By Michelle Crean

Four Rathmore students were amongst a group who got the personal low down about Europe's approach to climate change in the European Parliament.

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Killarney man Sean Kelly MEP awarded 24 Transition Year students from Ireland with the incredible opportunity of travelling to Brussels in Belgium for the educational experience.

Anna O’Mahoney, Lainey Harty, Jennifer Dineen and Tara Jones from Scoil Phobail Luachra in Rathmore were selected.

Upon completing an essay competition on the same topic their teacher Miriam O’Regan said the girls were thrilled to be travelling and grateful of the warm welcome and respect they received from parliament members, especially Sean Kelly MEP for Ireland South.

They enjoyed a luxurious stay in the Thon Hotel EU and were given a tour of the EU parliament, including activities and games to gain insight into the work of the EU and its MEPs.

Additionally, they were gifted hoodies appropriately coloured in the blue and yellow of the EU, a tour of a Belgian chocolate factory and made waffles at the waffle workshop.

The girls were treated to dinner at multiple restaurants including the Hard Rock Café where they had an unexpected, but very dramatic, experience of thunder and fork lightning as they looked out on the streets of Brussels.

"All the girls are extremely appreciative for this once in a lifetime experience and admit that it opened their eyes to the process behind our law and the work of our MEPs," Miriam O’Regan said.