In September our TY was trip to Achill Island in Co. Mayo. This trip has been a highlight of my school year so far and even a highlight of my entire time in school. I got to spend time with some of my closest friends and strengthen relations with others. We got to see the natural beauty of Ireland first hand with places like Keem Bay.
We got the opportunity to take part in activities that we previously would not have done. Some of the activities we took part in were cycling, hiking, surfing, kayaking, pier-jumping, bingo and a table quiz. We didn’t use our phones as much as usual and instead we spent our time socialising and playing games. We played table tennis, pool and hurling. We got to spend a lot of time together and we really enjoyed each other's company. The cycle we did was probably my least favourite part. We cycled 20km, some of which was uphill and against the wind. The surfing was very enjoyable and quite challenging. It was difficult to catch a wave and then not hit anyone. We had Mr Noonan with us and he was surfing as well.
We had lots of bonding opportunities and I really enjoyed the chance to connect with some people I previously wouldn’t have which is a brilliant aspect of the TY experience. One of the highlights for me was spending time with my friends at night in our room. I also very much enjoyed the evenings when we would go pier jumping, come back and shower, get changed, have dinner and then meet up and do either table quiz or bingo.
I believe that Achill was very beneficial to us and I greatly enjoyed the experience. I am very grateful to have had this experience with the school and I believe this will be one of the highlights for most TY students.
Jack McCarthy Jones TYW