Our language trip in Ireland
In March of 2026, we went on a week-long language trip to Ireland. The main intention of this trip was for us to improve our English skills and to get to know the Irish culture and experience the daily life there for ourselves. For the majority of us, it was the first time visiting Ireland, which made the experience even more thrilling.
During our stay, we lived with host families. This gave us the perfect opportunity to speak English in everyday situations with native English speakers and to experience Irish hospitality first-hand. Every weekday, we had English lessons in a nearby English school for around three hours. The lessons were very exciting and interactive, and we often worked in groups and played educational and fun games, which helped improve our listening and talking skills. In addition to the lessons, our entire group also had a variety of excursions and activities we took part in. Throughout our stay, we documented our adventures with daily Padlet tasks, where we shared photos and videos of our journeys.
On the very first day, our meeting time was at 06:15 at the Busbahnhof at the Graz Hauptbahnhof. There, we bid farewell to our families and got onto the bus that would take us to Vienna Airport, as we awaited the exciting journey ahead of us. Upon arriving at the airport, we checked in and after swiftly boarding the plane, we spent the next two hours in the sky. After we landed, we set foot onto Irish soil in Dublin Airport and made our way to our coach driver, who then took us to Bray, where we primarily stayed. Once we reached Bray, we were assigned to our host families and were driven to our respective homes. Since there were no excursions scheduled on the first day, we had the entire day to settle in and explore Bray on our own.
Day two started with our first breakfast in Ireland with our host families, followed by a double-decker bus ride to our first lessons at the language school called Pace. The learning didn’t stop there, though. Afterwards, we embarked on an extensive tour of both Bray and Dublin, giving us our first real taste of Irish culture and history.
Day three followed the same steady rhythm, starting with our English lessons at Pace. Following our lessons, we enjoyed some leisure time with our friends after venturing into County Dublin, exploring the coast, trying the local restaurants and visiting the shops. We also kept up with our daily Padlet tasks. On this day, we had to approach locals and ask them to teach us the meaning and pronunciation of a Gaelic word. We ended this afternoon with a lively Ceili night, where we fully embraced Irish culture through traditional dancing and challenging footwork.
On Saturday, the fourth day, we made our way to the province of Connacht, our first sightseeing goal was the Cliffs of Moher. After departing from Bray, our very first stop was the Barack Obama Plaza, nearby the village of Moneygall. Our next stop was the scenic spot of the Cliffs of Moher. There we enjoyed the sights and explored the landscape of Ireland at its peak. Once we were done exploring the wonderful Atlantic coast of Ireland, we headed to the city of Galway. In Galway, our task was to ask strangers for a tip about a great place to eat in the area. We had free time to explore the city and spent the night at a hostel.
On Sunday, we navigated through the scenic landscape of Ireland by bus. Our first stop was to take a picture beside the Connemara Giant. Local legend says that if you touch the hand of the Connemara Giant, you will be blessed with the knowledge of his ancient tribe. Upon arriving at Kylemore Abbey, we were free to explore the place to ourselves. The combination of the big lake, the mountain range and the wonderful palace and church along the lake, made a great memory for us all. Once we explored Kylemore Abbey thoroughly, we made our way back to Bray. On the way we stopped at the Killary Fjord Viewpoint to enjoy the view. The next stop was at the Clonmacnoise Monastic Site, a ruined monastic site in the heartland of Ireland. Arriving in Bray, we rested well and prepared for the following day.
On the sixth day, we headed towards Dublin after class. In Dublin we admired the outside of the Temple Bar and the surrounding area. After that we made our way to Trinity College, where we explored the library, in which the book of Kells is preserved. The college has a magical campus. Once our self-guided tour of the book of Kells experience was finished, we got some free time to explore the city for ourselves before eventually heading back to Bray.
On the next day, we graduated from PACE Language Institute and went by train to Dublin. In Dublin we had the rest of the day to spend as we like. Many of us explored the city to its full extent and visited some landmarks.
The final day began before the early hour of 3 AM. Around that time we made our way to Dublin Airport. Eventually we landed in Vienna and drove back to Graz and arrived safely in the afternoon.
Overall, the language trip was a unique experience for all of us and the week we spent in Ireland will remain in our memory for the rest of our lives.
Belma Catic und Ahmad Almostafa, 3BK