A gap year in Ireland
Gap years in Ireland
According to some very clever mathematicians, Ireland is the world’s best place to live. Who are we to disagree? It makes the perfect place for your gap year. Choose it for lots of projects and positions, plenty of literature, gorgeous hiking trails, and Guinness on tap. You won’t need to kiss the Blarney stone – wherever you set foot, Ireland is a lucky find.
Gap Year Opportunities
Ireland has a well-developed gap industry, focusing on adventure centres and volunteer projects. It’s a wonderful place to travel, with a lively bar culture, friendly towns and villages, and its own customs and folklore to discover.
Interested in adding another string to your bow? You could train as an instructor for watersports or sailing, or you could instead improve your social skills – we’re not talking about pub games! There are many opportunities for voluntary work in Ireland, which has the highest youth suicide rate in Western Europe. You could work with the homeless as part of Ireland’s Simon Community, or help stage a theatre production in a neglected community.
Some of Ireland’s universities and training centres offer packages that combine courses with an overseas trip – you could find yourself as part of a team heading for Spain, India, or Ecuador.
Getting Around
Ireland has a great transportation system, with rail and road networks owned by the government in both Northern Ireland and the Republic. It’s easy to travel between Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Galway, Belfast and Derry by car or bus. The city of Dublin has poor internal transport; if you’re not on foot, you’ll be relying on buses to get around (the tram route is very limited). However, the Dublin Area Rapid Transit train, following the first rail route to be built in Ireland, is a good option for exploring the county. It’s primarily used by commuters, so avoid peak hours unless you want to travel standing up. Tickets for DART are cheap and the line skims the coast, offering some lovely views along the way.
About Ireland
Since the mid-sixteenth century, England has had a hand in Irish politics, although the Irish Parliament maintained control until the nineteenth century. In 1801 the Act of Union made Ireland part of the United Kingdom. Growing unrest culminated in the Irish War of Independence in 1922, at which point the country was split in two: the 26 southern counties formed the Republic of Ireland, with the remaining six being maintained by the United Kingdom.
The Republic of Ireland, formerly heavily dependent on agriculture, has transformed its economy in the last ten years. Officially it now has the world’s second highest GDP, but this is misleading – a lot of international companies process their software and music through Ireland, because the country levies no tax on royalties. Putting those figures aside, Ireland is still supposed to have a per-head income of £20,000+, which is in the world’s top ten.
The country also ranks highly when it comes to quality of life – The Economist put it at number one in 2005. Criteria included material wealth, family life, health, political freedom and job security.
How does all this affect the costs of living? You’ll find there’s a big difference as you travel outwards from Dublin. Although tax on wages is low in Ireland, living in a city can be extremely expensive. Move out of Dublin – perhaps to the West of Ireland – and you’ll expect to pay 10-20% less for food, beer, and entertainment.
Don’t, however, let this put you off exploring Ireland’s cities. They’re warm, ancient, and modern – a charming blend of history and folklore with cosmopolitan bars and theatre. Dublin is the home of Guinness, with the Guinness Storehouse high on any stout-lover’s agenda. It’s also the home of free museums, and in the past was also home to Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and Jonathan Swift. Find inspiration at the Writer’s Museum, then book a garret room and begin your own masterpiece...