5th History Trip to EPIC, Dublin Docklands
On the 7th of November, the two fifth year History classes went on an informative trip to EPIC, the Irish Emigration Museum at the CHQ, Dublin Docklands. Ms Campbell and Ms Geraghty (in place of Mr. Keane) joined us on this trip. The day included a tour of the museum, and a workshop about genealogy research skills, both of which were intriguing and enjoyable.
We started with the genealogy workshop as soon as we arrived. We received a presentation explaining in great depth how to discover unknown parts of our pasts. We took part in various activities and quizzes, such as creating a family tree and observing a sample family tree from the 1910s. By the end of the workshop, we acquired the necessary skills to delve into our past and unearth hidden pieces of information about our ancestors. We were also granted us a free trial for Ancestry.com, so we are now able to complete our research at home for our RSR history projects.
Following the presentation, the two groups met up for a quick break, with a vast array of coffee shops and bakeries, and noodle bars to choose from. The tour came straight afterwards and was probably the best part of the trip! Our tour guide Susan, was so interested in the history of our country. She told us many personal encounters she had with iconic people of Ireland. Her extroverted personality and lively humour made the tour enjoyable for all. As well as having a great time, we learned an abundance of information that will give us a huge advantage in our research projects.
We noted the names of many remarkable events and jotted them down in our copies and phones. The museum itself was extremely interactive, with electronic screens all over the walls and tables. With the tap of a finger, multiple names of vital members of history popped up, like Earl Grey and we took down comprehensive notes.
Another unique aspect of the tour was our EPIC passports, which contained a map of the entire tour. In each room we visited, there was a stamp machine in the corner, in which we placed the passports. The red ink on each box represented each room we visited and new area of history which we discovered. All of us enjoyed having a souvenir of an interesting day out, too.
As we reached the end of the tour, we each took a group photograph with Susan near the exit. We had another long break filled with hot meals and cakes before taking the bus ride back to Maynooth. Overall, the EPIC trip has been the highlight of the year so far. We obtained so much knowledge about Ireland’s history, and had a great time doing so.
By Keziah Mongwe