Easter and summer camps can make the holidays fly by, with a terrific range of activities, from adventure sports to language schools, on offer around the country and, overleaf, abroad, writes SYLVIA THOMPSON
SCHOOL'S OUT all summer. Well, not yet, but teenagers are already counting down to the end of the academic year, and for working parents that means planning activities to keep them busy at least some of the time. For those finishing first year, it will be the first time they have an extra month off school. While the Gaeltacht is a popular option for some, others will be keen to stay closer to home and go to day camps or simply hang out for a while.
Having teenagers mooch about at home is not what most parents want, so if they're too young to get a summer job – and these will be scarcer this summer – then a residential camp could offer the perfect mix of freedom and adventure.
If you're a seasoned parent of teenagers, you'll probably have sent at least one of them to the Gaeltacht for a few weeks in the summer. Last year about 28,000 students went to study Irish around the country during the summer break.
Most choose a college recommended by their Irish teacher; others opt for one their friends are going to. If you're new to the game, the website of Comhchoiste na gColaístí Samhraidh (www.concos.ie) is a good place to start. Concos is a federation of 47 Irish summer colleges inside and outside the main Gaeltachtaí that have been approved by the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Gearóid Ó Brosnachaín of Concos says bookings are fairly strong this year. "They are almost on a par with last year, which was up on previous years," he says. Expect to pay about €890 per student for three weeks.
According to Ó Brosnachaín, a good Irish-speaking environment, in college and in the home of the host family, is the key to a good Gaeltacht. "Parents need to get good value for money, so they need to see that their children come home with better Irish than they left with," he says.
The students' day consists of classes in the morning, followed by afternoon and evening activities, with supper at 10.30pm. "The teachers, the facilities, the céilí and the supervision at night are all important. The only thing we can't control is the weather, and that hasn't been great for the last two summers."
About 750 native Irish-speaking families provide accommodation for students who go to the Gaeltacht. Families can take in up to 16 students, who share bedrooms with up to three others. Keep on the right side of the bean an tí and you'll do fine.
Residential summer camps that offer a mix of adventure sports are another popular choice. Even not-so-sporty kids surprise themselves with the adrenalin rush and buzz of new friendships that the best-run camps of this type offer.
Collie MacPháidín of Donegal Adventure Centre, in Bundoran, says the best recipe for a summer camp is to "take children from all over the world, mix well and add to water".
The emphasis on outdoor activities is strong in adventure camps, but so is the friendship factor.
The residential summer-camp operator Horizon Ireland has added language camps to its already packed summer programme this year. It now runs camps in Westport, Co Mayo, Wilson's Hospital School, Co Westmeath, and Rockwell College, Co Tipperary. We're told the motor sports, multi-activity and surf camps are already booking up fast.
The language courses at Wilson's give Irish teenagers learning French or German a chance to mingle with native speakers. Irish students do language classes in the mornings (while the French and German students study English), then join the native speakers for sports and games in the afternoon and evenings. The campers are also divided into groups aged from 10 to 13 and 13 to 17.
Teenagers who love the west of Ireland will find the beauty of the landscape and the proximity to beaches in and around Killary Harbour hard to beat. Camp providers Killary Adventure Co and Delphi Mountain Resort are popular all year round, but they really come into their own in the summer.
Zoe Goor of Killary says bookings are "okay" this year, with groups from Italy and Spain confirmed. "We're getting some repeat business from Irish teenagers, too, but most people really don't start thinking about booking summer camps until after Easter," she says.
Activities at Killary range from kayaking and gorge walking to high-rope courses, rock climbing and bungee jumping.
At Delphi Mountain Resort, bookings are coming in every day, according to Mary Nash in the reservations office. "Our location is really what brings people. We're in the middle of the mountains yet we've beaches which are great for surfing nearby."
Delphi also has a nurse on call, and each camper is assigned a counsellor, who will be like a dependable big brother and sister throughout their time away.
