February mid-term was an exciting time at St Mary’s College as a group of students, under the guidance of mentors Mr. Murphy, Mr Lally, Mr Hegarty, Ms Tyrrell and Mr. Lambe embarked on what was destined to be an unforgettable experience.
Setting out from Dundalk the students firstly enjoyed some retail therapy in Glasgow’s modern INTU Shopping Centre which was then was capped off with a competitive game of ten–pin bowling and an evening in the ‘Soar’ adventure centre.
After a restful night they then made the short journey to Celtic Park, or what their supporters fondly call ‘Paradise’. What followed was a personal guided tour of the stadium as the group followed on to the pitch in the footsteps of their heroes. It was a poignant moment for the Marist students as they enjoyed the history of the strong Marist connection and charitable foundations of Celtic. They learned how Brother Walfrid, a Marist Brother from Sligo, established the club in order to feed the starving Irish immigrants in the east end of Glasgow and it this was definitely a great source of pride for these young Marists.
Yet the most exciting part was yet to come as the tour finished with a meet and greet with the Celtic squad and the opportunity to pose for photographs with their heroes that will last a life-time. The tour was rounded off with a home fixture against St. Johnstone which ended in a nil all draw in what was still an incredible atmosphere. As they boarded the bus back to Dundalk there was a sense of great fulfilment in what was truly a memorable weekend.
