Louise’s YLDC Trip with Rotary Ireland

I was lucky enough to go on the Rotary Ireland YLDC Trip to Strasbourg, which included a trip to Stormont, Leinster House, the European Parliament and the European Court of Human Rights. I was awarded this opportunity after winning the regional round of the competition.

On Monday morning, a group of 20 young people from all across the island, both north and south met in the Stormont Hotel opposite the Northern Irish Assembly. While we were all a bit nervous to be spending a week with virtual strangers, before we knew it we were all fast friends, bonding over music, sports and all our shared political interests.

Visiting the Northern Irish Assembly of Stormont was truly an eye opening experience, learning all about the history of the building and the tensions that still exist today (as could be seen in the Assembly). We were lucky enough to meet Emma Little Pengellly the Deputy First Minister, along with Cara Hunter and a few others.

The next day we were in Dublin, spending the morning in the European Offices to prepare for our day in the European Parliament and then we got a tour of Leinster House. I finally felt in my element compared to the first day (I felt very ignorant on Northern Irish politics) and we got to meet the Healy Rae’s, Neale Richmond, seemingly every TD from Kerry and more! It was really interesting and we were all so grateful at the amount of time these people took out of their day just to speak to a group of school students.

The next day we were up bright and early to be in the airport at 3am for a flight to Frankfurt (or for some of us, up quite late as we decided not to go to sleep). The plane trip passed by in a haze of sleep, and the bus ride passed by with games of Mafia and more, by the time we arrived in Strasbourg, we were all exhausted but we went out for dinner that night and prepared for the day ahead.

Thursday was the big day, where we spent our day in the European Parliament. We got the opportunity to ask the Vice President of the European Parliament, Esteban Gonzales Pons a question (including me!) and then took part in a mock debate on Europe’s Zero Emission Policy. After about a hundred photos, we headed for a tour of the European Court of Human Rights, which was a truly eye opening experience.

Friday was our last day, and after a luxurious lie in until 9 we got some free time to explore Strasbourg, and try some French pastries! Next it was time for the bus ride to Zurich, and the realisation that there was nothing we could afford in the airport, before we headed for our gate. It was on the plane home that it started to dawn on all of us that this was the end. As we gathered in Dublin Airport for one last picture, the tears started to fall and we couldn’t hold it together.

Promises were made to meet each other, to tell each other if we were in the same county, and to go to the Wolfe Tones (I promise I’ll get the tickets soon!) and suddenly we were all leaving each other on our way home and back to our own worlds.

Louise Purcell, 5th Year