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

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

‘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

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