TY Trip 2026!

On the 27th of March, 105 of our TY students embarked on a fantastic trip to beautiful Paris for 3 nights and 4 days packed full of activities and exploration. This was a highly anticipated series of days which certainly did not disappoint.

It was an early start on Friday, seeing everyone arrive at our school foyer for 5 in the morning. It was very clear that the lack of sleep had affected everyone, however the mood could not be dampened. After a short bus journey, they arrived at Dublin Airport and efficiently checked in all the bags, passed through security and had some free time for breakfast in Terminal 2. They boarded the plane and after a smooth flight, arrived in Charles de Gaulle Airport. At 2 o’clock they were picked up by the coaches and brought to the city centre. Students were given free time to explore the area and buy themselves some lunch before departing on a cruise through the river Seine. The city looked absolutely stunning and the photo opportunities were endless. Afterwards, it was time for a delicious dinner, enjoyed thoroughly by everyone in a Parisian restaurant. The action packed day had everyone exhausted and ready to check into the hotel. They winded down and went to their rooms for some much needed rest.

Day 2 had an early start with a buffet style breakfast at the hotel. They departed on the bus at 9:30 for the magical Disneyland Paris. Students had the whole day to themselves with unlimited passes to both parks. The weather stayed warm, leaving all rides ready to go. Some favourites were the Tower of Terror, Hyperspace mountain, Avengers flight force and Ratatouille! After a full day of fun and adventure it was finally time to go, they returned to the hotel and went straight to bed.

The last full day in Paris was certainly the busiest. Chateaux de Versailles was the first stop, with students having the opportunity to walk around the whole palace and even access a self guided tour. As well as that, there were magnificent gardens stretching as far as the eye could see. After, for lunch, students were given free rein for an hour to choose where they went surrounding Versailles. Then came the next stop on the bus which was the Stade de France. They were given a very informative guided tour and even had the chance to run out on to the pitch! Dinner was served in the form of a buffet back at the hotel which was quickly followed by a quiz and game night. The quiz was won by team KALA. The evening came to an end with a final nighttime assembly and then back to the rooms.

The final day of the trip still managed to pack a lot in. The bus departed at 9:30 with everyone and all bags on board for a visit to Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. Students were given free time to wander around for a whole 2 hours, leaving a lot of time to buy souvenirs and see everything the area had to offer. After that, they departed and transferred over to Aeroville shopping centre where they spent 4 hours shopping, and having lunch. At 6:30, everyone boarded the bus for the last time and arrived shortly after to the airport. They checked in and arrived back in Dublin at 10 o’clock, before going back to the school where they were collected.

Overall, the trip was fantastic and definitely a highlight of Transition year as a whole. A massive thank you to Ms. Dempsey and Mr. Hallisey for organising such a great experience, and to all the teachers who accompanied the TYs on this fantastic trip!

Reporter: Abi Breathnach