Program Reviews

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.

Before arriving in Ireland for this trip, I was terrified. I had read through the entire site beforehand, but what it described seemed too good to be true. As we were driving through Ireland towards Bundoran, I realized that the website wasn’t exaggerating the natural beauty of the country. As my stay in Ireland progressed, I participated in activities that would reshape my appreciation for art and the effort that people put into any given piece. I tried things I had hated before the trip, and grew to love them. I tried new things, and was able to form opinions on them in my own way. I loved how supportive everyone was on opinions, and how positive the environment there was. It was a truly incredible experience.

Despite some limitations and letdowns due to Covid, I had a lot of fun. The leaders were lovely and supportive, and provided us with plenty of fun things to do amidst this pandemic. The other students were some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure to get to know. They really helped me to improve my confidence and increase my self worth, and in doing so they’ve shown me what true friendship looks like. On top of all this, I was able to improve my art skills and create some work I’m very proud of. My time here will follow me for the rest of my life.

Irish Gap Year was one of the most valuable and amazing experiences I have had. In a time where there were so many uncertainties due to COVID-19, IGY was able to work around all the hurdles and issues to create a life-changing time in my life. The views from Bundrowes (the house we lived in) never failed to amaze me, and the sunsets were one of my favorite things. Even though I had never surfed before, I quickly learned how thanks to the amazing leaders, Sarah and Niall. All of our group would surf together and then watch the sunset over the horizon. Another thing that I really enjoyed was our trips. Although we were not able to travel after level 5 began, we did manage to go to Galway. We got to walk all around the city, and then we cooked dinner all together at the hostel. There are so many moments that I will cherish forever, and I highly recommend participating in IGY; you will not regret it.

I did the adventure program and it was everything I could have asked for. All the staff are really great, the program leaders feel more like friends rather than people who are in charge of you. We only got to go on a few trips before Ireland went to level five, but the trips that we did go on were really fun and the hostels were nice. Even with the covid restrictions we still did a lot of fun activities. If you enjoy hiking or surfing come on this trip. The house is also really nice and there’s plenty of space for everyone

Irish Gap Year was a fun way for me to mature and grow as a person. Through Irish Gap Year, especially in year like 2020, I learned that it’s important to shed a positive light on everything to the best of your ability. We started out with 2 weeks of quarantine which then turned into 4 which was unfortunate, but in a positive way it gave me more time to share with my original 3 from Portbeg. Once the whole group linked it was a blast and I never looked back. Highly recommend the trip, the first two weeks can be tough because you’re dying to get to be with the whole group, but you still do lots of fun activities such as surfing and hiking, and once you’re all together it becomes a blast.

I am so happy to have participated in the Adventure & Leadership Program in the fall of 2020. Although COVID restrictions were put in place during our stay in Ireland, we still had an unforgettable experience. The staff's ability to adapt to these restrictions was incredible and allowed us to continue to do awesome activities. My favorite activities included hiking, surfing (lots of it!), kayaking, cliff jumping, rock climbing, farming, camping, and exploring the beautiful town of Bundoran. When I first got to Ireland, I wasn't a huge hiker or a confident surfer. Now, I absolutely love to hike and feel very motivated to do so at home. I feel much more confident on my surfboard and cannot wait for my next opportunity to surf. Volunteering was also an important component of the program. We began to build a community garden, a project that will be worked on for years to come. We also spent some time at a local farm, learning about sustainability and the environment. Not only did we get to participate in these incredible activities, but we also took part in a few leadership workshops which were great learning experiences for all of us. Another incredible component of the program was traveling! Being able to explore different cities and towns throughout the country was something I'll never forget! I also wanted to mention how thankful I am to have met the other kids on the program. I am so glad to be leaving Ireland with so many new friendships. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to have an awesome experience abroad and learn more about themselves along the way!