In September 2025 our class took a language trip to the western part of Ireland – Galway. Living with host families, visiting language school every day and having fun activities in the afternoon we had a great time abroad.
After three hours travelling by plane from Vienna to Dublin, crossing the country to our destination took us another two and a half. Upon our arrival some host families picked up their host children. They were shown the way to the language school, thereafter, brought home. Others lived near the centre and went on foot to their families.
Galway, which has a very friendly atmosphere, is also known as “Ireland’s Cultural Heart” due to its street performers, pubs, festivals and food. The cuisine is highly influenced by seafood, as the city grew from a fishing village beside the river Corrib. The Eyre Square with the John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, the Spanish Arch and the City Museum, which are all connected by Shop Street, are the city’s main attractions.
Fitting Galway’s general cityscape with its medieval stonewalls located at the river, we could have guessed our language school building’s original purpose, which also its name provides: Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre, originally a mill built in the 18th century was our meeting point in the mornings. There we especially intensified our English-speaking skills and learned a lot about Ireland with its traditions, history and phenomenal landscapes.
To experience the traditional and historical aspects of the Irish culture after having heard about them in school, there were great activities planned for us in the afternoons all located nearby. The first day was dedicated to getting to know the city of Galway. We had the privilege to be guided by an Irish teacher of Bridge Mills, who not only gave us an initial impression of the clothing style of the Irish but also prepared us with inside facts about Galway’s history for the ongoing trip.
One highlight of our program was the workshop about traditional Irish dancing. Still amused after watching a video of Irish dancers in school, we suddenly found us stepping around a broom ourselves, the sound of typical Irish music completing the flair. Another one has to be the Galway City Museum which went all the way back to the settlement at the river Corrib, to the introduction of the 14 most popular ruling families during the medieval and modern era, the so-called Tribes of Galway, that are linked to numerous myths and legends such as The Claddagh Ring or the legend of father and son Lynch.
Following our definition, there is no trip to Ireland without seeing a pub from the inside. That’s why our teachers decided to take us to “The King’s Head”. Already familiar with the history of King Charles I, who the pub’s name can be traced back to, we were pleased getting an idea of the atmosphere of the Irish nightlife.
During our weekend we went on two different trips. The first one took us to the Cliffs of Moher. We made a few stops on the way there and on the way back home. Our most important stop, next to the one at our destination of course, was Lahinch, a town by the Atlantic Ocean with a beautiful beach. At the Cliffs, we were stunned by the breathtaking view of the wild ocean. Throughout our second trip to the Connemara national park, we had plenty of opportunities to take in the beautiful Irish countryside. We also went hiking for about an hour to get a good look at the stunning Irish hills. On our journey back home, we were all happy for these wonderful experiences.
Apart from the planned activities we enjoyed having free time to explore the small city of Galway on our own. Strolling through Shop Street and walking along the prom was always accompanied by challenges created by Ms. Winkelbauer and Ms. Ortner. In course of these quests, for example a photo hunt featuring famous spots in Galway, we could collect many important impressions contributing to an excellent travel experience. With the Gaelic goodbye “Guh nigh ree lath!” meaning “Good Luck!” we were sent back to Fürstenfeld looking back onto a fantastic week in Ireland.
Gabriel Wiesegger, Marie Heuberger, Noah Platzer (alle 6a)
