The Exhibition
The GPO Witness History visitor centre in partnership with the Thomas F. Meagher Foundation is an unmissable experience for students and teachers, says its Education Manager Ann-Marie Smith
On the 23rd February 2018, the first ever permanent exhibition on the Irish Tricolour was launched by An Ceann Comhairle, Seán Ó Fearghaíl at the GPO Witness History visitor centre. It is fitting that the centre was chosen as the venue to house this new exhibition as it was at the GPO on Easter Monday, 24th April 1916 that the Irish Tricolour was flown for the first time in Dublin. This act was not just a symbolic gesture by the rebels; the significance of the flag is evident in the Proclamation of the Irish Republic which was read by Patrick Pearse at the front of the GPO, shortly after the rebels took over the building on that same day. The Irish Proclamation called on “Ireland through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for freedom.”
The multi-award winning GPO Witness History visitor centre opened to the public on March 29th 2016. It was the main flagship project of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. GPO Witness History has won many prominent awards including Best Cultural Experience at the 2017 Irish Tourism Awards (over 100,000 visitors) and The Micheletti Award at the 2017 European Museum Academy Awards. This prestigious award is the European prize for innovative museums in the world of contemporary history, industry and science.
GPO Witness History is delighted to partner with the Thomas F. Meagher Foundation on this project as both organisations share the vision that young people are at the heart of our nation and should be encouraged to work together in peace and unity.
GPO Witness History offers engaging and educational tours to students of all ages. Educational visits are linked to the Primary SESE curriculum and both the Junior and Senior History curricula. A school tour takes students behind the historic façade of the GPO. An immersive movie allows students to experience what it was like to be in the GPO and Dublin during Easter Week 1916, this most tumultuous time in Irish History. As the visitor centre examines modern Irish history up to the present day, students have the opportunity to reflect on how the events of the 1916 Easter Rising, War of Independence, Irish Civil War and the “Troubles” have shaped Ireland over the past 100 years.
Viewing the events of the 1916 Easter Rising from different perspectives supports the students in their development of historical critical thinking. GPO Witness History places particular emphasis on those who witnessed the events of Easter Week; the rebels, crown forces, the GPO workers and the by-standers and it is their stories that are at the heart of the narrative. In addition, as the students
Educational visits are linked to the Primary SESE curriculum and both the Junior and Senior History curricula.
investigate the actions taken by these witnesses they develop historical empathy as they consider the context of the time the witnesses lived in.
Students are encouraged to think about the causes and consequences of the 1916 Easter Rising, War of Independence, Irish Civil War and the “Troubles” and also to ask the question “who owns history?” They are asked to consider the “big picture” as historical events are examined in terms of their overall context; for example the 1916 Easter Rising is examined in the context of World War 1.
Students are asked to consider contentious and controversial issues as they examine the development of Northern Ireland and the south of Ireland from 1920 to the present day. The turbulent period of the 1960s to the 1990s, known as the “Troubles” is examined as well as the Peace Process which highlights that everyone’s view should be respected and heard in a dignified way, thus reinforcing the new broader inclusive definition of Irishness. The judges for the European Museum Academy Awards acknowledged GPO Witness History as a centre of peace and reconciliation and said that it demonstrates how highly controversial events can be interpreted in ways that encourage social and political cohesion and understanding.
Throughout their visit, students take on the role of historians as they examine the various sources that are used to tell the narrative. Students are encouraged to evaluate the usefulness and limitations of the different forms of evidence; sources include witness statements, original artefacts, audio and secondary sources. A handling collection allows students to engage with various artefacts to bring the period to life.
After their guided tour, students will have the opportunity to explore the exhibition themselves and engage with activities such as using interactive maps to route military dispatches from the GPO to St. Stephen’s Green and to use Morse code to proclaim the Irish Republic.
For further information on GPO Witness History school tours contact the Education Manager; Ann Marie Smith: smitha@shannonheritage.com
To book a class visit, contact the Reservations Department: e-mail reservations@shannonheritage.com or telephone 01 872 1916.