Program Reviews

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.

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.