Sorry to have to use the above picture to start off this passage for Day 7, the last full day of the tour. Who would have expected a solar eclipse to swipe through Europe while we were travelling around the shadowed lands? We noticed its coming last night and the moon-shaped sun did show itself through the clouds while we were on the coach. We cheered and wowed as the eclipsed sun became comfortably visible through the layers of mist and clouds. I took this picture with a stray bird in view.

And so, the extraordinary day started. We went visiting Knocknacarra National School which is a popular primary school at Galway. As soon as we entered, lines of students had been waiting for us. We enjoyed a one-to-one guided tour and had a chance to join their Friday assembly. The children performed music, dance, and choral speaking. We particularly enjoyed their chiming of a passage on bananas, so much joy! I have seen our YWPS student ambassadors working, but never have I been served this way. I really felt warm and important. Our school has been doing a very right thing training ambassadors for our guests!

We dropped by the Galway City Council to chat with the Mayor before visiting a hotel and catering school. The business of the latter is directed by a Chinese and we were glad to see and speak to a few Chinese students there.

National University of Ireland Galway was the final school we visited. The strong sense of history and natural colours around the campus were not as impressive as the words from the speaker. He pointed out that Ireland welcomes people from different nations to study and work there - they give opportunities rather than setting barriers to overseas people, unlike some countries. This makes the beautiful country even more attractive.

What also impressed me was a random shopkeeper from one of the many gift shops in the city centre of Galway. We chatted and he pointed out that Irish people are curious and sociable, and he found Chinese people humourous and easy to get along. He had friends from Hong Kong too! I wish everybody in Hong Kong could have his wisdom, politeness, professionalism and patriotism.

Tomorrow is the end of the tour. The last update might come after my arrival, depending on whether my phone could get charged on the way. See you all really soon!

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair 

No snow today but that's not a surprise. What came as a sweet shock was the quality of the two universities we visited during the day time.

Both University of Limerick and University College Cork were more impressive than the few we came by at many levels. Environmentally, both of them were run through by a river: River Shannon for the former and River Lee the latter. And they offered unquestionably mesmerizing scenery. 

In terms of hospitality, both institutes achieved a high standard at different dimensions. The University of Limerick's tour brought us to the Prassey House, where the office and guestrooms of the Principal were located. It looked like the White House and the interior was classy. A cup of fine tea and assorted snacks brought in the best European air to each of us, let alone the striking view through the windows. Furthermore, the music centre of this university inspired us to firmly believe that Ying Wa Primary School deserves a world class music centre should a swimming pool complex be constructed in the near future. 

The University College Cork might not have taken us to a luxurious room, yet their connections with China and their involvement of two students from Hong Kong during the discussion time showed a lot of friendliness and sincerity. We are glad to see that this institute came to the forefront in opening up opportunities for Asian students. They surely sets up an example for the other Irish universities which would like to reach the world. Another pleasant surprise from this university was a costumed young man narrating in first person as George Boole, the father of computer science. Very articulate and dramatic!

The last stop of the day was a simulation of the Titanic experience at a refurnished pier at Cobh where the real Titanic did dock. We got to see information of the 1912 incident and the rooms the passengers used to stay. The experience reminded us that a lot of travellers did not survive the disaster and that it is always a blessing that we can gather, share and build the future we can see. 

On the way back to Limerick, Mrs Lam prepared over a hundred questions about the trip so far to challenge all the participants on the coach! She set rules and there was a compulsory round, a quick fire round and a presentation round. So serious but fun! Isn't it what learning should be? Well, all three YWPS teachers belonged to team B, guess which group won? ;)

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair 

Day 5 in Dublin. The temperature dropped below zero as we left the inn in the morning. But with our much heated spirit we went for our first visit: Dundalk Grammar School, with both secondary and junior sections. The school head Mr Drury demonstrated superb hospitality as he toured us around the campus, popping in lessons with friendly pupils. We visited their Design & Communication Graphics class, Music class, Art class, French class, Home Economics class, Carpenter class etc. We got the chance to speak to their students and learn about how they learn in school. I spoke to a Year 3 secondary school boy working on a shelf in the Carpentry lesson. He told me he had these double lessons twice a week and he's given a week to finish his woodwork. He explained his design in detail with confidence and interest. We also had a chance to briefly visit a junior school lesson with the 4 to 6-year-olds. The children were adorable and presentable.

Then we were off to Dublin City University, a young and vibrant institution with excellent sports facilities and results in national and international contests. We listened to an informative presentation and were toured around the campus.

Our final visit of the day was the Maynooth University, which shares the same campus with St Patrick's College. The university offered selective subjects and focuses on training students soft skills more than subject knowledge. They teach with a style and expect their students to be recognizable as being learners from this university. And the highlight of the day to many of us would be the short visit to St Patrick's College and Church. The garden enclosed by centuries old buildings and the spectacular interior of the church invited a large amount of appreciation, and photography. 

