St Joseph's N.S.

On the 11th of June we went to Collins Barracks and we went to Dublin Zoo too. We left the school at about 7:45am and we got to Dublin at about 10:00am. We went to Collins Barracks first. It was great fun.
We had a picnic in the Phoenix Park. It was lovely. we saw a grey squirrel. We went to the playground. We got on a swingy basin and we were singing 'Take me for a spin in your basin, Jason'. We went on the other swings and slides. It was brilliant.
We went to the zoo. We saw monkeys, hippos and a lion. We then saw giraffes, zebras and rhinos. We brought up €15 spending money but I forgot mine! I sat beside Alice going up and down for the whole journey. We went to McDonald's and a gift shop. We got lots of stuff. I got twisty fries and a hamburger in McDonald's. I got an ice-cream too. It was the best school tour ever.
-Sarah Hayes, 5th Class

Above Right: 'Take me for a spin in your basin Jason'

Below: Enjoying the picnic in the Park!

On Thursday, 11th June our school went on its school tour. We went to Collins Barracks, the Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo. We left the school at about a quarter to eight in the morning and we arrived in Dublin at ten o'clock. First we went to Collins Barracks. The first exhibit was called the Dead Zoo. There were a lot of dead animals in cases in their natural habitats. My favourites were the badgers. They looked so cute and so realistic. I didn't like seeing some of the animals in jars. I thought it was a little bit cruel. I liked seeing the skeleton of the Megamasaurus. I really loved that exhibition.
The next exhibit was called Soldiers and Chiefs. It had in the first couple of rooms lots of interesting things about wars and about what the soldiers wore. In one room there was a big tapestry. Ballingarry was on it. It was so nice. We also saw tanks. there were three or four of them. They were so big.
After the museum we went to the Phoenix Park for a picnic lunch. It is the largest urban park in Europe. It has a playground, visitors centre, Aras an Uachtarain and even Dublin Zoo. After lunch we went to the playground. It was a very good one and everyone enjoyed it.
Soon it was time to go to the Zoo. We could not wait. Our guide's name was Jim. He was very nice. We saw a lot of animals. We went on the 'African Plains' tour. We saw a lioness who was twenty two. We saw flamingos, monkeys, giraffes, zebras, red pandas, rhinos, hippos and squirrel monkeys.
-Ciara McGovern, 5th Class

On the 11th of June we went on our school tour. Children from Junior Infants to Sixth Class went. We had to be at the school at 7:30.
I got up at 6:05 and went for a shower and got ready. When I was ready I woke mammy. I went to Londis for my lunch and drinks. I waited in the car for more people to come. Then when Conor and Darren arrived I got out of the car. At 8:00 we went on the bus.
We got to Dublin at 10:00. We first went to Collins Barracks. It was a huge museum. We went to the Dead Zoo where all the dead animals were. There were lots of different animals and fossils there. We then went to the Phoenix Park to eat our lunch. After that we went to the playground. There was a lot of fun stuff there.
We started our tour at the zoo with Jim at 2:30. We went to see all the animals. We saw red pandas and lots of other animals. My favourite was the chimpanzee called Bozo. He was the youngest of the chimpanzees. He kept jumping at the window.
We went to McDonald's to get something to eat. I got chicken nuggets and a burger. Finally we got on our way home. We had lots of fun coming home. We got back to the school at 8:20. What a day!
-Michael Dunne, 5th Class

Above Right: Listening to our guide Jim

Below: I hope this thing isn't loaded!
Bottom: Taking a well earned ice-cream break

Snippets
On the way up we saw the 'Motor Ball' and the Luas.....We went to the museum to see all the army tanks and bomb shelters and all the weapons and clothes they wore and used back then....It was fascinating looking at all the medals they got.....The Phoenix Park was beautiful with all the grey squirrels running about......We had a tour guide called Jim. He was very nice and funny.....It was an exciting tour and we were very tired too.
-Lisa Rice, 5th Class

I did like the stuffed giraffe, it was cool......When we had finished our picnic we went to the playground and played and played and played.....We went around the zoo with Jim for two hours and forty five minutes....I really enjoyed the day.
-Aine Walton, 5th Class

We went to the Dead Zoo. we got to see dinosaur bones and dead and stuffed animals......We saw a moon rock and a video of the first man on the moon.....The flamingos were pink beacuse the food they eat turns them that colour.....The daddy hippo couldn't go in with the young hippos because he would start fighting with them.
-Alice Cashin, 5th Class

There were lots of interesting things there about Michael Collins and the War of Independence....There was a bit of a wait but then our guide Jim came. He was very nice to us and explained everything to us very slowly....We were hyper all the way home.....It was a great day
-Lauren McGovern, 4th Class