The West Springfield High School’s Irish Club traveled to Dingle, Ireland, for a seven-day stay that spanned from March 8 – 15, as a part of the student and cultural exchange program. Dingle is considered to be the sister city of West Springfield.
Irish Club advisors, Shamis White and Janis Sawyer, along with a small group of parents chaperoned twenty-seven students on the trip. The students who had the exciting opportunity to travel to Ireland included Dillon Hamilton, Matthew Ashe, Grayson Kearney, Liam Frisbie, Grady Moriarty, Aaron Paglia, Matt Phillips, Aaden Paglia, Ava Dominguez, Eibhlinn White, Kelsie Duncan, Ainsley Kearney, Calleigh Johnson, Siobhan Ginty, Sonya Frisbie, Campbell Connelly, Grace Atwater, Guiliana DiBenedetto, Emma Casey, Kelsey Turner, Bella Pedro, Emma Nicholson, Jillian Keough, Dylan Labonte, Makenna Kennedy, Marley Porter, and Nicole Labonte. West Side students and chaperones were warmly greeted by the students and teachers of the Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Dingle’s public school, as well as the Cathaoirleach (Mayor) of County Kerry, all of whom welcomed them with a special dinner to celebrate their arrival.
The trip consisted of many opportunities to interact with the locals. West Side students spent a day at the Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne School, where they visited classrooms and got to experience what a typical day at school was like in Ireland. They also learned to dance from the locals and even attended a surprise birthday party in honor of Dillon Hamilton and Nicole LaBonte! The WSHS Irish Club then hosted a potluck dinner at the Dingle Marina Cottages where they invited their new Irish friends to feast with them on macaroni and cheese, pasta, salad, rice, chicken, steak, and ice cream sundaes. West Side student Liam Frisbie said, “the best memories were made across the pond” as he and his fellow classmates formed new friendships and forged connections with Dingle’s students.
In addition to their interactions with the locals, West Side students also enjoyed various cultural experiences and visits to tourist attractions. Students visited Blarney Castle, where they walked the gardens, kissed the Blarney Stone, and bought Irish knit sweaters from the Blarney Woolen Mills. They went to the Brian de Staic store where students could shop for beautiful Celtic jewelry, such as Claddagh rings and necklaces engraved with Ogham. Students also had the opportunity to go horseback riding through the mountains, hike up the Torc Waterfall, shop in Killarney, tour the Dingle Aquarium and the Louis Mulcahy Pottery Shop, hold baby lambs, and visit both beehive huts and the beach!
The trip concluded with West Side and Irish students together taking the polar plunge! WSHS Irish Club adviser, Shamis White, said this was “the best trip with the best group of kids.” Overall, West Side’s trip to Dingle provided students with an opportunity to not only learn about Irish culture and community but also immerse themselves in it.
