The Irish counties that make the best summer camp counsellors

Every summer, thousands of young Irish people swap home for an American summer camp, teaching kids to swim, climb, kayak and love the outdoors. Ireland ranks among the top 20 countries sending folks to the US, with 1,724 camp counsellor exchange visitors in 2025.

A great counsellor loves being outside, leading groups and passing on skills. That's not something you pick up overnight. It's built up over years of hiking, scouting, and coaching. So, we went looking for the counties where those habits run deepest.

Ireland's top 5 camp counsellor counties

1. Tipperary

Index score: 92 out of 100

Tipperary is home to 571 Mountaineering Ireland members and 15 scout groups. With 107 GAA clubs across a population of 168,000, that's about 64 clubs per 100,000 people, one of the highest rates in the country. And with Galtymore and Slievenamon among its most popular mountain ranges, someone who can coach a team and lead a hike is exactly who camp directors are looking for.

2. Wicklow

Index score: 91.9 out of 100

The Garden of Ireland is scouting central, with 19 scout groups and 4 sea scout groups across a population of 156,000. Add 675 Mountaineering Ireland members, plus the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough on the doorstep, and you get young people who grow up hiking, camping and leading groups outdoors. Basically, a camp counsellor in training.

3. Galway

Index score: 90.8 out of 100

Ireland's hillwalking capital has 1,542 Mountaineering Ireland members across the county. That's about 558 per 100,000 people. With 26 scout groups and 80 GAA clubs to its name, plus Connemara, the Wild Atlantic Way and a young, restless, festival-loving crowd, it's no surprise Galway turns people into adventurous outdoor types.

4. Waterford

Index score: 90.7 out of 100

The sunny southeast, Waterford scores well across all three measures, with 14 scout groups, 486 Mountaineering members (about 382 per 100,000) and 50 GAA clubs (about 39 per 100,000). With the Comeragh Mountains and the Copper Coast to explore, Waterford turns out young people who are more than ready for a summer of adventure.

5. Cork

Index score: 89.1 out of 100

The rebel county has the most Mountaineering Ireland members outside Dublin (2,591) and by far the most GAA clubs in the country (259), plus 42 scout groups and 4 sea scout groups. Even after adjusting for its huge population of 584,000, it holds firm in the top five. From Beara to Sheep's Head to the hurling pitches up north, Cork raises the best people for the outdoors.

The next wave of counsellors

Kerry lands sixth on 88.2, home to the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Ireland's highest peaks, a top hiking rate of 50 Mountaineering Ireland members for every 10,000 people is no surprise, backed up by 70 GAA clubs.

Leitrim is the real per-person story in seventh on 87.9, as Ireland's least populous county turns its small size into a strength: its 24 GAA clubs work out at 6.8 for every 10,000 residents, the highest rate of any county and a perfect 100 on that measure.

Clare is a steady all-rounder in eighth on 87.3, shaped by the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, with about 402 Mountaineering Ireland members and 41 GAA clubs for every 100,000 people.

Sligo takes ninth on 87.1, punching above its weight on the trails under Benbulben and Knocknarea, with around 483 Mountaineering Ireland members per 100,000, one of the best hiking rates in the whole top ten.

And Kilkenny rounds out the top ten on 82.7, the hurling-mad Marble City earning its place with a solid, well-balanced showing across all three measures rather than one standout number.

Fancy a summer at an American camp?

Whether through USIT or BUNAC, we've been sending young people to work at US summer camps for decades. Today we've got 800+ camps in our hiring pool and a 99% placement rate. You'll earn a minimum of $2,400 for the summer, with meals and accommodation all included. As both the camp agency and US visa sponsor, we offer start-to-finish support throughout your camp journey and during your time in the States.

You'll need to be 18 to 30 with a bit of childcare experience, and yes, camp is hard work, but it's the hardest job you'll ever love.

Applications for summer 2027 are open now

If you want to meet camp directors face-to-face, 17 American camps are flying into our Dublin hiring fair on 28 January 2027.

Methodology

To build the Camp Counsellor Index, we analysed three of Ireland's biggest outdoor and youth datasets. Mountaineering Ireland membership (from its latest Annual Review 2025), Scouting Ireland groups including sea scouts, and GAA clubs. We chose these three because they match what makes a great camp counsellor. Mountaineering Ireland shows a love of the outdoors, scouting shows a knack for leading kids, and the GAA shows a sport or skill you can pass on. Instead of just counting members, we compared each county to its population using the CSO Census 2022, so smaller counties get a fair shot against bigger ones. Then we scored all three from 0 to 100 and combined them into one Camp Counsellor Index.