Irlandreise 8C

In the second week of September 2025, 8c spent one lovely but chilly week in Dublin, Ireland.

After getting to know our host-families and a little tour of the city, we started our programme with our full-day excursion to Glendalough. It was beautiful to see the ancient round tower and the old chapel in the picturesque graveyard. Most of us went up the steep hills with our tour guide, Patrick. That was quite an adventure, as the various detours through the wilderness made the hike longer than expected—almost 1.5 hours more than planned—but it was worth the while. The view of the valley of the two lakes (Glen = valley, da = two, loch = lake) was breathtaking. Malahide Castle was a peaceful stop, with its gardens and old stone walls, and there we got very close to one of the many ghosts that inhabit it. We also tried to do the Howth cliff walk, braving the wind as it whipped off the sea, but we had to return to civilization sooner than expected because the wind and the rain almost blew us off the cliffs. Great fun though. We strolled through Grafton Street, saw the various monuments, like the Molly Malone statue, Oscar Wilde reclining on his rock in Merrion Square Park, James Joyce, and the Famine Memorial —plus, of course, The Spire, the so-called “Stiletto in the Ghetto” on O’Connell Street. We also admired the colorful Georgian doorways scattered around the city, walked through St. Stephen’s Green, and visited different museums. The EPIC Emigration Museum gave us a glimpse into Irish history and the people who left for new lives abroad.

On our last afternoon, we joined an Irish dance party—lots of fun and laughter.
It was a wonderful week, full of fresh air, history, and Irish charm.
(MUI)