Primary School Tours 2010
Day Trips & Overnights
The theme of this year’s primary school adventures is ‘Heroes of Ireland’. Each of the tours integrates legends of ancient Irish heroes into age- appropriate outdoor activities for our visitors. While we deliver the activities, we will be emphasising the importance of team work, friendship, courage and what being a hero means… we would intend that this experience is not just valuable as a physical exercise, but as a constructive learning day, emphasizing the importance of respecting each other, tolerating different skills and strengths, working together and achieving results.
First/Second Class ages 7-9 years Junior Heroes Day trip: 10am-2pm
A combination of our low ropes course, archery, obstacle course and
trolley course for the smaller children. The children will be divided into groups, and will complete these four challenges during the day. The children will remain in on-centre for the day, and have a half-hour for packed lunch.
The low-ropes course is an easy, but fun circuit of tasks. Archery is indoor. There is small, easy obstacle course and the trolleys challenge is an easy, fun pulley-system that kids enjoy.
Junior Heroes Tour € 15
3rd/4th Class ages 9-11 Hero School Level 1
Our older heroes have a choice of a land-based day at Hero School, or a mix of land & sea. Both tours include our ‘Toraiocht’ activity, which involves a number of physical tasks based on the legend of Diarmuid & Grainne, pursued by Fionn & the Fianna. The group will be divided into teams, and will complete the tasks to decide who wins: Diarmuid& Grainne, or Fionn & Fianna. Our ‘Toraiocht’ activity will be very suitable for integration in class work in advance of the day trip.
The second land-based activity is called ‘Darkness’ and is a blindfolded
obstacle course, which develops team work and communication skills, as well as being tremendous fun. Note! Kids will get their clothes dirty!
Alternatively, Toraiocht can be combined with a short session of boogie-boarding. This involves wearing a wetsuit, and travelling to the local beach. Children do NOT have to be able to swim.
Land Tour:½ day (2 hours) Toraiocht Challenge €10
Full Day (10am-2pm)
Toraiocht & Darkness €20
Land & Sea Tour:
Full Day (10am-2pm)
Toraiocht & Boogie Boarding €30
5th / 6th Class Hero School Level 2 Day trip 10am-2pm
Older students are invited to a more challenging version of the Toraiocht course, combined with further land-based challenges including high-ropes climbing, trapeze or jacob’s ladder.
PLEASE NOTE! High ropes climbing is done using a harness and ropes. It is a great activity, but children may take some time to complete the climb, depending on confidence. For larger groups, there may be considerable waiting time, and it is possible that not all children will get to complete the climb.
Groups of 30+ should consider Land& Sea tour.
Cu Chulainn’s cliff-jump
involves jumping into water from a selection of different heights, starting low. Children wear wetsuits, and there is a qualified life-guard beside them when they jump, and when they land in the water. This is a great activity for building self-confidence and kids love it. It can be done by non-swimmers. It is tide-dependent, and therefore date/day selected will be subject to tide times.
The surf lesson is always a great favourite with older students. It is not suitable for younger students, as they find the boards heavy, and may get cold. We recommend it for 6th class students – non swimmers can do it. A short bus trip is required to the beach. Occasionally, if seas are choppy, we travel to a more sheltered beach which is further away. We regret that this means a shorter surf, but we observe safety first at all times.
Land Activities:
½ day Toraiocht Challenge €10
Full day: Toraiocht Challenge + Hero rope training €20
Land & Sea Activities
Toraiocht & Cu Chulainn’s Cliff Jump €20
Toraiocht & Surf lesson €30
The 5th/6th Class Residential Trip.
An overnight adventure is a fantastic treat in primary school, and
these are available all year round. We can combine outdoor activities
with environmental and geography projects, team-building,
confidence-
building, language workshops (Irish, intro to French,
German), water safety, talent shows & more. Teachers are offered private
accommodation and DAC staff will take care of all supervision. We have
many primary schools who have made an overnight or 2-night trip part of
the senior calendar, and it is consistently the highlight of the school
year… and our supervision policies mean that teachers have a great break
from the classroom. Many teachers have told us that the trip away gave
kids a great sense of school spirit and endless material for classwork
in all subjects. We understand that not all parents may be able to
afford the residential, and we will discuss free places, concessions and
special rates with class teachers and principals.
