School had only just started when 48 fourth formers went on a language trip to Bray / Dublin from September 11th to September 18th. Accompanied by their teachers Barbara Schachinger, Josef Koppensteiner, Peter Pollak, Kathrin Fichtinger and Andrea Löschenbrand the group arrived in Bray to meet their host families. After an exciting day, including the first flight for many students and the first lessons of the language course, all of us were happy to get a tasty Irish dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Luckily, everybody found their way to the school on the first morning and was ready to attend the language course. In the break 48 excited students rushed down to the beach to take a look at the sea and relax in the best school yard ever – a routine that would be repeated in the following days.
After the lessons in the morning we set off to Dublin on three afternoons, where we went on a guided tour to get an interesting first impression of Ireland’s capital. An absolute highlight was visiting the Jeanie Johnston, the replica of a ship that the Irish used to flee to the USA during the Great Famine. Of course we also saw many other sights like the statue of Molly Malone, Christ Church Cathedral, the Diving Bell and the Docklands, Trinity College, the Ha’penny Bridge and the Temple Bar District. Luckily, we also got the chance to do some shopping in Henry Street and Grafton Street. To reveal a secret: The Lego store there is awesome 😊.
On Wednesday we set off to climb Bray Head, a hill which we had already spotted from the beach. For some of us this was one of the best activities of the week because our exhausting climb was rewarded with a stunning view of Bray and the sea. On our way back to Bray we visited Killruddery Gardens, where we could enjoy some time in a well-groomed park surrounding a castle-like estate.
In no time it was Friday noon and we could show our Austrian teachers what we had learned in funny and creative presentations. At the weekend we went on two full-day excursions, which enabled us to see the beautiful landscape and the manifold shades of green – thanks to the Irish rain, of which we saw quite a lot. On Saturday we explored the monastic site of Glendalough, the valley of the two lakes, and Wicklow Gaol (= jail) and Coast. On Sunday we visited Kilkenny Castle and got the chance to practise our golfing skills, which was quite funny. Thank God nobody was hit by any of the many balls that did not fly as planned.
Time was flying and after an exciting week in which we made unforgettable memories we had to say goodbye to the Emerald Isle and our host families. Who knows, maybe some of us will really come back to do their studies at Trinity College?!
Mag. Barbara Schachinger