A stunning school trip to Cork publié le 24/11/2022

A long way to … Cork, Ireland.
A stunning school trip in October 2022.
One week in Ireland  : that was the project proposed to the European section at Louis Audouin-Dubreuil vocational high school, in Saint Jean d’Angely. 45 youngsters and 5 teachers hit the road towards Cork.
For some of them, it was the first time they left their families and even the first time they were going abroad. They discovered unusual spots such as the Titanic Experience Museum in Cobh. There, they played the part of one of the 123 passengers embarking on the Titanic in Queenstown, the former name of Cobh. At the end of the visit, thanks to the name they had on their card, they learnt if their character had survived or not to the shipwreck.
Then, through explanations from our guide, they discovered the beautiful town of Cork, the second city of Ireland : its history, architecture, culture, some anecdotes. They could walk its busy streets, its covered market -called English market- and discover the importance of the port life upon the economy of the city.
They also fell under the spell of small towns like Kinsale, strolling into the lovely streets of the medieval town and visit Charles Fort Castle, a Vauban star-shaped fort. Kinsale, with its very small town centre and its stunning harbour, is the capital of gastronomy with its gourmet festival beginning on October 15.

On another day, they discovered the Ring of Kerry, popping into picturesque villages or unusual places where famous people like Charles de Gaulle or Charlie Chaplin set foot.
And the end of the stay, they visited the world-renowned Waterford Crystal, where they discovered how to make crystal and the meticulous work done by talented workers. They also discovered the Vikings’ footprints in the town centre.
Back to France…
Spending eighteen hours on a ferryboat was an adventure for most of the students but they were lucky as there were only 176 passengers on board… It was as if the boat belonged to them. Most of them are still enthusiastic when speaking about the families who welcomed them.
So many moments enjoyed by these youngsters, despite the difficulties encountered all along the 18 months spent to elaborate this project : the sanitarian crisis, the effects of the economic and international policies. The take home message : never give up when you run into the first obstacle, because all that stuff disappears when you see the students’ eyes shining with wonder in front of the crystals as if they were in front of a decorated Christmas tree or when they admired the amazing spot called Ladies’ View, in Killarney National Park.

Muriel Pluyaut and Josiane Salmon