Adventure in Carlingford

For the second weekend of the trip, students ventured up north to Carlingford, a town located on the Cooley Peninsula. The theme for the weekend was adventure and outdoor activity. We arrived on Friday evening and as the bus pulled in, students were immediately struck by the beauty of the water on one side and the mountains on the other. The students enjoyed taking photos of the rolling green landscapes dotted with sheep. The first night was all about getting settled in. After learning the rules for the weekend and unpacking their things, many students gathered in the courtyard to play volleyball. Tired from the journey and excited for the next day’s adventure, the students retired to their rooms to get some sleep. 

Saturday started bright and early. After breakfast, they walked through town and over to the water for some kayaking. Students again remarked on the beauty of the landscape and stopped to take more photos as they walked to the boathouse. A morning fog covered the tops of the mountain. They then put on their wetsuits, grabbed their paddles, and made their way into the water. Students enjoyed kayaking around and even played some games led by adventure center guides. 

Hungry from all the morning activity, they returned to the accommodations before heading back out for more fun. The afternoon activity involved trampolines, a maze, and some foot golf (trying to kick a soccer ball into a hole). Students especially enjoyed jumping on the trampolines and getting lost in the maze. During the evening, they were excited to learn that a group of students from Ireland was also spending the night at the same accommodations. It was a great opportunity to engage with them and learn more about Irish culture from people around their own age.Tired from all the activity, students went to bed….but not for long. They were woken up by a surprise fire alarm at 2:30 AM. Students did a great job of exiting the building. Thankfully, it was a false alarm, and they could soon return back to sleep. It was all a part of the adventure and a funny story to look back on. 

For the final day in Carlingford, the students broke into two groups for a competition. Each team was to construct a raft that they would then race. The materials included large paddleboards, beams of wood, and rope. They sat on the shore and worked together to build their rafts. Once they were done with construction, each team identified three representatives that would then race them. While the raft design was one component, students soon realized that paddling power and position were just as important. 

In the afternoon, students returned to the adventure center to do the high ropes course. They were briefed for safety and practiced on the low course first. Students enjoyed navigating the different challenges and said it was a great workout. We then headed back to the accommodations to get on the bus back to Dublin. It was a great weekend full of different activities for everyone.