Where did you go on your school tours?

Primary school:
Newgrange Farm, The Zoo, Newgrange, Knowth & Dowth. Glendalough, some museum, Armagh Planetarium and A coca-cola bottling place.

Secondary school:
Carlingford

France & Germany. I was only in 2nd year and it was my first time away from home.

An Adventure centre in Galway and An Adventure centre in Donegal (one night we had to sleep in the woods and got bit by insects all night long, it was a nightmare).

Some kind of peace & reconciliation centre in the middle of nowhere.

Dry slope skiing (near Dublin). On the way there the bus went on fire and we had to stand on the side of the road for two hours waiting for a replacement bus.

At 12 we stayed in a convent in Belgium. Was OK.


Pros:
- Being Belgium they served Beer with meals
- Plenty of trips out, Atomium, Antwerp ...


Cons



- A kid a couple of years above fell out with me for reasons I still don't know. He was a skinhead, which made the 10 day break a bit like some escape movie. Always looking over my shoulder. Ye bastard.

Primary School, the annual school picnic went to Silver Strand nr.Wicklow town - fab beaches and smugglers caves; Lough Dan and the one dreadful year to Mosney and than back to Silver Strand thereafter.

Secondary school was more exciting with numerous trips - the Burren 3/4 day Nature trip staying in Lisdoonvarna; Stratford on Avon to see King Lear (I was only allowed to go if I promised to give up English !) and the Continent (based in Ostend) and taking in Bruges when it was only famous for lace; Brussels, Paris and, of course, Amsterdam where we managed to shake off the teachers.

My last two years I was in charge of the school natural history club and was able to hire coaches at will to such exciting destinations as Malahide Estuary, Robertstown Falconry and Lugnaquilla - the latter was right up my street as I could cool my feet in the river and have a few crafty beers, and smokes, at the Baravore Ford while the saps made their way to the summit.

Primary
1-Athlone - Cruise on Shannon & Clonmacnoise
2-Clare- Leadmore Icecream Factory in kilrush & Kilkee.
3-Clare- Ailwee Caves
4-Cork- Fota Wildlife Park

Secondary
1-Knock- Gardaí were called as some girls shoplifted at the looks there. School was the shame of the city next morning.
2-Viking Museum & Kilmainham gaol

Clara lara. I honestly believed there were crocodiles there

I remember going to France and girls from a different school sneaking into our room and shifting everyone apart from me. In fairness, one girl wanted to shift me but I didn't want any part of it.

It goes without saying they were girls from another Irish school. As if French girls would shift a bunch of pale, gawky Irish lads.

Primary school - early 80's, flew aer lingus from Shannon to Dublin (big thrill back in the day) - took in Dublin Zoo and all the usual museums and then a quick shopping spree in henry st & moore st for the stalls and then a quick visit to Hector Greys then end the day at Heuston station to take the train home, .

I just had a flashback. God Bundoran is an awful hole

Biggest thrill in the 1970 was to get on a bus and drive to Shannon Airport. Then get on a jet aircraft to fly to Dublin where our bus was waiting for us. Then dropped tp Grafton St for ‘free time’ where we all went to Dandaloin Market and spent our few coins in McDonalds as only Dublin had MccDonalds and that burger was the best burger in the works in the 70’s

Remember in 5th class we went to Liverpool for a couple of days. Sign of the Celtic Tiger starting to roar if ever there was one. Good times...

cj maxx wrote: »

I just had a flashback. God Bundoran is an awful hole

I don't like replying to myself but the only reason we went to Bundoran is it's in the same diocese. Catholic school and all