Outdoor Pursuits

Marlay Park

For our first outdoor trip of TY we walked to Marlay Park. We left the school at around 11:30am. The walk was kind of long but once we got there we went straight to the playground. There we sat around and relaxed or played for 30 minutes before we left and walked towards the cafe. We ate our lunches and played games on the green before we left back to the school at around 14:00. It was a nice, relaxing day.

Zipit

For our second outdoor pursuit we went to Zipit in Tibradden. We had to be at the school by 11:15 the school organized a bus there and it only took about 15 minutes. Once we arrived we got our harnesses on and were given a demonstration of how to use all the clips and how to zipline safely.

There was many courses to choose between from green, which was the easiest, to red, which was the hardest. All the staff were incredibly welcoming, helpful and overall it was a great day.

Rathfarnham Equestrian Centre

We had to be at the horse riding centre for 11:45am. When we started, we were told to put ourselves in two groups. Group 1 went around the back to where the horses were and each person was given one horse to lead around and brought them into the main ring. Group 2 spent this time getting on helmets. Once we were ready, we were paired up with one from each group. Group 2 rode the horses first, and group 1 led the horse around the ring. We started with walking, and then we learned to trot, and finally we went for a short walk outside. We then swapped around, with group 2 leading and group 1 riding. It was a very fun day and everyone really enjoyed it.

EPIC Museum

We went to the EPIC museum in Dublin 1 as our fourth outdoor pursuit. We got the bus into town and all met up outside, got our "passports" which we got stamped throughout the museum, and set off on a cultural journey.

This museum explores the lives of Irish people emigrating to different places like the USA as well as the impact that Irish people have had on the world in acting, comedy and sports. It also highlighted the struggles of Irish immigrants and the discrimination they faced.

It was a great trip and allowed everyone to learn more about our country's history through a more exciting way.

Dublin Climbing Centre

We went to the Dublin Climbing Centre in Tallaght for our fifth outdoor pursuit. We had to make our own way there so when everyone arrived we got harnesses on and given the demonstration on how to climb the most efficient way and how to get down safely. There was a plethora of walls to choose from ranging in difficulty so there was something for everyone even if you weren't as confident at climbing. The staff were very motivating and really pushed you to try your best.

Kylemore Go Karting

We went to Kylemore Go karting as our sixth outdoor pursuit. The school organized a bus there and took about half an hour. Once we arrived we were given the equipment needed like the jackets, gloves and helmet. Each of our jackets had our number on it and we were sorted into groups accordingly.

For the first lap we were accompanied by an instructor but for the rest we were on our own. We had a few rounds of qualifiers and then a final with the best performances of each qualifiers.

Overall it was an exhilarating day which everyone enjoyed.

Jumpzone

We went to Jumpzone in Liffey Valley. The school organized a bus there and took about 20 minutes. When we arrived they gave us the safety video to make sure everyone knew how to act safely.

There were a number of things to do there from a dodgeball tournament to ninja courses as well as areas of trampolines for flips and tricks. All the instructors were very helpful and welcoming to all of us and it was a great opportunity spend time with friends. After we finished we had the chance to spend some time in Liffey Valley to get some food or do some shopping.

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Causey Farm

We went to Causey Farm in Meath. We got the bus at 9 am, it took us about an hour to get there. When we first arrived we all went into a room and got to know the instructor who was going to help us for the day. His name was Diarmud. Firstly he taught us all how to make brown sourdough bread. We got into pairs and made the bread and put it in the oven.

We then did some other activities like walking around, feeding animals and petting them, at the end of our walk we went to mineshafts. They were little handmade tunnels we had to crawl through. Last but not least, we went to the bog. We got a lift up there and when we got there, we jumped in. I think this was a very good experience for us all, I think it made all of us bond and get closer as people together, we all really enjoyed this activity.

-Grace Kendal 4C