By Gary Molloy & Danielle Higgins TY

We recently went up to Belfast on our Civic Link trip. We met with Ms. Lawlor and Mr. Walsh at 9.30am in Dun Laoghaire to get the Dart up to Connelly Station; from there we transferred trains to the Enterprise which would bring us to Belfast Central Station. The Enterprise took two hours to reach Belfast, but it didn’t seem so long as we just entertained ourselves playing cards and listening to music.

We then reached Belfast and Mrs. Brown collected us in their school mini bus which then brought us to Movilla High School in Newtownards. There we got lunch and met up with the other Civic Link group and chatted for a bit then they showed us around their school. We saw the Art rooms, P.E hall, Canteen, Home Ec. room and Science room.

After they showed us around their school they brought us for a walk around their town and  showed us some of the towns national landmarks and brought us to the art museum that was there also.
Then when we were finished our tours some of us were picked up in a party bus and brought to the Larne House were we were staying. We were then given our rooms which were very nice and it was five people to a room. After we sorted out our stuff in our rooms we were then given time to bond before we had dinner. In the evening we had a speaker from the Ulster Scots which was very informing and we also had a Scots/Irish dancer who had us all up doing a dance she had taught us, we were all wrecked by the end of it.

Then the next morning we were up at half 7 to be ready for breakfast at half 8. We were then split into two groups- half going horse riding and the other half had a river climb. At the horse riding we all learned how to groom and ride a horse properly and then in the river climb we had to walk up stream, climb up waterfalls and save Betty (our dummy). Everyone loved the river climb the most as it was very exciting but cold at the same time.

In the evening time after our dinner a disco was organized for us, which was extremely fun and gave us a chance to bond even better with the Movilla group. But Miss Lawler and Mr. Walsh wouldn’t join it as they thought it was too loud so they just chatted with the other teachers in the kitchen for the night. And as the last song was played we all got kind of sad because we knew we were going home the next morning.

We were woken up at about half 7 to get our bags packed and the rooms cleaned before we left. We all then said our goodbyes and were very sad to be leaving as we had bonded so much as a group with them.

Ms Brown then brought us to Belfast Central station and we got the Enterprise again. It was a sad trip home. But in the whole we all agreed that it was one of the best experiences that we have participated in so far in the Transition Year programme.

We would like to thank Mrs. Lawlor and Mr. Walsh for taking us on both exchanges.