Irish Life Experience

The countdown is on, and we have just 2 remaining spots available for this year's Irish Life Experience.

If you are a high school student-or know a high school student-who dreams of spending the summer exploring Ireland, making lifelong friends, experiencing a new culture, and creating unforgettable memories, NOW is the time to act.

We depart in just a few weeks, and this is your final chance to join an incredible group of students for what truly will be the summer of a lifetime.

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with students, families, teachers, coaches, and friends who may be interested.

Only 2 spots remain-don't miss out!

Apply - Irish Life Experience Apply The Irish Life Experience has strict requirements to be accepted into the program, which include the following: An application is completed by the student and student’s parent(s). Faculty recommendations are completed. All are submitted with a $600 deposit. Students are notified of approval/...

And finally, rounding out the Dream Team for the 2026 Irish Life Experience-please welcome Taryn! ☘️

As the person who coordinates the program year-round, Taryn wears many hats behind the scenes to help create an unforgettable summer for every student. This summer, she’ll also be teaching Irish Studies and sharing her love of Ireland’s rich history, traditions, culture, and storytelling.

Taryn has recently taken up the tin whistle and is excited to share her new musical talents with all of you this summer! When she’s not planning adventures for ILE, you can usually find her hiking in the mountains, skiing, at spin class, rolling out a yoga mat, curled up with a good book, or spending time with family and friends. A passionate traveler, she has explored many parts of the world, but Ireland will always feel like home after more than 80 trips to the Emerald Isle.

She cannot wait to meet all of you very soon and help make this summer one you’ll never forget. The countdown is officially on! ☘️

Please join us in welcoming Mark Cooney to the 2026 Irish Life Experience Dream Team! Mark has been an instrumental part of this program for many years, and his impact on our students is impossible to measure. Through his kindness, humour, sarcasm, wisdom, and genuine care for every student he meets, Mark continues to help transform lives and make each summer unforgettable.

A proud Waterford native and dedicated special education teacher, Mark brings an incredible knowledge of Irish history and culture to the program as our Irish History teacher. He will also be sharing his passion for the Gaelic Games, especially his speciality-hurling 🏑

Whether he’s teaching in the classroom, coaching on the pitch, or making everyone laugh at dinner, Mark helps create the magic that makes the Irish Life Experience so special.

Married to the lovely Sarah, father to Ava, and loved by everyone who meets him, we truly couldn’t do this without him. We cannot wait for this summer’s students to experience the heart, humor, and passion Mark brings to the program every single day.

The Dream Team just keeps getting stronger! 🍀

Please join us in giving the warmest welcome to James, who will officially be joining the Irish Life Experience this summer! This announcement feels especially meaningful, as James first became connected to the program all the way back in 2014 alongside his-and our-dear friend Eddie, when they were just teenagers themselves. Watching life come full circle in this way is incredibly special.

After years of convincing, begging, and relentless campaigning, we are finally getting James for the summer-and trust us, he is worth the wait. A proud Waterford native and now an Irish teacher at an elementary school, James will be sharing his passion for the Irish language and Irish literature with our students. His love for Irish culture runs deep, and his energy for teaching is something truly special.

When he’s not in the classroom, James loves working out, is an exceptionally talented musician, and can often be found playing both the bagpipes and the uilleann pipes. He’s also a devoted dog dad to the legendary Bruno, who we already consider an honorary member of the Dream Team.

We honestly could not be happier to finally welcome Stoney to the Irish Life Experience family. He brings heart, humor, talent, and authenticity to everything he does, and we have no doubt he will help give our students the summer of a lifetime.

Please give a huge Irish Life Experience welcome to Natalie! ☘️🇮🇪

Natalie is no stranger to the Irish Life Experience family. After travelling with us three previous times-once as a student and twice as a Junior Counsellor-she officially returns this summer as a full-fledged counselor and our Irish American History Teacher!

