Ireland (Bray & Dublin) Travel Report

On Monday, 14 October we arrived at Dublin Airport and went to Bray by coach. Bray is a lovely town situated at the Irish Sea and the people are most polite and loving with a great sense of humour (just like everywhere in Ireland). Mr & Mrs Mooney, our host parents, were very kind and likeable.

On Tuesday, 15 October, after having English lessons in our language school, all of us went for a walkabout in Bray and Dublin. Dublin is a lively city with beautiful sights but like any other big cities it is rather dirty and I found it quite shocking to see beggars and homeless people. In the evening we had an Irish dancing class in the Esplanade Hotel, which was a lot of fun. By the way, we attended school from Tuesday to Friday (9:00 – 12:15). The subject material was grammar, Irish slang/pronunciation and Ireland’s history. 

On Wednesday, 16 October we visited Trinity College and its gorgeous campus. I was absolutely fascinated by the “long room”, the library of the college. Afterwards, we did 45 minutes of shopping and then we had an interesting tour in the Irish Whiskey Museum. The guide told us many stories in a hilariously sarcastic way. We also went out for dinner that evening and had a good time.

On Thursday, 17 October we went to Dublin by train to do a little bit of shopping in Henry Street but we did not buy that much, as Ireland is quite expensive. 

On Friday, 18 October we visited the Little Museum of Dublin. I really liked that all the rooms were decorated with loads of pictures. The tour guide told us stories as if he were an actor, which some of my classmates did not like, but he had a great sense of irony. Afterwards, we went for a stroll in St. Stephen’s Green Park and did some shopping in Grafton Street.

On Saturday, 19 October we went to the Knowth Passage Tomb by bus. Knowth was impressive and I enjoyed the view but, to be honest, this trip would have been so much more beautiful on a sunny day. We also visited a former monastery and a graveyard with the famous Celtic high crosses. On Sunday, 20 October we did a little bit of sightseeing in Dublin. The nice tour guide on the Jeanie Johnston gave us very interesting insights in Ireland’s history of poverty and famine. After strolling around in the city on our own, we met at Christ Church Cathedral, one of the two main churches in Dublin.In the evening, we had dinner in a typical Irish pub, called “The Anchor” in Bray. It was really delicious and we enjoyed having dinner with the whole class and our teachers. 

On Monday, 21 October, our last day, we hiked to Bray Head. This was my personal highlight as I love being in the nature. We walked up that hill very quickly like real

mountaineers. It only took us about 15 minutes to reach the top and the view was absolutely amazing.

Summing up, I really enjoyed our trip to Ireland. The landscapes in County Wicklow and County Dublin are not as breathtaking as in County Kerry, where I did my internship, but it was still beautiful and I enjoyed the sea breeze. In spite of the windy weather, the rather unhealthy food or tap water which needed getting used to – I was happy all the time, probably because Ireland already feels a little bit like home to me. This country and the people simply never fail to impress me and I am truly thankful for the experience I have gained and the memories that were made.