Blog

On Monday 22 November, Leaving Cert History students embarked on a trip to Derry with Ms. Reale and Mr. Hodgins. On arrival, they enjoyed a guided walking tour around the city walls where they learned of Derry’s past and in particular the “Siege of Derry 1688”. This was followed by a visit to the “Apprentice Boys Memorial Hall” where an “Apprentice Boy” of the twenty first century shared the history of the Apprentice Boys and their marching tradition. On Tuesday, students visited the Bogside area of Derry where the Catholics reside and experienced a first-hand account of the Troubles from John McKinney whose late brother Michael McKinney(27) was one of the 14 that lost their lives in the Bloody Sunday/Bogside massacre on 30 January 1972. Students also met John Kelly who gave them a tour of the “Free Museum of Derry”, John also lost his brother-Michael (17) on Bloody Sunday. Students said the trip was a very enriching experience in deepening their understanding of both the history of the Troubles and the culture and tradition of the “Apprentice Boys” of Derry.