Fáilte go hÉirinn! – Welcome to Ireland!

From Monday 10 February to Friday 14 February, some Year 9 students went on an exciting language trip to Ireland under the guidance of Ms Seemann, Ms Beckert and Ms Brink-Arnz.

In the morning, we took part in various activities and often learnt about Wexford and Irish culture and history. Jim, our passionate tour guide and bus driver, was always present during these activities and shared his knowledge of Ireland and his stunning life experiences with us. In the afternoon, we visited Slaney Language School. Here we were divided into different courses where different teachers helped us to improve our language skills. After the language school, we went to our assigned host families to enjoy everyday life.

On Monday, we arrived in Dublin, the lively capital of Ireland, where we stayed for a while. Jim showed us around to point out interesting historical facts and hidden spots. He introduced us to Irish folk songs and the story of Molly Malone and her statue, one of the city’s landmarks. Then we were allowed to explore Dublin in groups. Later we travelled by bus to Wexford where we were welcomed by our friendly host families.

On Tuesday, we learnt and played hurling and Gaelic football, two Irish sports. Gaelic football is a variation of football with a lot of new rules, one of which is that you are allowed to use your hands. Hurling is played with a wooden stick called hurley and a small ball known as sliotar. We immensely enjoyed playing both sports. We also had a famous coach, Larry O’Garman, who is an Irish former hurler and who taught us the basics. The best player even got a signed ball.

On Wednesday, we split up in groups and went on a treasure hunt through Wexford, where we had to answer various questions within a limited time. It was a great chance to explore the city. Afterwards, we were allowed to walk around Wexford for a while before we had to go to the language school.

On Thursday, we first went to Curracloe Beach, where the Steven Spielberg film Saving Private Ryan was filmed. Even though it was quite windy, we could enjoy the beautiful landscape. After that, we went to the language school, but instead of going to our host families afterwards, we went to a yummy restaurant. There, the Slaney language school also presented the treasure hunt winners with their prizes and announced the students of the week with a big round of applause. After the restaurant we went bowling and enjoyed our last evening in Wexford.

The next morning, we headed back to Dublin, but before that, we stopped at Wicklow Mountain National Park. There, we enjoyed a walk through the phenomenal landscape and Jim told us the story of the graveyards there. After several hours of driving, we arrived in Dublin where we sadly had to say goodbye to Jim and go to the airport.

Even though we were all very exhausted, it is certain to say that we had a great time and are very thankful for such an amazing experience.

Ein Beitrag von Pauline Kalder (9c)