At City Language School we like to encourgae our students to get involved. Over the years we have put together book clubs, quiz nights, karaoke lunches and we have even had a photography club at once point. More recntly we\’ve had movie nights and international food days. In for these types of groups and clubs to work properly, students have to get involved. We are delighted to say that this year\’s bunch are stepping up to the plate and knocking it out of the park when it comes to making the most out of their time with us.
One of the nicest projects involving one of our students was a pub crawl lead and organised by our very own Newton da Paula Silva. Of course pub crawls in Ireland are not new but as part of his TIE test, Newton decided to plan a trip with a bit of a difference.
The idea
\”The idea came from an event I had attended a few weeks earlier where several pubs are visited on the same night, in the same area,\” he says. \”I wanted to do something similar but different, visiting the oldest, since the oldest in Europe are in Ireland. It has a lot of history and is a great opportunity to meet new people and improve your English.\”
Given that Ireland has over seven thousand pubs, Newton needed some way of narrowing down the options. He decided to find out what the oldest pubs in Ireland were. His research took him to Sean\’s Bar in Athlone, Johnny Fox\’s on the Dublin/Wicklow border and The Brazen Head just ten minutes from the school in Dublin city centre.
The whole trip, which was to be done in a day, involved a journey by train to and from Athlone, a bus trip up to the Dublin mountains and another jaunt back into Dublin for the final few scoops.
\”It\’s not easy to organise,\” says Newton. \”But it was a lot of fun. I didn\’t see it as a job, but as an experimentation project.\”
Favourite bar
And what was their favourite pub?
\”We judged this during our tour,\” he says with a smile. \”On the Guinness flavor criteria, Sean\’s Bar came first then The Brazen Head and Johnnie Fox\’s. But each one has its peculiarity. Johnnie Fox\’s is the only one that presents an experience closer to Irish traditions, such as dances and music. And The Brazen Head is a great option for being just a few steps away. The environment of Athlone is very special, next to it there is a lot of viking history that can be part of the tour.\”
Though this was very much a Newton daPaula production, City Language School were happy to pitch in where we could.
\”CLS supported me in all phases of this project and encouraged me to hold the event,\” says Newton. \”They helped me in the structuring of the text and even in the online dissemination on the school\’s social networks for all students, as well as internally on the school\’s walls. Without this support, the event would not have taken place.\”
And we are so glad it did.
City Language School Dublin
City Language School is right in the heart of Dublin City Centre. Dublin is the proud and vibrant capital of Ireland and with its cosmopolitan and modern feel, it has repeatedly been voted Europe’s friendliest city by Trip Advisor. Dublin boasts strong links with literature, music, dance and storytelling. As you walk through the streets of Temple Bar, you can absorb the musical tradition which spills onto the streets from the many bars and restaurants; truly a city of enormous beauty! Dublin is surrounded by breath-taking natural scenery that will leave you with lifelong memories. It is perfectly located on the eastern coastline of Ireland and is a convenient gateway to the rest of Europe.
We are conveniently located in the heart of Dublin on Dame Street, giving you easy access to the whole city of Dublin as well as bus and tram lines for you to get around.