The European Tour

Kinsale Community School has a long tradition of bring students on Educational Tours to Europe. Destinations over the years have included:

·     Paris. Beauty and Culture along with the compulsory visit to Disneyland.

·     Prague including a poignant visit to Terezin Concentration Camp.

·     Barcelona and Figueres home of surrealist artist Salvador Dali.

·     Amsterdam and Brussels. A tour of two cities.

·     Rome, Pompeii, Vesuvius and Capri. That one packed in a lot of Italy!!

·     Venice, Lake Garda, Verona, Pisa and Florence in 5 days.

·     D Day Beaches in Normandy. Sad but significant.

·     London , Stratford Upon Avon and Warwick Castle. 

·     Malaga, Gibraltar, Granada, Seville and Ronda. Andalucia uncovered.

The annual tour is offered to Transition Year Students and recent numbers have exceeded 80. The tours always combine both fun and educational elements. Visits to museums, cathedrals, sites of historic events, galleries are included. Equally important are leisure activities such as theme parks, beach time as well as bowling, magic shows and of course shopping!

 
 

Capannaela

The Second Year Trip to Cappanaela is legendary in our school. This activity centre in the heart of rural Kerry is the destination of the 3 day trip which is almost a rite of passage in moving from First Year to Second Year. 

For many this is the first time that studenst have spent 3 full days awy from their families so the education is not alone focussed on activity but on personal development and team building. 

An average of 80% of Second years have participated in recent years. Students are accommodated in the purpose built centre where they share rooms of 4 or 6 and they assist with house keeping chores such as making their bed, setting tables, clear up as well as taking part in several challenging activities including:

·     Abseiling cliff faces of 20 to 30 meters

·     Kayaking the magnificent Carragh Lake

·     Orienteering the wild winding paths

·     Hillwalking the spectacular mountain trails

Students return having overcome fears of heights, made new friends, learned to share space, queue for meals and most difficult of all survive without mobile phones (banned!) or television for 3 whole days!! Education outside the classroom can be the most important learning of all!!

 
 

French Exchange

The school connection with Antibes has thrived since the towns of Kinsale and Antibes were officially twinned in 1990. Antibes is located 20 kms from Nice on the beautiful Cote d’Azur. The common bond shared by the two towns are sailing, beaches, fishing, good restaurants, stunning location. 

The Transition Year Exchange has been oversubscribed every year as students are eager to practice their French during the week-long stay in this stunning location. The French students pay a return visit where they are given a traditional Irish welcome getting involved in everything from GAA to Farmers Markets!! 

The annual tour involves class time as well as private family time as visits to 

· Monaco and Monte Carlo playground of the rich and famous 

· Nice with its old winding street, magnificent boardwalk and beaches 

· Cannes Can you find celebrity handprints that match your own? 

· Antibes Town Hall for the formal reception by the Mayor 

· The Antibes Town Beach where after school swims are ‘de rigeur’ 

This exchange has proven to be very popular with students of all levels. Indeed it has rejuvenated the interest some students in French after this week of living the ‘French Dream’.