In May, we visited Glasnevin Cemetery as part of our history programme, 'Engaging with Our Past, Exploring Multiple Narratives' that we have been working on for the last few weeks.
Firstly, we learned about Glasnevin Cemetery; that SEVEN Croke Parks could fit inside it, that it is a multi-faith/non religious burial ground and that Daniel O'Connell set it up in 1832!
We have been learning about the history of Irish independence; home rule, rising, war of independence and the civil war. We have been exploring lots of different perspectives; from the point of view of unionists and of nationalists and of Irish people in general.
We visited the resting places of many key people in Irish history, Daniel O’Connell - who has a huge tower for a headstone, Charles Stewart Parnell, Countess Markievicz, Eamonn De Velera and Michael Collins.
We also learned about the Suffragettes who fought for the right to get women to vote. We learned that women in the past fought and worked so hard to get equality - such as Hannah Sheehy Skeffington who led the Suffragette movement.
We got to hold and examine artifacts from the time of the rising and WW1, a grenade, a helmet, bomb case, shrapnel, a suffragette badge, a bomb timing device.
Some girls from 5th class joined us too and had a great time! It was fun to see in real life what we’ve been learning in school.
Thanks to Michelle from Glasnevin Cemetery, we had a great day!
