CREATIVE EVENTS
Berlin Trip Feb
2014
History, Politics and German
Early morning on Saturday 15th March, 31 students and teachers travelled to the German capital of Berlin. We travelled from Dublin airport and once we got over the early start and turbulent plane journey, we were greeted with sunshine and a coach, ready to take us on a tour of the city. We drove from the former Soviet East Berlin to the Allied West Berlin, passing sites such as the Reichstag Building, Berliner Dom, and the Siegessäule, Berlin’s victory column.
On the second day of our visit we had a guided tour of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, about 200,000 people passed through the camp between 1936 and 1945. The camp was cold and eerie, and was definitely an emotional experience. Following this we travelled to the Jewish Museum, which exhibits two millennia of German Jewish History. The Museum also hosted a collection of artwork dedicated to the innocent victims of War and Tyranny, for example Menashe Kadishman’s Fallen Leaves, and the structure of the building.
Day three entailed a walking tour of Berlin, conducted by our American tour guide, Jim, around the city’s main sites, including Museum Square, Berliner Dom, Humboldt University (Alma Mater of Albert Einstein and Karl Marx, also the site of the burning of 10,000 books under the Nazi regime), the Holocaust Memorial, Check Point Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. We also visited the area of Hitler’s suicide, which is now a car-park. Also, we had a tour of the underground world of Berlin, walking through the bomb shelters that had once sheltered German families from allied air-raids. In the evening, we visited the Reichstag building and were able to explore inside and climb to the top of the Dome and walk over the rooftop of the building, 154ft off the ground.
In the evenings, we visited areas such as Alexanderplatz and Potsdammerplatz, which hosted shops and restaurants, with either a Mcdonalds or Starbucks on every other street. Everyone, students and teachers, loved the trip and had a great time exploring the city. If you get the opportunity to go in the future, I can’t stress how good it was! Definitely go!
Megan Collins
Year 11 Visit to Londonderry June 2015
In June 2015 our Yr 11 History pupils visited Londonderry, the "Maiden City" and Northern Ireland's second city. It was a beautiful day and we were able to see the city in all its splendour. Londonderry is the only completely walled city in Ireland - and we took full advantage of this by walking around its walls! We also visited the Bogside area and the Apprentice Boys' Museum.
Year 14 visit to Dublin February 2016
History and Politics
In February this year, Yr 14 History and Politics pupils went to Dublin to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising by visiting some of the locations where the Easter Rising took place. It was a fascinating day. After zipping down on the train, we went on to visit the Collins Barracks and the Irish soldiers exhibition there. Then we went up to O'Connell Street, where (among other things) we saw the GPO where the Proclamation of Independence was read out in 1916. We went on to Trinity College, where we met up with former Head Girl Megan Collins, who is studying there. We finished off with a visit to the New Ireland Assurance building and a fascinating tour of the Dail!
Year 13 Shared Education visit to Dublin
February 2016
In February 2016, as part of the DSC Signature Project for Shared Education, a group of Year 13 girls from Lurgan College and St Ronan's College visited Dublin. This helped to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. The group visited 2 destinations - Glasnevin Cemetary and the Grange Gorman Cemetary.
At Glasnevin, we had a fascinating tour where it was pointed out that the cemetary not only commemorates nationalist heroes but also Irishmen who served in the First and Second World Wars.
The Grange Gorman Cemetary, beside Phoenix Park, is the final resting place of a number of British soldiers who brought an end to the Easter Rising.
In between we had a fantastic lunch near Phoenix Park - one of the many perks of the trip.
Afterwards, some of the girls enjoyed a litte "retailtherapy" in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre!
Year 11 Shared Education visit to Londonderry February 2017
On a fresh morning on Monday 6th February, Year 11 History pupils from Lurgan College and St Ronan’s College went on a Shared Education Project visit to Londonderry.
After a fact-finding quiz about the “Maiden City” on the bus trip, we arrived in Londonderry at about 11:00. We then had tea and scones at The Junction and met with our guide, Mr Michael Doherty. Mr Doherty then gave us a brief explanation about Londonderry and its civil rights history, which was highly relevant background for our GCSE History specification.
After this, we had a brief tour of Derry’s Walls, before going on a walking tour around the Bogside. This led us to important sites during the history of the “Troubles”, such as the locations of the “Battle of the Bogside” in 1969 and the events of “Bloody Sunday” in 1972. We also got a real feel for the history of the Bogside area and the influences on it by studying the local murals there.
We finished our walking tour at the War Memorial, where Mr Doherty told us the story of his great uncle, who served in the British Army during World War One.
After the walking tour, we returned to The Junction. We had a delicious lunch, followed by a discussion of some of the issues relating to Northern Ireland during the Troubles and today. A panel of participants provided us with some very helpful explanation about the challenges faced by Londonderry in particular and Northern Ireland in general.
After this, sadly, it was time to take the bus home. During our journey and afterwards we had a good chance to reflect on what we learned and we all agreed it had been a thoroughly enjoyable and productive day.
Visit to the Battlefields of Belgium and France
February 2018
What an unforgetable experience this was. This picture shows James Mitchell, Peter Hutchison and Jonathan Thompson paying their respects to their fallen relatives at the Menin Gate in Ypres. This trip took Lurgan College pupils from History, Politics and Modern Languages to the battlefields of Belgium and France in what proved to be a humble and very special experience