Program Reviews

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!

I truly could not recommend this gap year program more. I have had an amazing time over the last three months and I am so grateful for my time in Bundoran. Despite the restrictions present due to Covid-19, I cannot thank the Irish Gap Year staff enough for continuing to provide us with an active, fun, and lively environment on a daily basis. I have had so many incredible experiences that I will cherish for years to come. I was continually blown away by the amazing views both right outside my back door as well as through our travels around the country. I found myself so excited every morning to participate in all of the activities planned for the day including surfing, hiking, cliff jumping, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, volunteering, as well as more. Additionally, I am so glad to have had the opportunity to participate in numerous leadership workshops in order to gain important skills that will benefit me in college and beyond as well as learn more about myself as a person and leader. I had a great time living with peers in a beautiful house right on the coast and I am so thankful for all of the meaningful friendships I have formed. Thank you Irish Gap Year for providing a comfortable environment to try new activities, step outside of my comfort zone, and help me learn more about myself and my passions over these past three months - I have had the time of my life!

I had a blast on the Adventure and Leadership Program in the fall of 2020. Even though our trip was affected by COVID, with a two week quarantine and level five restrictions, it was still amazing. Each day I woke up excited for the adventures ahead of me. We did so many outdoor activities, such as surfing, hiking, kayaking, and many more. Throughout the program we did a lot of volunteering: working on a community garden, working at a local farm, picking up trash on the beaches. From sustainability to using power tools, I learned so much during each volunteering experience. The town of Bundoran was a beautiful place to live for three months and I am glad I have had this experience. I would highly recommend this program for anyone looking push their comfort zones and have a ton of fun in the outdoors everyday.

I enjoyed my time in the Irish gap year. Our activities even during lock down were of a wide variety that allowed me to push my comfort levels and try things I would normally not do, like hiking Croagh Patrick. Even though we were not able to go to most of the cities and were mostly restricted to Bundoran the Irish gap year leaders were able to adapt to the conditions and find fun and creative activities that kept us busy. These experiences will stay with me for the rest of my life and will push me to do more things that make me push my boundaries. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is hesitant about college or would like to take a quick break from college.

OThe Adventure and Leadership program that Irish Gap Year runs has been one of the most interesting and worthwhile experiences of my life. We spent most of days surfing, hiking, and exploring the scenic northwest coast of Ireland. I learned so much and met some amazing people. Going into this program I wanted to have an open mind and be open to change due to the ever present COVID-19. Anyone from the US are required to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival, but in all honesty, even though it wasn’t the most ideal, I am grateful that I had that time to adjust to a new place and create bonds with people in smaller groups. When we moved into Bundrowes I was so excited!! I was not disappointed either. The rest of group was welcoming and I thought that the way the leaders eased us into the actual program was well thought out. It was helpful that they did not start us off with a intense hike. The rest of the program moved smoothly, at least to me. There were some bumps in the road, like Ireland going into Level 5, however, I think that we made the most of it. We were still able to do a lot. It was a fantastic 3 months and I would highly recommend this gap year program.

I was in the Fall 2020 program, and because of COVID, we definitely didn’t get the full experience. The pubs were closed the whole trip, we ended up having to be in restricted movement for almost a month, and the country went into Level 5 lockdown (we could only go 5km from our house), so we only went on 2 trips. We also couldn’t interact with the community at all, which was disappointing, and we didn’t have a chance to rock climb or zipline.
Despite all of the limits of the program related to safety and laws, I had a blast! We went surfing, kayaking, cliff jumping, hiking, biking, and walking, as well as doing some art (since we couldn’t do parts of our scheduled trip, we got to do jewelry making, acting, videography, and found art workshops), working on a farm, volunteering (picking up trash and planning and building a community park), doing leadership workshops, and learning about soil science, farming, and sustainable living. The group dynamic was wonderful (the adventure group was like a family by the end, and we had a friendly rivalry with the arts group, including a prank war), and Bundrowes House is a very nice place to live. There are always quiet rooms where you can chill out, but there’s always something happening somewhere else. We had some pop-up pub nights in the house because we couldn’t go to real pubs; everybody did party tricks, the staff acted as bartenders, and we had some different themes.
I tried a bunch of stuff for the first time on the trip. Learning to surf, living with people so different from me, and trying alcohol, among other things, taught me so much about myself and what motivates me. I also learned about Irish history and culture, geology, and environmental science. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone interested in having a fun and productive gap year.
I made an Instagram page on which I posted about everything we did, if anyone wants to see more pictures: @ali.on.the.emerald.isle

The Irish gap year program is the best place I could have been given the global covid situation. There were very supportive staff and the activites, though severely restricted due to the pandemic, were made the most of by the staff. We went hiking, surfing, and were still able to visit Galway before Ireland went into lockdown. The program is also structured in a way that fosters a really strong group dynamic. It pushes everyones' comfort zones whether it is with flexability, kayaking or dealing with living with others.

I was apart of the Fall 2020 Adventure group. Halfway through our program Ireland was put into level 5 lockdown restricting our movement to 5k from our house. Even with these tight restrictions for half the program it still managed to be loads of fun and enjoyable. If the pub culture is not enough to bring you too Ireland, then the town of bundoran should. The reason the 5k restrictions never seemed daunting was because of how amazing the area is. Great surfing beaches and amazing hikes are within distance always making the trip fun.