On November 19th Mr O’Brien took his Leaving Cert history class to Derry along with Ms.K.Smith and Ms.J.Clune.
The students first got a guided tour of the walls of Derry and visited the key sites of the infamous “Siege of Derry”. As part of the tour the students got to visit the Bogside area and got first-hand information on the Murals, the Civil Rights Movement and Bloody Sunday. It was a fascinating tour as it was given by a former political prisoner, who had served 10 years in the Maze Prison during the Troubles.
The second stop on the tour was a visit to the “Free Derry Museum”. Here we got a greater insight into the lives of the 14 victims who were shot on Bloody Sunday 1972. Students got to see some first-hand poignant pieces of evidence including personal letters, clothes and belongings to those who died. Students also got to examine the various rubber bullets used by the RUC and the British Army during the troubles.
Our final stop on the tour was a visit to the “Apprentice Boys of Derry Museum” where the picture below was taken. Here the tour was given by a member of the “No Surrender” club, which is one of the 8 Apprentice Boys clubs. The guide demonstrated the passion associated with being a member of the club and what it means to the Protestant population of Derry, who commemorate the defeat of Catholic King James in 1689. This was a great insight into the culture and history of the Apprentice Boys and gave the students another side of the story, that they may have been unaware of.
Mr O’Brien, Ms Clune and Ms Smith would sincerely like to thank the students for the excellent behaviour and enthusiasm on the trip. Well done to all.