About us
A small school on a big coast
Wild Summer School was built in Limerick by teachers who were tired of watching teenagers bussed around Ireland without ever meeting it. We stayed small on purpose.
Our story
Most junior programmes sell Ireland. We hand students the actual thing and get out of the way.
We started with four host families in Limerick and one class group. A decade later we run two hubs, a full outdoor programme and a season capped deliberately at 150–200 students — because the moment a junior school grows past that, the director stops knowing the students' names.
Our partners are agencies and schools who have been let down by volume operators: changed accommodation on arrival, unstaffed excursions, unanswered phones. Our answer is boring and total — publish the price, meet the contract, answer the phone.
Educational philosophy
Communicative, or nothing
Language is used, not studied
Every class produces something real — a podcast, a debate, a guided tour — so English becomes a tool rather than a subject.
Place is the curriculum
The Burren, the Shannon and Connemara supply the content. Students learn vocabulary they will stand in the middle of that afternoon.
Small enough to be accountable
We cap the season at 150–200 students. Directors know every group leader by name and answer the phone themselves.
Real families, real Ireland
Full-board host family stays with vetted households who eat with our students, drive them and argue with them about hurling.
Our mission
English fluency through authentic cultural exchange
To give teenagers from around the world a summer in which English stops being an exam and starts being how they order chips, ask about the tide, and argue with a host brother — while the adults around them are qualified, vetted and accountable.
Andrew Sweeney
Founder & Director of Studies
Fifteen years in Irish ELT, a background in teacher training and CEFR curriculum design, and a stubborn belief that junior programmes should be run by teachers.
Welfare & Safeguarding Lead
Designated Liaison Person
Oversees host family vetting, supervision ratios, incident reporting and the 24/7 welfare line across both hubs.
Activities Director
Outdoor Programme
Coordinates surf coaches, mountain leaders and Gaelic games instructors, and holds the risk assessments for every excursion.