CPC visit by German and French students concludes

Listening to Grace O'Donnell on keyboard.

A group of students and teachers from Germany and France visiting CPC had a pizza and music evening with their Irish hosts in the college last evening, writes Brian Byrne. It was the final event in five days during which they experienced an Irish second level school, visited a farm, learned about bogs and took part together in a number of projects. In a walk around Kilcullen and a look around Old Kilcullen they got a taste of the town's own history and how it is still embedded in the modern settlement.

At Old Kilcullen. (Image courtesy CPC)

The visit was the return from an initial trip by CPC 6th Year students to France and Germany which had been facilitated by the EU Erasmus student mobility programme. Fourteen students each from Caen in Normandy and Krefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia were accompanied respectively by two teachers with each group.

Last evening's event included music performances on fiddle and keyboard and some singalong opportunities to traditional Irish songs, as well as a gymnastic display and some Irish dancing.

CPC students Sam Moussilides and Aoibhe Toft, who recently participated in a Model UN event in Belgium, spoke briefly on how such exchanges allow young people to connect with other cultures and expand each others' worldviews.

For French students Emma Rouxel and André Munteanu, music and how schools operate here were particularly interesting. It was the first time in Ireland for both, and what preconceptions they had related to rain and green countryside. Emma particularly loved the Irish music — “it makes me want to dance” — suggesting that it differs from what is typical back home. “In France, music is more formal, more like sad music really.” She’s also impressed at the numbers of young people in CPC who are actively involved in music, again suggesting a difference from her homeland.

André commented on the way CPC has classrooms for individual subjects, comparing it to their own school where there’s a general room for main subjects, with some students leaving that for more specialised classes. “Here, students move around between every class, always mixing and circulating. I think that’s very good for togetherness between them.” On the same subject, Emma remarked that the school day in France is from 8am to 6pm. “It’s much better here, you get more time at home.”

Getting into an Irish bog. (Image: CPC)

The visit to Causey Farm in Meath is something they’ll bring back to tell their friends, with the experience in the area’s bogland being quite unique when compared to the Normandy landscape. Seeing a family farm in operation, and how farmers use seasonal festivals to remind people of the connection between farm and food, is similar to what is done in Normandy, “but in France, sadly, agriculture is more and more industrial,” Emma notes.

The visit to the ancient Old Kilcullen monastic site and the associated Viking raids reminded André of similar Viking connections to Normandy. “You have a lot of historical things to see here.”

For German visitors Theresa Franken and Louisa Munnex, prior expectations weren't very strong, though Theresa had spent a summer in England so here 'it is quite similar'. "Maybe I expected to see a lot more red-haired people," she says with a laugh. A highlight for Louisa was the visit to Cosey farm. "We could see so many animals, and jump in the bog, it was a lot of fun." She also appreciated the lesson in bread-making there, and the opportunity to take part in a little Irish dancing. "The Irish dance seemed funny at first," Theresa says. "But I gained a lot of respect for them and they really did a great job at it in the school last night."

Bread-making at Causey Farm. (Image: CPC)

Meeting with students from other countries gave both girls an enhanced sense that there are not significant differences between them. "All of us are kind of the same," Louisa says. "We all have similar interests, and we're not so different as I thought in the beginning." Theresa finds the same thing. "Maybe we should give each other more chances to know each other before we judge, or, like, not talk to each other. I think this is even more important today, with all the politics and stuff and what's happening around the world."

Both groups finished their visit today, heading for some hours in Dublin before flying home.

(More Diary photos from the evening here.)

Mikey Arthur performed some traditional music.

Some singalong and traditional music from Fionn Linehan and teacher Ciaran Blanchfield.

Miya O'Byrne gave a gymnastic display.

James Meehan on piano-keyboard.

Farida Ibirogba, Taylor Maxwell, Adam Bermingham, Charlie Lawless and Josh Hulin along with other friends.

Caoimhe Egan, Saoirse O'Brien, Aine Browne.

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