Donegal Castle, Gaelic Football and Derry

We wanted to post a few pictures from our trip to Donegal Castle, and our trip to Derry.  Our study abroad course is winding down. We have ropes course lessons tomorrow, and Tuesday is our presentation and exam day. Then we head to Dublin.  Enjoy the pictures and we will see you soon! 

        

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday night and Monday

Ashley conquering the leap of faith challenge

Sunday night was too windy to kayak so we did a team challenge and then completed a few high ropes challenges. See pictures, the women were AMAZING conquering great challenges such as the balance beam walk, the leap of faith and the tightrope walk.  Yesterday we learned a bit more history from Niamh all the way to the potato famine, had some fun kayaking in the afternoon and then had class with me last night. Today we have a bit of history in the morning, a trip to Donegal Castle in the afternoon and then a Gaelic Football lesson in the evening followed with the opportunity to watch Gaelic Football live. Wednesday – Friday are our free travel days so we will be back Saturday or Sunday with an update.

Team Challenge Sunday night

Casey safely propelling down from the beam

Update

Life has been busy here at the Adventure Centre. Thursday evening we attended an “interesting” one person play at the theatre in Sligo. This was followed by an evening out learning about the Irish Pub Culture. Friday we had an all day trip. Our first stop was Killybegs, perhaps the most important Irish Seaport. Made a stop for lunch in Glencolmcille and finished the tour off at Sliabh League Cliffs, the highest sea cliffs in all of Europe. Saturday we had time to tidy up our rooms, do laundry, etc. and then did some shopping in Sligo. Today, Sunday, we will be kayaking!  Thanksf for following us! 

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

This morning we had an Irish History Workshop conducted by Naimh (http://www.adventure-ireland.com/newweb/pages/eng_staff.html) and learned about the arrival of Christianity to Ireland. We were inspired by St. Patrick (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick) and his leadership skills, learned about the difference between the shamrock and a clover, and were reminded that Ireland is free of snakes. Our travels consisted of a visit to Mass rock, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_rock), 

Our group gathered at Mass rock with Niamh

and  St. Patrick’s well, and then visited the town and shops of Ballyshannon.

Candice and Carol Anne at St. Patrick's well

Our evening consisted of team challenges on the low ropes course. This evening we will attend a play at a theatre in Sligo.

Casey, Candice, Carol Anne, Maggie and Sarah holding up some of the Irish shoe trends in Ballyshannon

Spider Challenge at the Low Ropes Course

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Today we learned a bit about Yeats, his life, his poetry, and we had the opportunity to visit a few of the places that inspired his writing and saw his grave site. In the evening we attended an aerobics session in the town and Candice, Mallory, Maggie and Sarah helped lead the group (thanks Professor Rohner for teaching us, we were certainly prepared thanks to you).

‘Where the wandering water gushes

From the hills above Glen-Car,

In pools among the rushes

That scare could bathe a star,

"Cast a cold eye on life, on death" The epitaph on the grave

We seek for slumbering trout

And whispering in their ears

Give them unquiet dreams;

Learning soflty out

From ferns that drop their tears

Over the young streams.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world’s more full of weeping than you

can understand’

–From the Stolen Child William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)

Burn baby burn

First few days. . .

After a long day of travel, we arrived in Bundoran, Ireland, and were immediatly met by Collie and Niamh. We settled into our rooms at the Homefield House and were soon participating in an orientation of the Adventure Centre and the town of Bundoran.

view from town

 Our goal on day one was to all stay awake so that we could quickly become on Irish time. Sunday Rebecca and Dr. Bush were the first to awake and went for a lovely morning run along the sea. Niamh took us for a great lunch (speaking of lunch, don’t fret, we sure are eating well…TOO WELL!! ). Our afternoon consisted of a surf lesson in our powerranger wet suits.

candice and rebecca battling it out before our curragh race

Then a delicious dinner, and a low and high ropes course lesson which consisted of teamwork activities and rock climbing and repelling. We watched a movie that evening and retired for some rest. Monday we had many walkers, joggers and runners who awoke to exercise (and work off the many calories we are intaking at our meals) and enjoy the wonderful views. Niamh educated us on our first history lesson, and we built curraghs in the afternoon and had a curragh race…Team O’Becca won the race, but clearly team Punk won the poem contest led by their file Angela. That evening we attempted (and Rebecca and Angela mastered) the Jacob’s Ladder challenge with help, support and teamwork from everyone else..and Mallory and Dr. Bush met their goal with Jacob’s Ladder…

Angela and Rebecca at the top of Jacob's ladder

Following this each group member met their individual goal with the zip line. It’s now Tuesday and the girls are learning a bit about Yeats at the moment and we are heading off to Drumcliff after our lunch and hope to find a four leaf clover for Casey…have a busy day ahead of us which finishes tonight when we lead an aerobics class for the town. So far, there have been many laughs and lots of learning. Will keep you posted!  kb

teamwork at its best

Adventure Ireland College Programs

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