HOME - EXTRA CURRICULAR - SKI TRIPS - 2000

San Valentino, Italy

On the 20th Feb 23 students and 4 teachers gathered at the College for an early departure for Dublin airport. All were on board the bus when a last minute roll call revealed that one member of the travelling party was missing. A swift phone call ensured that the force was up to full strength within minutes and that the missing individual was surgically removed from bed by his mother!

Upon arrival at the airport, bags were checked in and boarding passes were issued just in time for the 8:00am flight to Verona. On board were 328 would be skiiers, with fanciful ideas of gracefully coming down the Alps on skies and upright.

Once we touched down in Italy we all thought that the "Learner" Pilot had a good landing. Mr. Deveney and Mr. Gordon were heard to state "Any landing that you can walk away from is a good one!" The coach driver told us that he was taking us on the scenic route to the hotel along the shores of Lake Garda and we all suspected there and then that he just did not want to pay the toll on the motorway. 

As the days and evenings drew on the first "DISCO" of the trip came along and Aiden Blake became the house Jock!! Mr. Deveney and his close friend Gibson entertained the troops well into the evening and the girls from Portmarnock C.S. formed a choir for backing. Robbie, Oasis and Daniel O'Donnell were all aired along with a teachers composition of the Don Mclean classic "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie" with new lyrics to flatter and embarrass various members of the audience. After another day on the Piste the letterkenny and the Raphoe school put together a team to take on the ski instructors at a game of soccer in the snow garden. A large crowd gathered in the sub-zero temperatures to watch both sides do battle Rory Callaghan was class as he weaved his way through the Italians to score, Eamonn O'Donnell kept the pride of Swilly Rovers alive with a stirling performance at centre-half, the final score Ireland 7 Italy 2. The next evening both sides did battle again in an indoor arena that the Ski Instructors rented. The outcome of this tense affair was a 2 - 1 victory for Italy. Thus honours were even and both sides retired with pride.

Aiden Blake was elected the chocolate kid by the owner of the Panoramica as he religiously pit stopped every time that he passed for a hot chocolate. He reckons that this was the secret to his ability to ski. When none of the boys were watching Mr. Deveney and Mr. Doherty decided to do a couple of jumps and the pictures are here to prove it. Mr Gordon thought that it would be unwise of him to follow suit, as it would be setting a bad example! ( In other words he chickened out!!!)

Eamonn O'Donnell, Joe Browne and Rory McMenamin are grouped together when it comes to the highest jump and the most spectacular falls of the trip and if the fee is right then the video will be sold, a copy is presently winging its way across the pond to "You've been Framed".

The morning had come to travel home and bid farewell to the Italian Alps after skiing to the limit for 6 days. With sadness all packed up and headed for the bus and Verona airport. In a short time we were back in Ireland. As Jamsies bus headed north toward the Hills of Donegal quiet whisperings and cloaked conversations were taking place in the bus and the next day at school several of this years travelling party wanted to know I"Ahhh sir, would there be another trip next year??" "Go on one more !!"

The dirty washing was hardly done and the clamour for another week at altitude was growing. Watch this space for further details …….

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