The Earliest Essays

First Year Day Out, 1997

CringeFactor: Things Ben Wrote When He Was Twelve Or Thirteen
Part Two: First Year Day Out, 1997
Supposed to be published in St. Andrew’s school mag but the big fools never put it in

Friday, the twenty-sixth of September, 1997. It’s the First Year annual day out to Blessington Adventure Centre, Co. Wicklow. Hi, I’m Ben Murnane and from now until the end of this article I’ll be guiding you through the whole day in my own words. So sit back, enjoy the read, and relive the action and suspense of your first school trip in St. Andrew’s College.

On the morning of the trip I came into school, like everybody else, with no uniform! That’s right folks, nobody going on the trip had to wear a uniform! I, being reporter, asked a few friends if they were looking forward to going. They said they were. After a short assembly (with announcements from Mrs. Duff and Mrs. Kirby), we got on the buses and were ready to go.

Three buses were going in total, two forms per bus. It was a rather uneventful journey down really. There was some singing from some females (probably a few males too) at first, but after repeating the same song one thousand and one times they got bored and stopped. In fact, the journey was so uneventful that I almost fell asleep.

About an hour after we left Andrew’s, we arrived at Blessington. We got off the bus, an instructor made a short safety announcement, then everyone was arranged into groups. Please don’t ask me how many per group because I forgot to count.I, being reporter, wasn’t going to be doing any of the activities, so I just went off with my photographer Ralph, to see how people were getting on, and maybe get a few comments.

As well as having a conventional camera, Ralph was also using the school’s camcorder. I got to use it once or twice as well, and did a lot of commentary for it. Great fun, you know.

Anyway, yes, so we went around looking for comments from people. It was about ten to eleven when the first activities got underway. Not too bad considering we only got there at twenty past ten. The earliest comments Ralph and I got were from the first canoeing group. Here are just a few of them:

‘It was great’, Diarmaid, [form] 1D.

‘Freezing’, Jessica, 1D, ‘I need a shower.’

‘Brilliant’, Jonathon, 1L.

The general remarks on the canoes were the two Fs: Fun and Freezing.

After I had taken these comments, we walked back up the steep hill (which leads down to the pier) and went to the tennis courts, where Mrs. Duff and Ms. Lewis were playing. They said they were having a good day so far.

There isn’t really much point in me telling you everything, and giving you everybody’s opinion, so I’ll just run through the general attitude to each if the activities that went on: canoeing, kayaking, abseiling, orienteering, archery, water bus, and horse riding. Okay, I’ve already covered canoeing. Oh, by the way, I heard that some people were performing the macerena inside the canoes! Yes? And don’t think I didn’t notice when the instructor ended up pushing you all around with his own canoe because you couldn’t paddle properly!

Anyway, that’s enough about canoes. Orienteering next, let’s see now…Oh yes! People got their shoes very muddy. In fact, a few unfortunate orienteerers even lost their shoes in the mud! Despite having muck up to their ankles, though, most people enjoyed themselves. I believe the exact words of every group that won were: ‘We won! We won! We won!’ Thank you.

Abseiling also turned out to be one of the favourites. Attached to a rope, you had to descend the side of a cliff. Miss Devlin and Ms. Lewis were planning on doing it themselves actually. But, they chickened out at the last minute! Ah no, they didn’t really, the instructor just didn’t have enough time to take them (so they said anyway!). The day was so packed that one group didn’t get to go abseiling because of time constraints. I asked a few members of this group how they felt, but no one had any comment. Using my amazing powers to sense people’s feelings, I thought that they were just the tiniest bit upset.

Archery also looked like good fun. The archers had to try and pop balloons that were stuck onto the targets. Unfortunately, no one was available for interview.

How about kayaking? The comments Ralph and I got were basically the same as the ones for the (Canadian) canoeing: fun and freezing!

The horse riding was optional and cost an extra three pounds, but from what I hear it was worth it. Before the first group went out, Ralph and I talked to Cian, a guy who was about to try horse riding for the first time. He said he was very nervous, terrified, in fact. Then, we talked to him when he came back and he said it had been brilliant.

‘Was it worth the extra three pounds?’ Ralph asked.

‘If it was ten pounds extra, it would have been worth it’, Cian said. Wow! At least somebody liked it.

Now, on to the water bus. Heh heh. The water bus at Blessington is called the MV (Motor Vessel) Blessington. When you go on it, it takes you on a half-hour journey around the lake there (all the water sports are also conducted on this lake). I myself took time out to go on the water bus as I had done all my reporting and was a little bored. I tell you, as soon as I got on it I wasn’t bored anymore! Nor, I don’t think, was anyone on board the MV Blessington! A few jokes from the captain (a young instructor) warmed us up before Damien from my form (1D) introduced a star-studded half-hour of wild entertainment! Let’s see, we had the Spice Girls: Mark Molloy (Mel B), Gareth Watkins (Geri), Phillip Ashley (Emma), and Jonathon Gockren (Mel C). Damien told us they were women trapped in men’s bodies, and we believed him. Anyway, they sang Who Do You Think You Are? for us. I think I should mention that Jonathon knew all the words, and all the dance moves! Then we had Don’t Cry For Me Argentina sung by…Well, I won’t tell you, because I’ve been specifically asked not to mention names in this case. The whole boat joined in for that.

Damien then tried to persuade the teachers to sing. The whole boat even chanted for it, but no such luck. Too shy teachers. Oh! Did I not mention that Miss Devlin, Ms. Lewis, Miss Nic an Bhaird and Miss Devally were on the boat as well? Unfortunately the other form teachers – Miss Cannon and Mr. McCann – couldn’t come. Nor could our year head, Mrs. Duff. They had to ‘hold fort’ back on land. After all, there were other activities going on.

Anyway, when the teachers wouldn’t sing, Alexis, 1L performed a Backstreet Boys’ song for us instead! I have to say well done to him and to everybody who performed on the boat trip, it was terrific fun. I haven’t mentioned everyone who did something because (a) I don’t have enough space, and (b) I’m just not very good at remembering names. But, you are not forgotten even if you’re not listed here!

Okay, I think I’ve gone through all the activities now. But wait! I forgot to mention lunch…Everyone got a hot lunch of burger and chips / veggie burger and chips at around one o’clock.

Comments on the food?

‘Yum!’

‘Lovely to have something warm!’

‘Great!’

So, I’d say they enjoyed it!

The teachers also seemed to have a good day. They spent most of the time inside drinking coffee. But Mr. McCann, Miss Nic an Bhaird and Miss Devally did get out once for a round of clay pigeon shooting. That ended up with Mr. McCann winning with four accurate shots out of five, Miss Devally second with three out of five, and Miss Nic an Bhaird third with…Well, I won’t say.

At five o’clock, it was the end of a long day. Before we left, though, one of the instructors was asked what he thought of the St. Andrew’s students…

‘Oh, no problems. I think they’re all fairly cool.’

Yeah, so that sums it up really. On the way home, Mrs. Duff kindly donated a chocolate bar to ‘everyone in the audience.’ I got a Cadbury’s Fuse.

Well, that’s it. Was the trip worth the seventeen quid? I’d say so, yes.

Ben Murnane, for St. Andrew’s College, in Blessington.

PS: Ms. Lewis won the tennis!

© 2008 benmurnane.com.