Małgorza Durczak - For all the adventure seekers

If you’re an adventure seeker or at least a photographer, Donegal is a place which may catch your attention for a few days. Picturesque they are, the far-flung beaches stretching along the coast of Gweedore. Especially in winter during the low tide when the ocean withdraws to exhibit the land usually surrounded by the waters. The sun also sets impressively within the creepy wreck off the shore. Behind your back stand the craggy mountains freezing in eternal snow. Off the shore, you go down to the Bun Beag village where the gentle people live their pastoral lives with the palm trees right on their doorsteps and the sheep pastured in the morning breeze. Derry, the city of walls and fights, has seen a history, which you may dare to get to know perchance. It goes back to the times of the Troubles and bloodshed in the Bloody Sunday afternoon and the truth, which had been revealed and kept true forever in a one of a kind Museum of Free Derry. Through the green valleys you go far to the east, one more city draws your attention. In Dublin, there is the finest library of all of the Ireland and the fairest book of all. The Book of Kells it is, with its ornamental letters and illuminated psalms, it is the foremost peace of art Ireland can be proud of.

Ewa Linka - Ta súil agam go dtiocfaidh mé arís

Chuaigh muid ar an turas go hÉirinn idir 26.02 agus 2.03. Ba í Gaoth Dobhair an chéad áit ar fhan muid.Bhí muid ag codladh ansin ag teach aíochta an-cluthar Teaċ Campbell, atá suite in aice leis an trá.Bhí radharc álainn ónár bhfuinneoga.Ar an gcéad lá, bhí turas bus ann agus thug muid cuairt ar, mar shampla, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge agus Radió na Gaeltachta. Níos déanaí chuaigh muid ar siúlóid fada ag an trá.Bhí an aimsir go hálainn agus thóg muid a lán de na pictiúir.

Ar an dara lá chuaigh muid go dtí an teach phobail ar maidin don aifreann as Gaeilge. Níos déanaí bhuail muid le Nora agus d'inis sí dúinn a lán rudaí spéisiúla faoi Gaeilge Acla.Sa tráthnóna tháinig cuid againn ar siúlóid fada agus corraitheach ar na cnoic.Bhí muid an-tuirseach  nuair a tháinig muid ar ais go dtí an t-óstán. Tar éis an dinnéir, d'amharc muid ar an Hobbit agus chuaigh muid a chodladh.

Ar an tríú lá chuaigh muid go Doire.Chuaigh muid ag siúl le treoraí ann agus d'inis sé dúinn faoi stair na cathrach. Thug muid cuairt ar an Bloody Sunday músaem agus Ionad Gaeilge - Cultúrlann Uí Chanáin. Sa tráthnóna chuaigh cuid againn go dtí an teach tábhairne. Bhí muid ag ól Guinness agus éisteacht le banna ceoil na hÉireann.

Chaith muid i mBaile Átha Cliath an lá seo chugainn. Chuaigh muid go Coláiste na Tríonóide. Chonaic muid taispeántas Leabhar Cheanannais agus an tSean-Leabharlann ar fheabhas ann. Níos déanaí bhí roinnt ama saor againn, chuaigh muid ag siúl agus cheannaigh muid cuimhneacháin. Tháinig muid ar ais go Poznan an lá dar gcionn. Bhain mé sult as an turas agus ta súil agam go dtiocfaidh mé arís ann.

Alicja Kurzawiak - All the things in Ireland that take one's breath away

It was my first time visiting Ireland and, I must say, what I've seen set my expectations high for the eventual next visit. We started in a small town in the Gaeltacht area called Bunbeg. The place was beautiful – wherever one looked there were small white cottages scattered around rocky hills and flocks of sheep grazing peacefully; all of that was accompanied by a quiet sound of crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. But not only the sights took my breath away – the people who live there are one of the nicest I have ever had pleasure to meet. And although my Irish is (for now, at least) almost non-existent, my every attempt to communicate was met with encouraging smiles and offers of help. When not butchering the language, I spent my time with the rest of our group, exploring the wilderness around the town and sampling the local brew of Guinness in a pub. :) We also went to a local monthly event which promotes Irish-language music called Cabaret Craicealite. There, I witnessed small, but still vibrant and very much alive community of people who are united in their love for the Irish language. Bunbeg has made quite an impression on me and I'm sure I'm going to go back to that place one day.

Our next stop was Derry – a city which may be small, but full of monuments and museums that document its turbulent history. We took our time exploring both the distant and the immediate past of Derry – we admired the City Walls, supposedly the oldest ones in Europe that still remain intact and St Columb's Cathedral. Later we delved into more recent events – The Troubles. We saw the Bogside and the famous murals (including the “You are now entering free Derry” one), Bloody Sunday memorial and museum. What struck me the most was in the Museum of Bloody Sunday – there was an exhibition devoted to the famous 13 victims. The pictures and the notes about them were really personal and touching. Apart from the historical sights, we also visited Cultúrlann – local centre for learning Irish language. It surprised me how many people seemed to attend their classes – but it also warmed my heart too. It was nice to see Irish language being used even outside Gaeltacht areas.