Our resident farmer and herbalist, Natalie brings one of the warmest and most positive spirits you could ever hope to meet. Whether she’s caring for animals, creating incredible artwork, weaving the finest St. Brigid’s crosses in all the land, or training for yet another triathlon during the summer, she does everything with heart, kindness, and determination.
Her passion for Ireland, history, and community shines through in everything she does, and we could not be more excited to have her back helping create unforgettable memories for this year’s students.

Be sure to give Natalie a big warm welcome-and wish her luck as she reunites with her soul mate, Evan, once again this summer. 💚

Please join us in welcoming Tyler Krell back to the 2026 Irish Life Experience Dream Team as a Counselor!

We couldn’t be more excited to have him back for his fourth trip with the program. Tyler first travelled with Irish Life Experience in 2012, and the experience forever changed his life. Since then, he returned in 2016, 2017, and now again in 2026 to help create that same magic for a new generation of students.

Fondly known as “TK,” Tyler is our very own gentle giant, much like Fionn mac Cumhaill himself. He brings creativity, kindness, and steady leadership everywhere he goes. With an incredible artistic eye for photography and a talent for pottery, TK helps students see Ireland through a unique and thoughtful lens.

He’s also our resident tech guru and unofficial banker- always keeping an eye on students’ spending habits and encouraging wise financial decisions along the way…, whether they like it or not! 😂

We are so grateful to have TK back on the team and cannot wait for the memories, laughter, and guidance he’ll bring to the summer of 2026. Please help us give him the warmest welcome back!

Please join us in welcoming Kaytlin Dwyer to the 2026 Irish Life Experience Dream Team!

Kaytlin is from Springdale and will be graduating from the University of Arkansas-woo pig sooie! An Open Champion Irish dancer, she has been competing and performing for over 17 years and brings an incredible passion for Irish culture and dance to the team.

As our Irish dance teacher, Kaytlin is excited to show students their 3’s and 7’s while sharing her love of Irish dance throughout the journey. Although this will be her very first trip to Ireland, she is beyond excited to experience the magic of the country alongside our students and help create unforgettable memories every step of the way.

We are so excited to have Kaytlin as part of the 2026 Dream Team and cannot wait for all the fun, laughter, and dancing ahead!

We’re so excited to welcome Joy to the team this summer! After attending the Irish Life Experience in 2024 (Which she calls the summer of a lifetime), she’s back and ready to help create that same magic for all of you.

Joy will be assisting with office duties, leading drama classes, and teaching workshops-bringing her energy, creativity, and love of the arts to everything she does. She’s an incoming junior at Gonzaga University, an avid reader, a hot dog enthusiast, and can absolutely crush “Valerie” at karaoke!

This summer, she’s also on a mission to learn how to do a backflip, so stay tuned for that!

Joy can’t wait to meet all of our new students, share her experience, and maybe even convert a few of you into Gonzaga basketball fans!

Here’s to another unforgettable summer! Show her some love. ❤️

Please help us welcome Liam Bevan to the Irish Life Experience 2026 Program as a Junior Counselor! 🇮🇪✨

This will be Liam’s third time traveling with us, and we truly couldn’t be happier to have him back. He’s been such a valued part of our summers, and this year brings an exciting new chapter. As a Junior Counselor, Liam will be assisting our staff with projects, doing head counts, and helping all of our new students settle in and feel at home.

A few things about Liam… He loves a good chat, can fall asleep anywhere (Especially on the bus 😴), and has expert knowledge of the best coffee and sweet spots around. He’s also no stranger to the occasional luggage mishap and is widely recognized as a Fanta connoisseur…, although he tells us he’s cutting back this summer.

We’re so excited to see him step into this new role and support the next group of students on their journey.

Show Liam some love and give this post a double tap ❤️!

We jumped on the trend-and honestly, we’re here for it. Huge thanks to NASA for “discovering” our name, the ILE, right here on Earth. Pretty cool moment! 🌍✨

While everyone’s talking about it, we’ll just leave this here: A few spots are still open for the 2026 program.
If you’ve been thinking about it…, this is your sign from above. Sign up today.