5th /6th class Residential Hero Camp (Sunday – Thursdays)
24 hours:
includes full board, overnight accommodation, evening activities & full supervision.
Feb/March €60 April/May €70 June €75
48 hours: includes full board, two nights’ accommodation, evening activities & full supervision. Feb/March €130 April/May €140 June €150
THE IMPORTANT STUFF!
PRICES
Packages are available to suit all budgets. />
Multi-activity programmes usually include a mixture of land and water-based activities. Most residential programmes include full board and supervision in the price. It is impossible to offer all of activities in a two or three night package, but we will work with you, and your budget to put together the best possible value for money. Some activities are very dependent on suitable weather conditions and tide times.
Special offers and rates are available during less-busy periods. We are open all year round, except for Christmas week. We have winter wetsuits and other equipment which allows all of these activities to take place winter and summer, and very good value can be had in from November through to February.
We guarantee that all participants will get superb value for money. Staff at DAC is fully trained and experienced. We do not take shortcuts, or scrimp on food, evening activities or equipment. Teachers and leaders are well looked after. We appreciate you coming to us, planning the trip, collecting money and giving your time to do this. We will do our best to accommodate your wishes, with the highest standards of safety and care.
For a quote on any of our activities or packages, please contact us at 07198 42418 or info@donegaladventurecentre.net
TEACHER PREVIEW WEEKENDS
We invite teachers and youth leaders to visit our centre twice a year for a ‘preview’ weekend: you come and stay with us, do or observe the activities, check out the facilities and meet the staff. There is a small charge for the weekend, which is refunded to you if you return with a group in the following six months. These weekends take place in February and October each year. Please contact us for reservations and price. Non-teacher/leader friends are welcome to join you.
SCHOOL /CENTRE VISITS
We will come to you, meet participants /parents/ leaders if you wish, and discuss all the details of a trip away. Please contact us to arrange.
ACCOMMODATION & SUPERVISION
We have two centres on campus- Donegal Adventure Centre has 48 beds available, in rooms of 2, 3 ,4 or 6 sharing. There is a mix of standard and en-suite rooms. Homefield house has 60 beds, in rooms of 2, 4, 6 or 8, mostly en-suite. All bed linen is provided (no sleeping bags please.) Most of the beds are bunk-beds, but ground floor accommodation and single or double beds are also available. Teachers and leaders are offered private accommodation, as near or as far from the students as they choose. Night supervision will always be done by DAC staff, but leaders and teachers may assist if they wish. Teachers and leaders are welcome to enjoy Bundoran hospitality in the evenings if they wish, but in accordance with our child protection policy, we must have one leader or teacher available on-call in case of emergency.
MEALS AND TRANSPORT
Breakfast, lunches and dinners are provided by La Sabbia restaurant, which is part of Homefield House. Self-catering is also an option. We can supply you with bus prices to and from your school or centre. Transport to and from activity sites is provided by us. Bundoran is approx 3.5 hours from Dublin, 2.5 hours from Galway & Belfast.
SAFETY POLICIES.
Bundoran has also other amenities locally, suitable for youth groups, including a multiplex cinema, bowling alley, waterworld and funfair. We most strongly discourage ‘free time’ for students downtown, and recommend that all groups avail of the excellent resources provided in the evening on-centre.
We have a strict policy on alcohol and substance abuse. No student under 18 years can leave campus or partake in any activity involving the above. Please note- if alcohol or drugs are found, the programme is immediately suspended and the group will be asked to leave immediately. This is made clear during our initial ‘meet & greet’.
A full safety statement is available on request.
All participants under 18 years will receive a parent-consent form, outlining the risks involved in outdoor pursuits, what to bring, and our policy on behaviour and conduct. Problems are very rare, as our enthusiastic and firm-but-fair management of teenagers is popular and successful.
Bumps and bruises do happen – all staff are fully qualified in first aid, there is a medical practice in Bundoran, and Sligo hospital is 25 minutes from the centre.
