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Welcome to Rosemarie house
*****Academic packages available*****
We are a fun family in the Irish countryside, just 3km from the town centre - 45 minutes from Dublin city centre.
We welcome all age groups.
We have 2 large spare rooms in our home.
We also have a two bedroom apartment, self catering, suitable for families of up to 5 people, as we are in the countryside a car would be beneficial as the local town is 3km away.
ABOUT US:
Rosemarie - the mother.
I worked for the local newspaper until my children were born. Now I am lucky enough to work part-time from home (10-15 hours per week) providing marketing and public relations functions for a local stud farm. I love animals, especially horses.
Edward - father.
Eddie works full-time for the Irish Rail service. He is an electrician. He is a great father and likes to cook and organize day trips for his work holidays.
Emily - our daughter.
Emily is an excellent student and loves to take care of our animals. She enjoys hockey, reading, horse riding, and tennis. She is very witty and smart.
Marcella - our daughter.
Marci is also a great student. She is always laughing and smiling and is great fun. She is sensitive to people's feelings and is a kind girl. She also loves hockey and horse riding.
Edward Jr - our son.
Eddie is the youngest and he is a real prankster. He is a very chilled-out boy and enjoys relaxing. He plays football and also does horse riding. He is a kind boy.
SAFETY:
We understand that as your child travels to a foreign country for any period of time, there are many emotions. Excitement for the fun and learning experience, pride that your child has reached an age where they are going to be independent, and of course, as a parent, you may feel nervous that your child will be safe and in a loving and caring home.
We have hosted high-profile students before and we are happy to liaise with security and the local embassy in relation to security issues if needed.
We have hosted many students over the past 10 years, privately and through agencies. We are happy to offer you the contact details of former student families who have kindly agreed to act as a reference for us. Please let me know by what language you would like to contact. We also have up-to-date Police vetting. We live in a very safe area with a beautiful network of neighbors and friends. You can rest assured that your son or daughter will be cared for with the same level of care we treat our own children. Your child will be dropped off and collected each day from school.
THE BEDROOM:
We live on a small farm 3km from the town, Athy. Our home has 3 levels and we have 2 very large luxury rooms where our students stay. There is a super king bed - 2m, TV, desk, armchair, and Chromecast in each room, and each room has super quality broadband to help with studies and contacting family and friends. The rooms are very warm and comfortable, and there is a bathroom with a power shower on this level also.
HOUSE RULES:
• We encourage students to make the most of their time and practice their English language skills. As a family, we will always point out grammar etc. to help with this.
• There is a strict English only policy in our home. Students are welcome to make calls to family and friends in their native language, but not in the living areas of our home.
• Students are welcome to have friends over to our home. However, unless by arrangement with the student parents, we do not allow students to stay with other families.
• Any trips to Dublin, shopping trips, etc., must be approved by parents via WhatsApp or email.
• Strictly no mobile phone use at the kitchen table during meal times.
THE AREA:
• We live in a very picturesque and safe area.
• 45 minutes by train to Dublin
There are a number of local attractions including:
• Kilkea Castle
• The Blue Way cycling
• The Barrow Trail
• Bernard Shaw art gallery and theatre
• Ducketts Grove
• Newbridge Silverwear and fashion museum
• Rock of Dunamase
• Kildare Village
• The Irish National Stud and gardens
• Glendalough
• Castlecomer Discovery Park
• Dublin City
• Kilkenny City
ACTIVITIES:
We are members of the Tennis Club and Golf Club, and we visit these regularly. We are also members of the National Stud and the Japanese Gardens.
Eddie plays football locally and can organize membership with local clubs.
I am interested in horses and we have horses and ponies here at home, and the children also take lessons weekly at the local riding school.
Please let me know what activities interest you and we will make sure to organize it for you. We feel that activities are very important for students to integrate and make friends.
ACADEMIC PACKAGE:
Full-year academic program
This includes:
• Uniform
• Books
• School transport – dropped off and collected each day by car.
• School Fees
• Lunch
FOOD:
All food is freshly prepared. I make fresh bread each day, and a lot of students will ask to learn how to make the bread. It is quite popular. The food is healthy, organic where possible. We have a small vegetable patch and free-range hens. Of course, a Friday pizza and Häagen-Dazs watching a movie is also an option!
FAMILY HOLIDAY OPTION:
Adjacent to our home, we have a fully furnished Airbnb 2-bedroom apartment. If the parents and siblings wish to visit the student throughout the year for a few days/weeks, we can organize this on a self-catering or fully catered basis. However, booking well in advance is advised. It is offered at a discounted rate for full academic year students.
This apartment is also suitable for families with young children who wish for them to be immersed with an Irish family during the day while the parents do day trips/golf/tennis, etc. Young children will have the security of their parents at night.
ANIMALS:
While we have a lot of animals, students who do not like animals do not need to be close to them or interact with them. Some students like to take part in the care of animals, picking eggs, feeding the horses, etc.
We have a flock of chickens which lay eggs, and we breed from them. There is a great variety of colors and breeds.
We have a pet sheep called Cisco who we reared as an orphan lamb – she is a super footballer. I have a great video of her playing football that is worth seeing!!
Horses and ponies:
We have lots of horses and ponies. My husband has racehorses, and we might visit the racetrack if one of them is racing. During the summer, we regularly attend county shows. Each week, the children go horse riding.
Dogs:
We have a dog Sparkey who is a little short-haired terrier and lives mostly outdoors.
Ma fille de 16 ans a passé 3 semaines super chez Rosemarie, Eddie et leurs enfants. La famille est accueillante et attentionnée, en quête de solutions pour permettre une intégration optimale dans leur réseau local avec une immersion linguistique profitable. La maison est très confortable, notre fille avait une jolie chambre coquette et s'est très rapidement sentie intégrée à la famille. Je recommande très chaudement cette famille exceptionnelle qui se donne vraiment du mal pour que chaque expérience soit unique! Merci Rose!!!!
