Click HERE for more pictures (*taken by students and teachers).

After an action-packed week, a group of 61 motivated students and English teachers have returned from Ireland, the Emerald Isle. Here are some of their impressions on various topics:

Dublin
The city of Dublin was very lively, picturesque and felt historical. We saw lots of impressive street art and murals. One mural, for example, was devoted to a famous Irish novel. On each wall there was a different artwork depicting different parts of the novel. We also had the chance to try out many different restaurants and shops, which was great. (Carmen, Anna Lena, 6A)

Clonmacnoise
On our bus drive to Galway we stopped at Clonmacnoise. It was an early settlement built next to the river Shannon. First of all, we watched a short movie about the history of the village and afterwards we went around in the area with our guide Patrick. There were ruins of churches and houses, a few Celtic crosses, a tower and lots of graves to be seen. The highlight of the visit was the Whispering Arch. (Hanni, Julian, Kevin, 6A)

Glendalough
On the second day of our journey to Ireland we visited Glendalough, which is situated about 40 km south of Dublin. It is situated in the Wicklow Mountains and known for its famous monastery settlement. After we had watched a short movie about the history of Glendalough, we could see the tombs and churches in person. Afterwards we followed an idyllic path towards a lake. This gorgeous attraction is definitely worth a visit! (Carina, 6C)

Cliffs of Moher
On the second day of our Ireland trip we visited the Cliffs of Moher. In the beginning we were not really motivated to walk to the cliffs because we had only had a total of five hours of sleep in the last two days. But then we all thought that it would be very pleasant to stretch our legs after the long bus ride.
The walk was really worth it! The weather was very atypical for Ireland, as the sun was shining and there was hardly any wind so we couldn’t have been blown off the cliffs.
First we went to O’Brien’s Tower where we took a lot of photos of the cliffs and ourselves. Then we walked along the cliffs on the unfenced paths, which made some of us sweat quite a bit.
We enjoyed a breathtaking view and the beautiful scenery of Ireland. It was a great trip and I would definitely like to go there again. (Anna, 6B)

Galway
Galway is a quite small but cosy city. At first sight, it seems a little grey, but if you take a closer look, you may see that it is charming. We learned many interesting facts during our guided tour which included the most popular sights in Galway. But other than those, there are also multiple other pretty places to discover, like the little shops on the main street, lots of cafés with delicious hot chocolates and so many more. (Eva, 6C)

Language school
I think the language school was a great experience because now we know another school type, other kind of teachers and new English games. Some of my friends think it was a waste of time but I enjoyed it pretty much. Our teacher talked with us about a few topics which we were interested in. If I have the chance I will travel to Ireland again. (Sophia, 6B)

Irish food
During our time in Ireland we once had Irish breakfast for dinner, which was incredibly tasty. It included ham, eggs, beans, toast and sausages. Our host family told us that you can eat Irish breakfast also for lunch and for dinner. I hope I will eat it again back here in Austria. (Daniel, 6C)

Living with a host family
Every one of us was really satisfied with his/her host family – our expectations were definitely fulfilled. Our host parents treated us kindly and cooked delicious food. We always got food packs for school that fit our needs. The neighbourhood in which we lived was really quiet and we always got a good night’s rest. (Lukas, Rico, Moritz, 6A)
 
Aran Islands
When we visited the Aran Islands on Saturday we had a pretty nice day, even though the weather wasn’t perfect. Even if we had to deal with some little problems during our cycling trip, most of us really enjoyed it. Once we reached the top of a hill there, we had a great view and were able to take some incredible pictures. Altogether we had a wonderful last day in Ireland. (Helena, 6B)

*(c) pictures: Hanni (6A), Angi, Sophia (6B), Sarah, Carina (6C), HUB