This morning, Pam sent me a Snapchat of her two daughters who were beaming - and why wouldn't they be? They were en route to Paris on a school tour - lucky ducks!
I commented on how primary school tours in the 90's were much different from today (and got to use the phrase "when I was your age" which I have done much more than I'd like since turning 30).
Back in 1997, we went to see how electricity was made in Ardnacrusha which to this day, still hails as one of the most boring afternoons of my life. After the riveting electricity video in Ardnacrusha was finished, we got to go on a shopping trip...to The Crescent in Limerick.
But, it turns out that we in Piltown National School didn't actually have it too bad - there were far, far, FAR worse school trips taken by the listeners of The Early Breakfast.
Have a read of their stories below:
- "Primary school tour in the 1980's - bus from Tralee to Shannon Airport and fly to Dublin (20mins) and then bus back to Tralee." - Derek
@sweetpmac Sorry late to the school tour chat. We went to an abattoir and a sausage factory in primary school 🙈 didn't eat sausages for 12 years after!
— Eimear Kelly (@athbheochan89) March 31, 2017
- "We went to the graveyard to have a competition to see who could find the oldest grave. Fun, as you can imagine. It poured rain and we had to walk back to the school and stay all day, soaking." - Listener - (Creeeeepy)
@sweetpmac went on a school tour to Alawee caves had a fight with another school never brought again.Wibiddy Wibiddy wooo it's Friday
— Lawrence Kilbane (@dooega76) March 31, 2017
- "Hi Paula, we went to Leisure Land in Galway the day after our confirmation in 1994. The principal, a monk, came too. After swimming we were waiting on the bus for ages to leave when the principal came back... absolutely hammered!! He'd gone to a pub in Salt Hill and started to curse at us as we were all giddy, some craic!" - Enda in Offaly
@sweetpmac we went to some place in Sligo years ago for a tour. We travelled from cork. 6hr trip. We got there, it was closed!!🙈😂😂
— Lenny Clarke (@lennyc81) March 31, 2017
- "Hi Paula - we once went to Mitchelstown Caves. We were from Mitchelstown" - Listener - in fairness, they are brilliant caves...probably could have drummed up something a bit more imaginative for those who actually live there.
- "Morning Paula, in 5th class our school tour involved a trip to a cat and dog food factory in Longford followed by a stop off at a fish farm on the way home. We all arrived home with school bags full of dog food...great craic! Joe Westmeath"- Listener - MINGIN'
- "School tour to Poolafoocha to see ESB station in 3rd class. Nearly a revolt cos it was so bad. School promised to organise a new one...which never happened" - Listener - I feel your pain.
- "Hey Paula absolutely worst thing about school tour in the eighties was the lunches. I remember eating warm soggy tomato sandwic-es on the bus, but worst of all when my mum made me egg sandwiches (which I loved) but then I was cursed for the entire trip because I was treated like someone with leprosy. The smell of those eggs sandwiches!" - LaineyMoo - egg sandwiches, no matter how tasty, should be outlawed in enclosed spaces.
@sweetpmac We were supposed 2 go to Dublin once upon atime.Bus broke down in kilbeggan Had our school tour there.Kilbeggan is not a tourist attraction
— colm queeney (@collyqueens) March 31, 2017
- "Morning Paula. One of our school tours at primary level involved a trip to Trinity College to see The Book of Kells. I was sitting next to the biggest boy in the class and he accidentally sat on my reading glasses on the train up to Dublin so I couldn't see a thing. I spent the return journey worrying about what my Mom would say at the loss of my glasses. All in all, a miserable tour." - Sean in Tralee
Went on a school tour to the Ilac centre in Dublin when I was in 1st year in school @sweetpmac #NotEvenJoking#RubbishSchoolTours
— Sinead Spain (@sineadspain) March 31, 2017
- "Hi Paula we got lost in the Burren with our geography teacher. It was ok though as she had chocolate. We eventually made it to a road and the bus found us. We never got to go to the beach that day!!" - Grainne
- "Well Paula. What's the craic? When we were in sixth class we went canoeing. I fell in and got back in the canoe but was absolutely freezing. So the teacher says to me ya may go and get changed. The changing rooms were located behind a bush beside the lake. When I was buck naked didn't three girls that didn't take part come round the corner. The mortification." - Listener
@sweetpmac one of our school tours in primary school was a trip plane spotting at a spot near the runway at Shannon Airport
— sinead (@skenny1973) March 31, 2017
- "Paula 25 years ago we were brought to the Marble Arch Caves in Fermanagh one hour from we lived in Cavan. On the way we stopped in KFC in Enniskillen. The excitement of seeing KFC and waiting to go to the caves was unreal - until one of lads in our class did a real Cavan thing. Instead of putting money into the teddy machine to win one, he tried to put his arm up the slot. We spent the day with fire brigade being called to cut the machine as he got his arm stuck. Never got to see the caves but had school tour at KFC in Enniskillen." - Listener
- "Paula, while we lived in England one of my boys went on a school trip to a water sewerage plant. I know it's the truth as I went on the trip, even though it was interesting thank God it didn't smell lol jacky Conway in mayo have a great weekend xxx" - Listener
- "Paula one of my primary school tours in the mid 80's was to Cork. We went to a factory where they made tic tacs! We were all loaded back on the bus and workers were putting huge boxes of tic tacs in under the bus. Well the excitement at what lay ahead was unreal all the way home. Didn't get even one single tic never mind a tac. Rotten shower of teachers." - Niall in Tipp
@sweetpmac we got to go to France and Germany for our school tour in secondary. Great craic until customs took a sword from me going home— corrie (@corrinteis) March 31, 2017
- "Best school trips? The day in Newry, which was a thousand miles away in real money, followed by a whacking big mixed grill in the Boyne Valley Hotel. Go on, ya Brunners! Happy daze!" - Dave, Clondalkin
- "P what I hated most from school tours was...the essay the next day!" - Kieran in Galway - What I Did On My School Tour...mine was not well received after Ardnacrusha.
