Internship in Gorey, Ireland
Alessandro, Teaching
My experience with finding the internship placement and the application
I had previously contacted several schools in Ireland, but unfortunately I often did not receive any response at all.
I eventually found the internship placement through a list provided by the Leonardo Office. After sending an email and having an initial online meeting, I was offered the internship. The communication took place via the Deputy Principal of the school, John Murphy.
My experience with accommodation and travel
Finding accommodation in the area can be somewhat challenging, depending on how long you plan to stay, as it is still a small town despite its recent growth. Rent is also relatively high. In my experience, many online offers were only available for a minimum rental period or exclusively for female tenants.
For shorter stays, I would definitely recommend asking the internship institution directly if they can help find a solution. Personally, I was lucky that an acquaintance of one of the school assistants had a room available for rent.
My tip:
A car or a bicycle can make your stay much easier.
My experience during the internship
My experience during the internship was consistently positive. On the first day, the Deputy showed me around the school campus and provided me with a schedule for classroom observations for the first week. He also introduced me to the rest of the teaching staff.
After the first two weeks of observation, I started teaching from the third week onwards, either independently or in team teaching. I was given a lot of freedom in planning my lessons, and all teachers were open to spontaneous ideas.
After a few weeks, I had my own classes in which I was able to teach regularly, either independently or in team teaching.
In addition to teaching, I also participated in two trips to Dublin and helped supervise a Gaelic football match.
Since the school currently only has temporary buildings, some aspects of school life are somewhat limited. There is neither a sports hall nor a cafeteria. Students are allowed to stay in the buildings during breaks, but not inside the classrooms. Despite these limitations, the classrooms are very well equipped. There are also specialized rooms for Science, Technology, Home Economics, and Art.
The overall atmosphere was very friendly, and all teachers welcomed me warmly and on equal terms. The staff is also relatively young.
My experience with everyday life and free time on site
As long as you live within the town, all shops and leisure activities are easily accessible on foot. There are plenty of shops, as well as good restaurants and pubs. The main street in particular is lively at all hours of the day. There are also two very well-equipped gyms and several other sports facilities.
Since it is a small town, the range of leisure and cultural activities is naturally more limited compared to larger cities such as Dublin or Galway.
The connection to nearby larger cities is quite good thanks to the Dublin–Wexford route. There are two bus lines (Wexford Bus 740, Expressway 2) that run hourly. However, outside of these larger towns (Dublin, Arklow, Enniscorthy, Wexford), public transport is quite limited, making it difficult to reach more remote areas without a car.
If you are planning a stay in Gorey, I would definitely recommend renting a car for a few days (Dublin, Wexford, or “GoCar” at the local Tesco are good options) to explore the area. A bicycle can also be useful.
My conclusion & tips
The internship at Gorey ETSS was very rewarding and also a lot of fun. In my case, the quieter atmosphere of the town and the somewhat limited leisure options compared to larger cities such as Dublin or Galway did not bother me. However, this may vary from person to person, so I would recommend being aware of this in advance.
If you do not mind the more rural setting, I would definitely recommend the internship at Gorey Educate Together Secondary School.
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