Our final destination was Dublin. Of course, the first place to visit was Trinity College and the ever-famous Book of Kells, about which we've heard so much during our Celtic Studies classes. After seeing it first-hand, I must say that no picture gives it enough credit – I was amazed with the amount of detail one could find on a single page. Another thing that left me staring in wonder was the old library of the Trinity College. I admit that my first thought after entering it was that it looked like a place out of JK Rowling's books – the long hall adorned with busts of famous people and old wooden bookshelves, filled with thick tomes and almost touching the ceiling. There, among the shelves one could also see Brian Boru's harp – one of few Gaelic harps that survived and certainly the most famous one.

The rest of our day was a free time for us, but that didn't stop us from searching for other famous Dublin sights – we managed to see the statue of Molly Malone, the Spire, the old General Post Office (where we sent our postcards from) and many more. I also managed to buy some beautiful, locally spun yarn to make myself a keepsake that would remind me the wonderful time I had in Ireland.

Aneta Graczyk - Cuimhneacháin ar feadh an tsaoil

Chuaigh muid go hÉirinn an tseachtain seo caite. Bhí muid sé lá ann. An chéad lá, Dé hAoine, tháinig muid go Teac Campbell i nGaoth Dobhair, bhuail muid le bean an tí agus chuaigh muid go dtí an pub. D'ardaigh muid ár ngloine chun sláinte a ól.

            An lá dár gcionn, ar maidin, d’ith muid bricfeasta an-mhór: gránaigh, ubh scrofa, muiceoil friocta, ispíní agus arán donn (an-bhlasta!) agus d’ól muid sú oráiste, tae agus caife. Tar éis, chuaigh muid ar thuras bus timpeall ar Ghaoth Dobhair agus chonaic muid radhairc áille. San oíche chonaic muid Cabaret Craiceáilte.

            Dé Domhnaigh, chuaigh muid go dtí an eaglais chun éisteacht le Gaeilge. Sa tráthnóna, bhuail muid le cara Éireannach agus shiúil muid timpeall Bunbeg. Bhí an trá
go hiontach, bhí muid ag tógáil pictiúir.

            An lá dár gcionn, d’fhág muid Gaoth Dobhair. Bhí mé an-bhrónach, ach chuaigh muid go Doire agus bhí sé an-suimiúil ann. Bhí an aimsir an-fhuair, áfach. San oíche, chuaigh muid go Peadar O’Donnell’s chun éisteacht le ceol traidisiúnta.

            I mBaile Átha Cliath chonaic muid Coláiste na Tríonóide, an leabharlann agus oifig an phoist agus cheannaigh muid cuimhneacháin sa tráthnóna. Cheanaigh mé cártaí poist, seacláid, léinte agus uisce beatha.

Bhí an turas go hiontach agus ba mhaith liom filleadh ann!

Dominika Walkowiak - Deis mar seo!

Ar an 26ú Feabhra thosaigh muid ár dturas. Chuaigh muid ar eitleán ó Poznań go Baile Átha Cliath. Tar éis thuirling an eitleáin bhí orainn bus a fháil ó Bhaile Átha Cliath go Gaoth Dobhair. D'fhan muid ansin go dtí an Luain. Bhí am iontach againn ann. Chuaigh muid go dtí an trá agus an cé. Is dóigh liom gurb áit an-álainn, an-chiúin í. Bhí an-suaimhneas ann in aice leis an trá. Is áit í atá thar cionn chun do scíth a ligean.An áit ar fhan muid ann ná Teac Campbell a bhí an-álainn. Chuaigh muid fosta chuig teach tábhairne ar an gceolchoirm.  B’iontach an taithí é. Chuaigh muid go RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. Bhí muid imithe ar thóir eachtraíochta. Chuaigh muid ar siúlóid beag agus chuaigh muid amú ar an mbealach. Ba thaithí an-ghreannmhar í.  Ar an Luain, thaistil muid ar an mbus go Doire.Chuaigh muid go dtí an Chultúrlann Uí Chanáin agus d'fhoghlaim muid faoi gach cineál na tionscnamh a bhaineann le teanga agus cultúr na hÉireann. D'fhoghlaim muid fosta go leor faoi stair Dhoire. Chuaigh muid go músaem an Saor Dhoire.Chríochnaigh ár lá le cuairt i dteach tábhairne. D’ól muid Guinness agus d'éist le banna beo ag seinm ceoil traidisiúnta. Bhí muid faoi dhraíocht ag an gceol. Ár lá deiridh in Éirinn chaith muid i mBaile Átha Cliath.Chuaigh muid go Coláiste na Tríonóide agus chonaic muid Leabhar Cheanannais. Chuaigh muid ar shiúlóid trí shráideanna an Bhaile Átha Cliath. Chonaic muid go leor foirgnimh suimiúla agus rudaí eile. Bhí aimsir iontach againn le linn ár bhfanachta agus bhuail muid le daoine deasa.

Tá mé an-sásta go raibh deis mar seo agam Éire a fheiceáil. Níor shíl mé riamh go rachainn ann. D'oibrigh an turas amach thar cionn.