What's on offer: choosing a summer camp in Ireland
Donegal Adventure CentreBundoran, Co Donegal, 071-9842418, www.adventure- ireland.com. With one in three campers coming back again and again, this adventure centre draws teenagers from across Ireland, the US and the European mainland. The camps offer a full schedule of surfing, skateboarding, climbing and abseiling, together with evening games and occasional day trips. Campers share bedrooms with one to three others. There is 24-hour supervision. A five-day multi-sport Easter camp, from April 13th to 17th, costs €350 per person, or €300 if you're coming with a friend. Summer camps run from July 3rd to 24th and August 3rd to 28th, with options for one, two and three weeks. These are suitable for 12- to 18-year-olds and cost from €400 for five days to €1,450 for 19 days.
Killary Adventure CoLennane, Connemara, Co Galway, 095-43411, www.killaryadventure.com. Activities in this beautiful location range from hillwalking and rock climbing to kayaking and sailing. Down time includes pool tournaments, table quizzes and beach parties. Students stay in four- or six-bedroom dormitories with 24-hour supervision. Parents can stay in more luxurious rooms in the next corridor and participate in group activities organised for the adults. Family rooms are also available, with the option for various members of the family to participate in different activity programmes. An Easter camp runs from April 13th to 17th and costs €272. The summer camp runs from June 21st to August 21st and costs €365 from Sunday evening to Friday evening. It is suitable for eight- to 18-year-olds.
Horizon Ireland098-50290, www.horizonireland.com, Horizon runs three residential summer camps, in Westport, Co Mayo, Wilson's Hospital School, Co Westmeath, and Rockwell College, Co Tipperary. As well as offering the widest range of camps – surfing, extreme sports, motor sports, multisports, drama, pony riding and documentary making – Horizon has added language to the mix. Campers can do morning classes in French or German, then join native speakers for sport in the afternoons. These camps are also divided into age groups. Camps cost from €498 to €695 per week and run every week from June 28th to the week starting August 9th.
Delphi Adventure CompanyLeenane, Connemara, Co Galway, 095-42208, www.delphimountainresort.com. Renowned for its stylish and holistic approach to the outdoors, this adventure centre runs residential summer camps for unaccompanied eight- to 17-year-olds. Activities range from rock climbing, raft building and surfing to valley walks, soccer, basketball and silly Olympics. Antibullying workshops are held on the first evening of every new camp, and each child is assigned a counsellor, who takes on the role of big brother or sister. Five-day camps run every week, from June 28th to the week starting on August 9th; they cost €429. Seven-day camps run from July 12th and August 2nd and cost €499.
WhizzKidsUniversity of Limerick, 061-339178, www.whizzkids.ie. The core activities of this camp are technology-based, so campers get to make movies, edit video, design websites and check out mobile-phone technology. There's a sports programme in the afternoon, video-game competitions and a film club. It's open to 13- to 17-year-olds, who stay in private rooms in supervised houses on campus. It costs €350 per person, including all meals. The camp runs from July 13th to 17th.
'The ultimate achievement of camp is friendship'
KNOWN TO ALL campers as Collie, Colm MacPháidín is the main man at Donegal Adventure Centre, in Bundoran. The larger-than-life character is always at hand, whether it’s to help campers get ready for surfing, climbing, skateboarding, canoeing, kayaking and body boarding or to keep them happy in the evenings with games, quizzes and talent shows.
“I don’t have a good social life during the summer, but it’s my favourite time of year,” he says. “Basically, we set up an environment so that the kids can enjoy themselves. They have a structure to follow every day. They know what they can and can’t do” – participants will be expelled if they are caught drinking alcohol, smoking or taking any illegal drugs – “yet they’ve a little bit of freedom.”
As well as supervising activities during the day, MacPháidín writes a daily blog, with photos and videos, during summer camp, so that parents can log on and check out how their teens got on at camp that day.
“We also factor in down time. We surf intensely for the first three days, and then we’ll do something like archery or abseiling. We split the campers into groups of different ability. It’s not boot camp, so if they aren’t enjoying it there’s no point. We also do a trip to the cinema once a week and a barbecue on the beach if the weather’s good,” he says.
“The campers are so physically tired by the end of the day that they are asking us can they go to bed at about 10.30pm.”
Campers are supervised 24 hours a day, he says. Bedrooms are shared by between two and four campers, and there are common rooms where everyone can hang out until midnight.
“We get about 30 per cent repeat business, and the campers from previous years e-mail us all the time. For me the ultimate achievement of camp is friendship.”