A group of over 40 Killarney Celtic FC members will embark on an exciting Erasmus+ exchange trip to Italy at Easter will football and culture very much at the top of the agenda.
A total of 30 young players – boys and girls at under 13 and under 16 age levels – and 13 group leaders will travel to Verrès, in the Italian Alpine province of Aosta, from April 14th-21st.
The exchange has been arranged between Celtic and Verrès college ISILTEP and a programme of cultural, social and physical activities will be undertaken.
The activities will include Gaelic games lessons for the Italian youths while the Irish guests will experience the medieval customs of the Carnevale.
An exciting itinerary which will see activities in three Alpine countries with great cooperation from the Verrès Mayor, Alessandro Giovenzi, and a group of Italian organisers, including local soccer club ASD River Plaine Evançon, working alongside the Celtic visitors.
Each day there will be collective physical activities with teams from both countries playing for a Friendship Cup on the pitch and later enjoying an Easter hike to the mountain top cross at St Giles.
The young people will take a trip through the Mont Blanc tunnel to the French Chamonix Valley to witness the impact of climate change on the Alps and Mont Blanc.
A trip to Milan’s famous cathedral awaits followed by a trip to its footballing cathedral – the legendary San Siro Stadium – to see AC Milan host high-flying Atalanta in an Easter Sunday Serie A game.
The fantastic programme has been put together with significant input by Celtic’s Erasmus+ committee who are looking forward to sharing their experiences on social media curated by the young people themselves.
A small group of Celtic officials travelled to Verrès in early March as part of a preparatory visit to put the final logistical arrangements in place for what promises to be the trip of a lifetime for the boys and girls involved.
“The project represents a great opportunity for our young people to have life-enhancing experiences,” said Celtic FC official Paul Sherry.