I am 15 year old girl and I spent 3 months with Rosemarie and her family. They became my second family. It's was a wonderful and an awesome stay. The whole family is lovely. I immediately felt so good with them, I enjoyed every single day, shared my passion for horses, learnt a lot about irish life and met lovely people. Thank you Rosemarie, Eddie, Emily, Marcella and Eddie for the sharing your time with me. I miss you so much. Hope to see you soon again!
Notre fille a passé une très agréable semaine dans la famille de Rosemarie. C étais son premier séjour . Elle est rentrée ravie . Toute la famille est passionnée d équitation tout comme ma fille.
Enviamos a nuestra hija de 15 años por 2 semanas. Comunicación inicial correcta. Familia correcta. Instalaciones adecuadas. Habia 4 estudiantes al mismo tiempo, de distintas nacionalidades. Nuestra hija nos contó que ha interaccionado más con ellos y con el hijo menor que con el resto de la familia, habiendo niñas de su edad. Les dejaban solos, incluso les llevaban a la ciudad en coche y luego les recogían, sin supervisión ni control de adultos. Lo lógico es que hubieran acompañado a la familia en sus actividades en el exterior, como pensábamos que iba a ocurrir. El traslado de vuelta al aeropuerto fue con poquísimo tiempo y no perdió el vuelo de milagro. No nos informaron de lo que estaba pasando, y el feed back con la familia ha sido nulo durante los 15 dias. Nuestra opinión es que en este caso prima lo mercantil sobre otros aspectos, lamentablemente, lo que perjudica el fin inicial del viaje, que es la inmersión en la vida familiar.
It was one of the best experience of my life with you. You are an amazing family. I didn’t expect this amazing adventure and I can just thank you a lot again. I hope to see you soon !
Notre fille Eva 15 ans a passé quinze jours chez Rosemarie et sa famille. Elle a été très bien accueillie et s'est très vite sentie chez elle avec eux! C'était son premier séjour à l'étranger et nous étions inquiets, mais tout s'est bien passé. Rosemarie l'a accueillie comme l'un de ses enfants. Elle a adoré cette vie dans la nature au contact des animaux et plus particulièrement des chevaux ! Elle s'est très bien entendue avec les enfants qui sont adorables. Notre fille a gagné en confiance, en apprentissage de la langue anglaise et aussi à cheval car chez Rosemarie le cheval est une passion. Eva envisage de retourner prochainement chez Rosemarie...
Tout était parfait ! Toute la famille est très gentille, les enfants sont vite devenus amis. Célie a fait beaucoup de progrès en anglais. On lui a proposé de nombreuses sorties et activités pour découvrir le pays et sa culture. Célie est revenue très heureuse.
I’m a 18 year old girl and I spent one incredible week in august at Rosemarie’s house with her lovely family. As soon as I met them, I was considered as a family member. They are all kind and open minded and they reassured me easily when I was stressed after my flight. They all like having fun and they always make sure everybody is alright without being invasive. I had the opportunity to visit the country alone for the first time. It was a rewarding experience that made me grown up fast. Thank you Rosemarie and your family for this amazing experience !
Notre fils Amaury de 16 ans a passé un très bon séjour chez Rosemarie et sa famille. Ils ont été vraiment accueillant comme un de leur propre enfant. Amaury a trouvé sa place au sein de leur famille. Il s'est particulièrement bien ente'du avec Eddy junior : c'était un peu comme un petit frère Irlandais. Il y a eu un imponderable qui n'a malheureusement pas permis à Amaury d'aller à l'école comme c'était prévu. Mais Rosemary a beaucoup oeuvré pour le garder occupé. Merci chere Rosemarie et sa famille pour ce séjour d'où Amaury a beaucoup pris confiance en lui pour parler et communiquer en anglais.
Notre fille de 14 ans a séjourné de août 2021 à janvier 2022 chez les 5 magnifiques personnes que forment la famille Gannon. Dès que nous les avons rencontrés, avant le départ de notre fille, le courant à tout se suite passé, nous nous sommes senti à l'aise avec eux, rassuré et certain que notre fille allait être comme chez elle dans cette famille. La communication avec Rosemarie à toujours été simple, rapide et efficace. Notre fille à été dès le départ considérée comme faisant partie des leurs. Elle avait son indépendance mais participait chaque jour á la vie familiale. Les relations avec tous les membres de famille ont été exceptionnelles pour notre fille, qui est d'ailleurs resté en contact avec eux. La famille G. est vraiment une famille que nous recommandons vivement. Vous pouvez leur confier votre enfant sans inquiétudes. La première expérience de notre fille seule à l'étranger à été exceptionnelle grâce à eux. Nous les remercions encore pour avoir tant apporté à notre fille.
Ma fille de 11 ans a passé 2 semaines dans la famille de Rosemarie . Elle est rentrée très heureuse de son séjour! C'est une famille adorable qui a accueilli ma fille comme une des leurs. Pendant son séjour, j'ai recu de nombreuses photos et nouvelles. Rosemarie, son mari et ses 3 enfants sont très gentils et bienveillants! Ma fille s'est sentie très à l'aise avec eux. Elle a pu profiter de nombreuses balades, excursions, jeux avec les enfants et les animaux de la famille. Elle a pu également monter à cheval. Elle est rentrée ravie! Elle est maintenant beaucoup plus à l'aise en anglais. C'est vraiment une experience incroyable que je vous recommande, votre enfant sera très bien accueilli chez Rosemarie et sa famille.
From 760 € / week
+33 7 49 08 56 74