Clonmacnoise and Athlone's Viking River Cruise 

Clonmacnoise was founded in AD 544, so it is more than 1,400 years old. Monks chose this place because it was beside the River Shannon, the most important travel route in medieval Ireland. This was not a quiet place. It was busy and international. Students, traders, kings, and pilgrims came here from different countries. Monks studied, copied books by hand, and shared knowledge. Vikings attacked Clonmacnoise several times, but it was rebuilt again and again. This shows how important it was to Irish religion, learning, and culture.

Questions for students:
• Why were rivers important before cars and trains?
• Would you like to live or study in a place like this? Why?

The high crosses at Clonmacnoise are made of stone and are over 1,000 years old. They were used to teach stories from the Bible to people who could not read. Think of them like medieval comic books. The pictures show kings, animals, battles, and religious scenes. Some crosses are damaged because of bad weather and Viking attacks. These carvings tell us what people believed and what was important in their lives. Each cross is like a history book made of stone.

Questions for students:
• Can you find a picture you recognise?
• Why were pictures more useful than writing in the past?

Athlone is a town built around the River Shannon, which divides Ireland into east and west. For hundreds of years, this was one of the few safe places to cross the river, so Athlone became very important. That is why battles and castles were built here. Today, Athlone feels relaxed and modern, but its history is still part of the town. During free time, students can see everyday Irish life — cafés, shops, and young people meeting friends. It is also a good place to practise polite, real-life English.

Questions for students:
• Why do towns often grow near rivers?
• What differences do you notice between Athlone and your town?

The Viking RiverSplash tour is fun, but it is based on real history. Vikings came to Ireland about 1,200 years ago, using ships to travel by sea and rivers like the Shannon. At first, they attacked places like monasteries, but later many Vikings stayed and built towns such as Dublin. Over time, they mixed with local people and became part of Irish society. On this tour, the guide wears Viking clothes and uses jokes to make history easy to remember. The splash into the river shows how important waterways were to Viking life.

Questions for students:
• Why did Vikings prefer rivers to roads?
• Are you surprised that Vikings later became settlers?