By Damjan, 5th Class
On Tuesday, 5th and 6th class walked to Fitzgeralds Park and then up the steep hills to the Cork City Gaol. We started and I decided to partner up with Conor. When we arrived at Centra, breathless, we stumbled in. I instantly felt better when I touched an energy drink. After that, we walked the remaining minutes to Fitzgeralds Park. We went to the benches and then it became a battlefield when they noticed that some of them were wet. Some people were sitting on each other. I sat on my jumper. Then we walked to the park. Nearly all of us played tag. It was crazy. Most of us hid under the slides.
Then we had to pack up and carry on. We crossed the Shaky Bridge. Then we walked hill after hill after hill. When my legs nearly gave out, the prison appeared. Relief swept through my body. I sat down and enjoyed the riches of sugar-coated gummies. Then we ventured off into the prison. A tour guide greeted us. He showed us some cells with very realistic mannequins. Then we went to the second level. He showed us the doctor’s room. He said that he earned 100 pounds a year. Then we went to a room with a timeline. I can’t remember the exact years but once it was a women only prison and there was an execution held there. The guide led us to a room with a miniature version of the prison. There were buttons with words above them. When pressed, a button on the prison lights up, showing us where it is. Then he showed us to the governor’s room. He had a picture of Queen Victoria. The guide said that he earned a lot of money. 250 pounds! The guide said that he earned more than all the guards combined. (the guards earned 20 pounds a year). Then we noticed a mannequin holding a piece of cloth. She stole it and got caught. She got sentenced to prison for 7 years. He also mentioned that people who went to jail for 5 years or more they would go to Australia. When their sentence was over they had to pay to go back to Ireland.
After that, we had to go back to the Park. We made a water slide. It was funny watching people going down on it. Then we walked back to the school. It was excruciating but we survived. A couple of people were a bit behind us. Near the school gates, a huge golden retriever tried to attack me. He was being playful but his owner pulled him back so hard I think that the poor dog choked a bit. Then I went home.
Togher Boys' National School 