visiting Galway.