Turas Scoile @ Coláiste UISCE

We at UISCE understand that bringing students away on a school trip can be hard work for teachers.  We aim to make your school tour as hassle-free as possible, from the initial consultation right down to getting the students into bed at night. We will work with you to tailor-make the ideal school trip that suits both your requirements and your budget! Building on our experience and the popularity of our unique activity-based summer Irish College, Coláiste UISCE as well as our successful summer camps, Campaí UISCE which we have run for 2020 and 2021, we have developed various school packages that can be tailored to suit your exact needs and budget.

We believe students should not have to lose out on the opportunity of a trip away during the school year, especially as it is always one of the standout moments in any Transition Year program. We are delighted to be able to give students the opportunity to escape to the West Coast where they can marvel at our mountain scenery and long, sandy beaches; breathe fresh air while running wild in the large open spaces; and experience the exhilaration of catching a green wave on the wild Atlantic Ocean. But better yet, they can learn píosa beag Gaeilge along the way!

Teachers may choose to join your students doing activities during the day and take part in the céilí in the evening or alternatively you can relax, enjoy the peace and quiet of our local Blue Flag beaches and spectacular coastline or you can use your free time to catch up on some of that never ending marking! We have 24 hour supervision for your students as standard.

The top reasons to booking a school tour here at Uisce:

• The experience we have gained by running our Summer 2020 Multi-activity camps.
• Your school will have the whole centre to themselves!
• No airport queues, avoiding crowds at all times.

Safety First

Every precaution has been taken to protect our students and staff from Covid-19, while also ensuring that they get the classic Coláiste Uisce experience.  We have conducted a comprehensive risk assessment of all our activities and implemented control measures to mitigate against the risks.

Please see School Tour FAQ page which outlines the details of the safety precautions that we are implementing to protect against Covid 19. Click here to view

Croíphrionsabail. Core Safety Principals

• Physical Distancing 
  • Where possible, everyone at Coláiste UISCE will maintain 2 metres physical distance.
  • When this is difficult, everyone will maintain at least 1 metre physical distance. 
  • While indoors, in situations where it is difficult to maintain social distancing, everyone will wear a face covering 
• Respiratory Hygiene 
  • Everyone must follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately and safely into a nearby bin. 
  • Tissues are provided if necessary and bins are emptied regularly 
• Hand Hygiene 
  • Everyone must regularly wash their hands, particularly before and after the use of shared equipment. 
  • During activities that involve the use of shared equipment, care must be taken not to touch your face without having cleaned your hands before doing so. 
  • An additional hand washing area has been installed outside to facilitate handwashing before and after activities. 
  • Where handwashing is impractical, everyone must use hand sanitiser. Hand sanitising stations have been installed in or outside all communal rooms and pods are provided with hand sanitiser that goes with them during all activities 
• Increasing Separation 
  • Pods are kept apart from each other to the extent of which is practical. 
  • Pods are physically separated from each other during mealtimes. 
  • Markings/signage has been installed to encourage physical distancing between individuals. 
• Decreasing Interaction 
  • Our activities team has reviewed all our usual land activities and modified them where possible or necessary to decrease interaction while keeping the enjoyment level as high as possible. 
• Ventilation 
  • As a rule, whenever possible and practical, activities will take place outside. 
  • Where activities take place inside, the rooms will be ventilated as much as practical/possible. 

Céard atá I gceist? What does it involve?

• Our Centre
  • UISCE is a unique activity based Gaeltacht adventure centre. UISCE is equipped with 4 classrooms, a large dining hall, an indoor climbing wall, an archery hall, basketball courts and a football pitch. This makes it a perfect venue for a School trip to the Gaeltacht.
  • We have school tours available from Day Trips to full week tours.
• Accommodation
  • All housing is on site. We have 27 ensuite bedrooms.
• Activities
  • Students will enjoy water activities such as surfing, kayaking, snorkelling, windsurfing, pier-jumping, and bodyboarding.
  • Students will also participate in land activities such as rock-climbing, ultimate frisbee, raft-building, basketball, dodgeball, archery, and more.
• Gaeilge (optional)
  • We will still be running activities through Irish and will encourage students to speak Irish during free time.
  • You can choose what percentage of Irish you would like us to incorporate into the trip. All safety advice will be given in English so that students understand all aspects of the guidelines in place.
  • This helps students develop a new positive perspective of the Irish language. Once a student changes their attitude towards Gaeilge, learning the language becomes easier. “Learning Irish is fun” is our motto and we now have over 20 years experience in providing safe, professional and enjoyable Irish adventure courses.
• Food
  • Students will eat three meals a day and a tasty supper in the evening. All dietary requirements are catered for separately.
• Benefits
  • Students will experience all of the wonders that the West of Ireland has to offer.
  • They will also build lifelong friendships within their school year, gain self-confidence, and share an experience that they will never forget.

Eolas do mhúinteoirí agus tuistí / What can teachers and parents expect?

Parents & Teachers can enjoy the knowledge that:

• Covid-19
  • Our senior staff have carefully designed this course and taken every precaution to protect students from Covid-19.
  • HSE guidelines will be followed correctly and incorporated into general procedures.
• Supervision
  • Students are supervised for 24 hours-a-day.
• Staff
  • All staff are garda-vetted.
  • All staff are experienced and capable.
• Activities
  • Activities are carefully planned. Qualified instructors ensure activities are both fun and safe for students.
• Digital detox
  • Students are given their phones for a limited time each day – feedback on our ‘digital detox’ has been very positive!
• Your children
  • Our enthusiastic and friendly staff will help ensure that each child is happy and satisfied at the end of the day.
  • Your child will return with a newfound taste for adventure and the Great Outdoors!

Further Information is available on our FAQ page, click here to view

Brostaigh! Hurry!

We would love to customise a program for your school tour, UISCE can also offer an expedition for the full group by foot and an expedition by canoe in smaller numbers. The Gaisce programme can be run alone or as part of one of our tailor-made school trips.

Our School tour calendar is filling up quickly so for a free consultation call our office on 097-82473 or email danny@uisce.ie today.