Internship Program: Dublin City or the Wild Atlantic Way

My time in Dublin has been absolutely incredible. Irish Gap Year is an extremely organized, professional and friendly program, and I would not have had such a smooth transition into life in a new country without their help. Both my host family and internship placements were perfect fits for me, and I was given plenty of support and insight on navigating Dublin on my own. In my free time, I was able to visit all the major attractions the city has to offer. In addition to exploring Dublin, I was also able to travel around Ireland every other weekend and see the rest of the country. Transportation for these trips was completely handled by Irish Gap Year, making it a stress-free experience while traveling all over the country. In all, Irish Gap Year has provided me with an unforgettable experience. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for a program in Ireland that gives you plenty of freedom to function on your own, but also has an amazing support system and opportunities to make the most of your time here.

For my internship I chose to do marketing work for O'Donnell's Bakery in Laghey. I got experience building their website and teaching the owners how to do marketing using social media. Everyone was very helpful and friendly, and there was ample time to explore the country, whether it was visiting cities like Galway or climbing mountains at Slieve League. The accommodations were comfy, and the staff was extremely helpful when problems arose. I would recommend this program to anyone with a desire to both learn and explore.

Irish Gap Year and their connections set me up with a wonderful internship in an Alzheimer’s Day Center. The experience was amazing and extremely helpful in showing me my desired career path. In addition to this the weekend excursions provided by IGY were beyond fun and educational. The outdoor trips were certainly the best for me with great guiding and an amazing group to go with. Thanks so much to everyone at IGY for making this a truly amazing experience!!!

My 7 week Internship in Dublin was well beyond all of my expectations. The Irish Gap Year team was with me every step of the way, from the moment I arrived, to the moment I departed Dublin Airport. The healthcare internship I was placed in was an invaluable experience, one that I would highly recommend to anyone out there. Irish Gap Year made sure to keep me busy throughout my weekends, with trips around Ireland and activities such as surfing, hiking and visits to popular tourist destinations. I got to explore Dublin, Galway, Donegal, Belfast, Clare and so much more throughout my stay. It was an eventful 7 weeks, and went by way too fast. My host family has become my own family, and throughout these 7 weeks, I have gained a feisty mother, a crazy sister and a quiet brother. I was most impacted by the people of Ireland, who are undoubtedly the nicest people in the world, and the beauty of Irish landscapes, which is deeply under appreciated. Overall, the Irish Gap Year Internship Program has not only promoted my academic development, but has boosted my personal growth in terms of self confidence, independence, work-ethic and general social skills. No matter how long your internship is, it will leave you wanting to stay for longer. Through this program, I have acquired relationships with people which will last a lifetime, and memories that I will cherish forever. I highly recommend this program to anyone out there, it truly is a life changing experience, one that you won’t regret. One piece of advice I would give to future interns is to be as open minded as you can. You will be experiencing many new things all throughout this rollercoaster, so it’s best to just let the worries and doubts fade away, and take it all in while you can, because time really does fly. I returned home from Ireland as a better person, and it’s all thanks to this program and the amazing team behind it. Ireland has become a home away from home, I’ll definitely be going back soon!
P.S: The stereotype that the Irish love potatoes is true, be ready

This trip was amazing!!! I am so thankful to Irish Gap Year for offering internships as well as the Gap Year program. My internship went really well. My host was wonderful, and I really enjoyed my stay with her. I worked in a bakery, which was really busy all the time. But the staff were very nice and they were happy to help me if I had any questions. An important lesson I learned was, do not be afraid to ask questions. They want you to ask questions so that they know you care. If you stay silent and don't ask questions, then they'll think you don't care about your job and are lazy. But it's important that you learn from your mistakes so you don't make them again. I was learning all the time, which is important. It's also good to ask the staff questions about their lives and to get to know them a bit, because the more you know, the easier it will be for you and for the staff. One big advantage to working in a bakery is that they provide you with food, and all the cake you could ever want.
In doing this internship, I have made so many new friends and become close with people from all over the world. It's such a good opportunity to meet new people, as most Irish people are very friendly and are happy to tell you their life story, and also listen keenly to yours. I am so pleased to have done this internship, and I find that at the end I don't want to leave! I have had wonderful journey and I am so grateful to have been able to come to Ireland and work, while still being able to explore a whole new country and become immersed in the culture.
To sum it all up, DO NOT hesitate to ask questions. It shows that you are interested and want to know more. Also, have fun! You are there to learn and also to enjoy yourself! I would definitely recommend getting to know your host family and company before you go, just to establish a relationship and to understand a bit about what you'll be doing. It's also really good to research your company and the location you are in, to help you know more about where you're working and living. If you need to take public transport, make sure you know which bus routes to take, so you don't get lost on your first day.
I would definitely recommend doing an internship with Irish Gap Year, as they plan all sorts of great trips around Ireland as well, which are not to be missed and allow you to explore the rest of the country. I loved every moment of my experience in Ireland, and hopefully you will too if you choose to do it.