Adventure & Leadership Immersion Program

Doing this program was one of the best decisions I've made. I tried cliff jumping, surfing, steering a boat and even Irish dancing for the first time! We also did a few hikes, built tree boxes in Bundoran and had many beach days because of the unusually hot summer. Niall, Sarah and both Ryans were all so nice and really helped us learn a lot and have a great time. The visits to Dublin, Belfast and Galway were some of the highlights and, even with COVID, we were still able to experience many of the attractions, sights, restaurants and nightlife the cities have to offer. Because of this program, I have made lifelong friends and feel far more confident about returning to college in the fall.

This was my second time with IGY! The program is a shortened version of my previous program. The adventure program ended up being just as exhilarating as the art program!

The 30 days you spend here gives ample time to explore the country and make some awesome memories. The schedule is spaced so that the week is neither crowded or uneventful.

The group I was with is much smaller than my last group; leaving for a much less hustle and bustle atmosphere.

I recommend this program to any seeking a change :)

I loved this experience since I did things I normally wouldn’t do and went out of my comfort zone to perform new actions. They had lots of fun activities and include all types of people. Also a great way to meet people your age and have a great time. The adventures and hikes are so much fun and you see so many of Ireland’s incredible landmarks and views to really get a feel of Irish culture and what it feels like to live in such a beautiful country. The staff is so amazing and you feel like you have a place and belong in this program. It’s so much fun I recommend for all

Irish Gap Year was an incredible experience. The scenery was stunning and continually inspiring and exciting. We got to hike through beautiful heather-flowered mountains and swim in clear blue waters! The other participants were excellent, fun, and kind. We all became good friends, and it was such a fantastic experience to share with them! The housing was super lovely, and the food was always nourishing and wholesome. The staff was kind, respectful, and supportive. I highly recommend this program! I couldn’t recommend it more highly!

This was my second time with Irish Gap Year; I came for the Fall 2020 semester, then came back for the summer immersion program. I was in Adventure and Leadership both times. The summer group was much smaller (7 students between the 2 groups, as opposed to 15 in A&L alone), but as a result, we all got super close super fast. We also got to travel a lot more as COVID restrictions were lifted, which was great for experiencing more of the culture. The program is a perfect mix of outdoorsy adventure (hiking, surfing, cliff jumping, biking, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, climbing, etc.) and comfortable housing (you live in a big house with modern amenities). The leadership workshops are useful, but I think the most useful leadership experience comes from being student leader and planning the student-led trip. The schedule is pretty flexible, and all the staff are super nice, fun to be around, and hilarious! We do our own breakfasts and lunches, and usually someone makes dinner for us (Onóra is such a great cook). The daily programming is always so much fun, and we’re usually done with dinner by 6:30-7 and have the rest of the night off to explore town or go to the pub (nightlife is really fun in the cities and you can make friends with locals). You make lifelong friends here and learn so much. Even in A&L, we learn a lot about the culture and folklore and get to visit ruins of castles and other old buildings. If they don’t build it into the program, I recommend doing the Irish Dance Experience in Galway with Siobhan Manson. The country is so beautiful. Bundoran is such a cute town, and the amusement park is so much fun! There’s never a dull moment with IGY, and even the few times that were tough in the moment are fun to look back on now. One of the reasons IGY is special is that it’s a pretty small company, and there are only a couple of programs running at a time (as opposed to big gap year travel companies with 50 programs across 10 countries), so you get to really know the program directors and all of the staff, and they can cater to the students and listen to what we want from the program. I can’t recommend this program enough. (Shameless plug time: to see more of what we do on a typical day, look at my Ireland Instagram @ali.on.the.emerald.isle , or see my IGY Instagram takeover posts from July-August 2021 @irishgapyear !)

I loved my time in ireland. I got to know everyone on the program with me so well. I learned to surf and to enjoy Guinness. I got to explore Ireland’s mountains over many hikes. There were many opportunities to meet all kinds of people and I made many friends. I was a great experience and I am glad that I was able to go despite all the Covid restrictions. I loved the program but I am starting to run out of things to say so I am stalling for the last few remaining characters because for some reason there’s a minimum.