The ILE has the "Gift of the Gab!"

The ILE kissed the Blarney Stone yesterday and now they have the "Gift of the Gab," not that many of the students need any more of the "Gab" though. Thursday marked our third tour of the month and we had perfect weather for the day. We began the morning at Cahir Castle. Once the stronghold of the powerful Butler family, the castle retains its impressive keep, tower and much of its original defensive structure. It is one of Ireland's largest and best preserved castles and is situated on a rocky island on the River Suir. The students watched a short film on the history of the castle and then were given a guided tour. They had a few minutes to take pictures and explore the grounds on their own. "Cahir Castle was my favorite, because the tour was very interesting," said Cailin. We were back on the bus shortly after and making our way to Blarney-home of the Blarney Castle and the Blarney Woolen Mills. The students walked up to the castle, climbed the narrow steps, and kissed the Blarney Stone. We ate our packed lunches here and some of the students picked up a few souvenirs in the very popular Blarney Woolen Mills for friends and relatives. Some even indulged in a .99 cone-delicious soft serve ice-cream that is definitely very addicting. Kieran said, "I enjoyed Blarney, because there was a lot to see and do." Cork was our next destination and the students were given a few hours to eat dinner and shop. Caroline walked along the River Lee and said it was a lot of fun. On our long journey home, the ILE listened to Counselor Pete's wonderful CD on the bus, as well as the Black Eyed Peas CD, so we were singing and dancing the whole way back to Waterford. The students will be learning Irish tunes next week, so I'm sure we will hear the tunes of Molly Malone and the Wild Rover on future trips instead. We made a quick stop in Youghal, where we stretched our legs and took advantage of a quick photo opportunity in front of the beautiful sea. The students learned a quick trivia question, as Youhal is where the movie Moby Dick was filmed. Today the students had classes. In Irish Studies they learned about genealogy. Taryn was able to look up family crests for each student and taught them how to research their own roots. Teacher Dan had a game of Gaelic Bingo with the students with Grace, Sophia, and Tyler being the winners. They learned about the Kennedy's in Irish American history and started to learn about James Joyce in literature. The students were introduced to Joyce by reading a story from the Dubliners. Today, the students had free time in Waterford and many participated in the Scone Workshop this afternoon. They were quite the bakers, but by the end of the Workshop, many were covered in as much flour as what was in the scones. They will be able to taste their scones tonight at dinner time, which will be a treat! A few groups of students have also been practicing some secret talents, as we will have a Talent Show tonight-which we are all looking forward to. Enjoy the pictures! All of the boys dressed up on Wednesday, so I was able to snap a few pictures of them in an impromptu modeling shoot-just in case you are wondering. We are still having a wonderful time!

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