Location
  • Ireland
    • Dublin
Length
4 to 12 weeks
Merit-based funding, Payment plans, 529 Plan eligibility
Health & Safety

Program Details

Compensation
Unpaid
Timeframe
Fall Spring
Housing
Host Family
Language
English
Weekly Hours
40
Age Min.
18
Age Max
65

Pricing

Starting Price
11100
Price Details
Internship program fees include visa support, work placement, accommodation, airport pick-up/drop off, all food (breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week) and the full support of the Irish Gap Year team, all travel within Ireland.





What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals SIM cards Transportation Visa Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare
May 03, 2023
May 07, 2024
13 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Our internship programs are 10 weeks in length and are available in both autumn and spring and take place in Dublin City. You'll stay with one our friendly and experienced host families and get to meet other interns from all over the world through our student network. On weekends you'll get to explore Ireland with your cohort as we travel to some our favorite places in Ireland - These overnight trips are always a highlight!

From interning at horse riding schools, to marketing firms, to outdoor education, to hospitals, with access to over 100 host companies we bet that we've got a match for you!

We guarantee a professional work placement to all applicants accepted onto the Irish Gap Year Internship Program. By getting to know you, learning about your passions, academic background, career objectives and overall expectations for your experience abroad, we are able to place you in a work environment that will help you gain valuable work experience in Ireland.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many BIPOC students on our programs.

LGBTQIA+ Support

We welcome students from all walks of life and backrounds and have hosted many LGBTQIA+ students over the years. Ireland and Europe in general are quite progressive with regards to LGBTQIA+ policy, lifestyle and support. Irish Gap Year provides support to our LGBTQIA+ students to help them feel secure and safe during their time with us.

Impact

Sustainability

Irish Gap Year is a Carbon Negative Company, meaning we remove more C02 from the amosphere through our ecological volunteering than we create as an organization (including student flights to Europe).

Irish Gap Year Director, Ryan Allen is the Chair of the Gap Year Association's Sustainability Commitee and created the Association's Climate Action Plan in 2023.

Program Highlights

  • Expeditions around Ireland: All Irish Gap Year Internship Programs include overnight expeditions to some of our favourite places in Ireland. Whether you’re interning in Dublin or the northwest, you’ll have the opportunity to explore Ireland with us.
  • Support Network: We know that living and working abroad is a requires a real leap of faith and therefore offer interns the full support of the Irish Gap Year team throughout their internship program.
  • Professional Work Placement and Host Family Guaranteed: Regardless of your level of experience, we can guarantee an internship placement in most areas of interest. Our host companies are all small to medium sized (5 – 50 employees).
  • Great Program Locations: Dublin City is vibrant, urban, hip and attracts young professionals from all over the world. The Wild Atlantic Way is a place of spectacular natural beauty and traditional Irish culture. City or Country - Your choice!

Program Reviews

4.80 Rating
based on 10 reviews
  • 5 rating 80%
  • 4 rating 20%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 4.4
  • Support 4.5
  • Fun 4.9
  • Housing 4.1
  • Safety 4.6
Showing 1 - 8 of 10 reviews
Default avatar
Keira
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Experience of a LIFETIME

Everything about Irish Gap Year’s Internship Program was amazing! I personally got the privilege of working at one of the most highly visited tourist bars in Dublin City Center and learned so much! I can now confidently say I know how to properly pour a perfect pint of Guinness. On top of the work experience that I received IGY also provided us with a number of other activities such as travel to different parts of the country for weekends, surfing lessons, and weekly activities with the other interns. While I sadly wasn’t staying in the city center, which I thought might be a problem the public transportation is so helpful and easy to get from place to place it was no problem at all! On top of all of that even with the IGY head quarters being in Bundoran I still could count on there support whenever I might have needed it. If I could do it all over again I definitely would- only negative I can think of is that it’s over!!! Thank you so much IGY and special shout out to Lauren our group leader for always making our meets up so fun and showing us around the city as a true dubliner <3

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The most nerve-racking moment I had was the first night I was out in Dublin City Centre past 10pm and trying to navigate the public transportation. But thankfully everyone in Dublin is so friendly and I had a working phone so between the directions on my phone and the help of people around me I got home perfectly fine. But definitely recommend if you do this program to get an E-sim you don’t want to be just relying on wifi while in a big city!
Pros
  • Meet amazing like minded people
  • Learned new skills that can actually be used in future jobs/ life situations
  • Got to travel all around Ireland and see new beautiful scenery
Cons
  • The only con is that you are not always close to the other fellow interns a few of us lived nearly two hours away from one another!
Default avatar
Ethan
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Ethan’s Review of Irish Gap Year Program

I interned with a local accounting firm in Blackrock. The experience was pretty much what I expected and I am glad I was able to get valuable work experience as well as experience living independently for the first time.

Having a cohort of other interns (even though they worked and lived far away) was really nice as we could hangout together after a long work day. The highlights of my time were the program-organized trips (especially Bundoran and Galway), hanging out with my intern friends and playing pickup football with my host family.

My objective for my gap year was to gain work experience as well as travel the world. I am glad that the Irish Gap Year Internship Program gave me the opportunity to do both.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Go exploring. You will have way more alone time than you are normally used to. Get comfortable with being by yourself, exploring different places and being alone with your thoughts. If done correctly, it’s a very peaceful opportunity for maturity and personal growth. Sometimes after a long day of work, I would go exploring or walk out to the ocean/beach and just watch the sunset and listen to music. I will never forget these days where I was so at peace with myself.

Also, 100% journal about each day. It will help the memories last forever.
Pros
  • Fun times with friends in the cohort
  • Good work life balance
  • Great places to explore in Ireland
Cons
  • Long commute to hang with friends or to the city
  • Long work weeks
  • Bad weather (to be fair, coming from someone from California)
4 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Maureen
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

IGY Internship Program in Dublin

I am so grateful to have participated in the IGY Internship Program in Dublin. I was able to build a solid portfolio and gain work experience as an editorial intern.

Working in an Irish office helped me to build friendships with coworkers, which made the experience all the more immersive.
We also spent time traveling around other parts of Ireland, viewing historical and natural sights. This was my favorite part!

Thank you IGY for providing me with this experience and new lifelong friendships!

Pros
  • Immersive cultural experience
  • Nightlife
  • Building a solid portfolio
Cons
  • Dublin is expensive
  • Housing
55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
brin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish Gap Year

I had a great experience with the program, and felt like I learned a lot through my internship at Hotpress Magazine. I am happy with the portfolio I built during the experience, and was grateful for the independence the program gave me, living in Dublin.

I also had a lovely time on program trips, traveling throughout the country and especially appreciated that they both had a mildly structured element, but also gave us time to explore on our own.

I built strong friendships with the people in my program as well, and am grateful for that.

Pros
  • Great internship
  • Great people
  • Fun trips
Cons
  • The housing situation got a bit dicey for me and a friend of mine
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Lukas
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish gap year is an amazing experience

Irish gap year has been an amazing experience for me as it has provided me with experiences I would not have had otherwise, not to mention how much practical work experience I have gained though this program, I’ve been working a job in the field I want to major in and i have learned so much before even going to college. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel to several places I would not have otherwise, I’m so happy to be able to see so many places that I wouldn’t normally be able to visit. Irish gap year is awesome.

Pros
  • Good experience
  • Good on resume
  • Fun
Cons
  • A little tiring
49 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Trent
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Irish Gap Year Dublin Internship

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.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Bring a rain jacket or umbrella anywhere you go, because the weather is extremely unpredictable.
98 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Andrew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Bakery Internship

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.

97 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Malcolm
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Internship

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!!!

91 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers