photos by Mary Virginia Baldwin

A group from Jackson Prep chose to take a trip all around Ireland for Spring Break. 14 students along with a number of parents accompanied by English teacher Ms. Jessica Wilkinson, choir teacher Mr. Mitchell McGinnis, and drama teacher Mr. Kenneth McDade. The trip lasted for 8 days and explored all of Ireland, but mainly focused on the Atlantic Coast.

The trip began for the group two and a half days before every all of the others Prep family’s spring break began. They headed to the airport early and spent the whole day traveling. After two smaller flights we prepared for the last flight to the heart of Dublin. On this overnight flight they slept and awoken to the beautiful sights of the country. As they landed, they immediately began exploring. For the rest of the day they spent time in Dublin and headed to a hotel later that night.

On the first day of the trip, they visited one of the oldest versions of the Bible, written in Latin. This is called the Book of Kells and is a major tourist attraction that people come from all over to see. There was also a Long Room that is a massive library unlike any other.

Within the next day they travelled to Galway. They visited the Calamari marble mine, found only in Ireland, and explored the town.

They also visited the Burren, where they visited a Neolithic dolmen that has been standing for thousands of years. This same day they visited the amazing Cliffs of Moher where even the birds had trouble flying against the wind.

One day they spent all of their time exploring the Ring of Kerry and its beautiful views. While exploring, they got to see the island where Rey finds Luke Skywalker in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. This same day they went to Ladies’ View, a site once visited by Queen Victoria, hiked the Torc Waterfall, view the Bay of Dingle, and climbed a ring fork.

One of the last places they visited was the Blarney castle. While they were there, most of them kissed the Blarney Stone, and walked all around the grounds experiencing what it would have been like to live during the Medieval times. On their last night they went to the Abbey Theatre and saw their production of “The Unmanageable Sisters”. Everyone on the trip had the best time visiting the “Emerald Isle” and would all love to return one day.