The day ended with a long ride to Limerick, where we will stay for two evenings. Could there be snow tomorrow?

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair

Our final day in Dublin happened to be the St Patrick's Day. This national festival looked equivalent to our Chinese New Year. But it seemed to have a stronger colouration and patriotic engagement from people. We were very excited to gear up to enjoy the parade starting close to noon.

We stopped by a local pub to wait for the parade to begin. This gave time for the different School Heads to share insightful managerial knowledge and reflect on the tour so far. Different topics were covered, including the different presentation styles of the universities we visited the day before. We concluded that passion and sense of belonging always make an important impression for a school introduction presentation and that school leaders are expected to be proactive and open-minded in search of overseas learning opportunities for their students.

We joined the heated crowd at the city centre as the parade started. With green clothing, we blended into the environment naturally. The layers of viewers at the sides of the pathways made it impossible for us to see the teams passing by clearly without some stretching and jumping. But it was a fantastic party all the same. What impressed me the most was the merging of multi-cultures and the strong sense of love to the Irish heritage. No matter where you're from, you wouldn't feel uncomfortable putting on sharp green merchandise for the event. The love of one's culture and country and the cancellation of individual differences are the spirits that youngsters from Hong Kong need to further develop to give a better future for our hometown. To our surprise, a group of Hong Kong students, from the City University of Hong Kong, who were enjoying their exchange period at Liverpool bumped into our selfies. But exactly why they could get here from Liverpool during term time in England was not fully explained!

For further cultural exposure, we attended a "Hurling" game final at Croke Park at 2:30 pm. This traditional Irish sport is the playing of a baseball-sized ball using foot, hand and a hurley (club). The game went very fast and that inevitably caught the attention of Mr Chu, our PE teacher, who will surely find ways to bring certain aspects of hurling back to school to wow our sporty children!

New visits to schools tomorrow. Still waiting for the sun to come out.

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair

Third day in Dublin. Same cloudy and gusty weather of not more than 6 degrees Celsius. The tour visited two iconic universities: University College Dublin in the morning and Trinity College Dublin in the afternoon.

The former is the younger of the two, just over 160 years whilst the latter was established in the 16th century - we could easily tell that from the architectural style of the buildings as well. In both universities we were toured around by a representative and attended a short seminar where a speaker introduced to us their esteemed institute and their admission requirements for Hong Kong students etc. We learnt a great deal from these visits, however brief.

Coincidentally, interesting things happened during our photo shoots in both locations. While we were taking a group photo at the University College Dublin, a group of local students popped in and asked to join (they came back for an exam!). We certainly wouldn't mind the involvement of these young students in our pictures! Similarly, a group of enthusiastic visitors from Italy were thrilled to get into our selfies while we were at the entrance of the old library of Trinity College Dublin. Their friendliness added colours to the greyish sky above us.

St Patrick's Day is tomorrow (17 March). It is a huge annual Irish celebration. We have all got into the mood of party. Hats, scarves and other green decorations were everywhere. Tomorrow we will surely be heated by the parade and other great things to see at the street!

Can't wait to tell you more about it tomorrow!

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair 

Another rather relaxing day of visit on this second day (15 March) of the tour. We first had an eye-opening visit at the Guinness Storehouse which was like a studio or museum  showcasing its centuries-long wisdom of wine-making and production design. We are obviously not fans of alcohol, but still had a taste of the Irish heritage at the interactive site.

The tour then came to Kildare Village, which is an outlet for Brand-named shops. We looked for discounted items after a hearty lunch at the village. The site is expanding and has been attracting local and international customers alike.

Our professional gathering of the day reached its climax when we came back to our inn for dinner. Two of our colleagues celebrated their birthday. Our bilingual birthday songs attracted the attention of other guests. Two Irish ladies next to our long table offered their improvised birthday presents by singing the birthday song in Irish! That was a genuine instance of cultural exchange we would remember for a long time.

First business day of the tour tomorrow (16 March). Two universities to visit. More to share soon...

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair 

The fifth chapter of the DSS Tour for school heads and school administrators brings us to Ireland this early spring. 9 hours of flight to Dubai and another 7 to Dublin didn't seem to have spoiled the mood of the keen participating educators. Mrs Lam, Ms Yiu, Mr Chu and I, together with the rest of the group arrived with a festive atmosphere engulfing us.

First day (14 March), 5-6 degrees Celsius, we stopped by the enormous Phoenix Park and did a bit of hunting for local items. The tour had a fine early dinner at an eastern style restaurant where a few selfies were inevitable. The inn we are staying is decent and quiet. We are now resting with a minor jet-lag and an explorative mind for the next few days of visit. Slow typing with my cellphone. Stay tuned...

Dr H C Lee
Panel Chair