Sunday morning Irish Way classes with Niamh focused on the arrival of St. Patrick and Christianity to Ireland.  To wrap up class, we sang some lively Irish songs, including Wild Rover, Belfast Girl and Molly Malone.

 

After class, we broke into teams and used various materials to build boats.  Dressed in wet suits, students competed to see who could row fastest across a small pool... but all the boats sank. To overcome this obstacle, students swam with their boats to the finish line!

In the evening, we were introduced to rock climbing and abseiling (repelling).  Anna and James even climbed the wall blindfolded!

Happy Fourth of July!

In the afternoon we went to experience first hand about ancient burials and tombs (topics from the class) as we traveled to Carrowmore, a megalithic burial ground. Some of the tombs date back to 500 years before the pyramids.

After dinner, we pulled on the wet suits and learned how to surf! Even though when we got off of the bus it was pouring rain, those planning to learn participated in the lesson on the beach and got into the water. Luckily the weather soon cleared up after hitting the water and we had some very successful first time surfers. Everyone agreed that this was an exciting way to celebrate the Fourth of July. 

To continue the 4th of July celebration, we used a portable grill and celebrated with hot dogs and sparklers!

Let the classes begin

Today, we had our first class in Bundoran, learning about Irish history dating back to 4000 B.C. We learned about Celtic tribes and the role of each tribe member.  Also, we discussed the origins of many of our Irish names before joining Niamh and Justan in singing both traditional and modern Irish songs.

Teamwork!!!

Irish staff in Bundoran led the group in various activities to put our teamworking abilities to the test.  We worked together in competitions including building bridges, jumping rope and crossing tightropes. The daily splash of rain added an extra element to the challenges ... MUD!!! Everyone had a great time, with all hands on deck to help the team succeed. 

Welcome to Bundoran

Today, we said farewell to Galway and made our way to Bundoran, County Donegal, where we met our Irish teacher, Niamh.  After introducing ourselves and settling into our new accommodations, we had lunch and a tour of the local area.  Being flexible with the Irish weather, we cut our tour short due to some rain... which soon cleared into sunshine!  We're off to our first dinner in Bundoran, followed by some evening athletic games.

Last day in Galway.

Today we went to Kylemore Abbey and explored the grounds there. We stopped at the Connemara Marble factory for a tour of the marble/jewelry making process. The students then went into Galway with their drama groups to research a famous person in Irish history. They will be performing a skit towards the end of our time in Ireland on that person. After successful research sessions, we ate dinner and listened to traditional Irish music. Shannon showed her Irish dancing skills to all! We are off to Donegal tomorrow in the morning.

Dia dhuit! This morning we had our first class, a lecture by John Eastlake on Irish Literature. He focused on literature from the west of Ireland and Aran Islands. The students also learned several phrases in Gaelic. After the lecture, John walked us to the oldest part of the NUI campus and then back to our bus for a packed lunch. Then Joe (our bus driver/tour guide) took us on a walking tour of Galway- through the Cathedral, the Spanish Arch, and Shop street.

The view as we parked our bikes and walked to Dun Aengus yesterday.

The Aran Islands

Katie, Ellie, Erin, Heather, Meghan, Carolyn, Catherine, and Brigid at Dun Aengus during our day at the Aran Islands.


Today we went to Inishmore on a 10:30am ferry and rented bikes to explore the island. The students were free to bike around as they wished, but everyone met at Dun Aengus for pictures and lunch. Later when we got back to Galway, the group ventured out for dinner at the Galway Bakery Center. After dinner, counselor Katie and 5 students (Heather, Katie, Derek, Brigid, and Ellie) went to see the show Trad and the Prom, a show full of Irish dancing, singing, and music. The rest of the students explored Galway with counselors Noreen and Justan.

Here is the winning team (2-0) during the tug of war at Dan O'Hara's Homestead.

Here is the group during the tour at Dan O'Hara's Homestead with our tour guide Martin.

Group picture from the Cliffs of Moher

We made it to Galway

Well the Irish Way has happily landed in Ireland and with no lost luggage. We stopped at the Cliffs of Moher on the way from the airport and got some great pictures (which will be posted later tonight). Our next stop was at Dan O'Hara's Homestead which included lunch, a tour, and horseshoe and tug of war competitions. We're here now in Galway- showered and unpacked- and ready for some icebreakers and games before heading to bed early!

The Irish Way departs tomorrow!!

The 2009 Irish Wayers are busy packing and getting ready for the trip to Ireland! The Irish Way staff had their final orientation and are excited about the trip!

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