Wednesday morning June 5th had finally arrived….we had been counting down the “sleeps” to the 3rd & 4th Class School Tour. And it did not disappoint!
The children boarded their bus at 8.45am and began the day with great excitement. The bus journey flew and soon we reached our first stop of the day, the Jump Street Trampoline Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon. The children were super patient and courteous, waiting for their special grip socks and hearing the safety advice before being unleashed on the trampolines.
And then….the racing, chasing, bouncing, flipping and crashing started! It was the best fun. The children were alight with energy, and enjoyed every minute. There were trampolines, foam pits, basketball hoops and obstacle courses. Everyone had ample opportunities to play with each other, and as a group, they played so well. Drinks breaks were vital but lasted only a minute or two, in the rush to get back to the “craic” on the trampolines.
After the trampoline time was over, we had a lovely treat lunch of nuggets, sausages and chips and got our energy back for the next stop on our tour, Boda Borg at Lough Key Forest Park.
For anyone who has not been to Boda Borg, it’s like an escape room challenge. There are a number of different “Quests”, each broken down into different challenges, such as World Colours, The Mummy, Score, Rats and The Quiz. The children were in teams of 3-5 members. It was orchestrated madness at first with children racing around the challenges at speed, in an effort to be the ones to complete a quest. The challenges were divided into Black challenges (Physical), Green (Mental) and Red ( A combination of both). They were extremely tricky! Quickly, teams started to devise a game plan, and the individual strengths of every team member came into play.
Two hours later, we broke for another lunch break and got to enjoy the terraced area at Lough Key. We went to the shop and got a chance to buy treats and mementoes of the day.
But, we weren’t finished yet!
The final part of our tour was a guided tour through the original servant tunnels of the 19th Century Rockingham House to the top of the Moylurg viewing tower providing 360-degree views of Lough Key Park and Estate. Then we meandered higher and higher up into the trees on our Tree Canopy Trail, (the only one in Ireland!). This is a stilted timber and steel construction, rising 9 meters above the park floor and stretching for 300mtrs giving us a bird’s eye view of the parklands and islands on the lake. The tour gave us an insight into how life worked when Rockingham House was a functional family home to the McDermott family (Not Mr McDermott!). It also gave us a brief history of the estate and its owners. We also got to pass by some beautiful specimen trees whilst on the canopy and learn about the flora and fauna which inhabit the parklands.
Phew! This was a super day, packed with energetic activities, brain challenges, scenic experiences and history. The perfect school tour. Thanks so much to Ms. Henry and Mrs. Delaney for organising a day to remember. And also, to Ms Kenny and Mrs McDonagh for coming along on the day to assist.
Finally, the most sincere thanks go to our wonderful students, for savouring every minute of the day, and for conducting themselves with great manners, kindness and playfulness. They are a pleasure to bring away on a day out and that is credit to themselves, their teachers and their parents. We hope you had the best fun and made memories to last. Maith sibh go léir.
