Pupils make history with unique book

A unique new history of Ireland, written and illustrated by Irish children, features contributions from 60 pupils in Northampton National School, near Kinvara.

Across an Open Field involved more than 300 children from 10 primary schools across eight counties in Ireland and Northern Ireland, who investigated global and national happenings, local events and family stories during the years between 1912-1922.

The resulting publication contains unique accounts and personal insights into events of that traumatic decade and includes contributions from the South Galway youngsters.

The 30, who are from third to sixth class, explored family histories and the role of blood relations during World War I, The Easter Rising and The War of Independence.

The relations of Northampton NS pupils include Lady May Pollington, the great-grandmother of May Sheehan (6th class), whose father Charles wrote letters to her from the HMS Fortitude during World War I. She later married a man called John Hosty who played a big role in the Galway Rising and wanted a memorial to be built in Galway. It never was.

Father John O’Meehan, the great granduncle of Clodagh Leech (6th class), and a member of the Irish Volunteers, was a curate in Salthill. One night the Black and Tans came looking for him, pretending he was needed for an urgent sick call. However, Fr Meehan was out playing cards, so Fr Griffin went instead. His body was later found in a bog by Fr Meehan.

“It’s scary to know what they went through at that time. I’m glad we live in a peaceful time, and things like that don’t happen any more in Kinvara or Galway,” said Clodagh.

Grace Bermingham (6th class), discovered that her great grandfather Sean O’Neill fought in the War of Independence and ended up in Dartmoor Prison in England, from where he wrote to his parents that he was ‘toddling along’. He also wrote to his sweetheart, Annie Nolan, from prison – they married when the war ended in 1922 and he was released as part of a general amnesty.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.