Across an Open Field Stories and Artwork by Children from Ireland and Northern Ireland About the Decade of Commemorations 1912 – 1922

Across an Open Field Stories and artwork by children from Ireland and Northern Ireland about the Decade of Commemorations 1912 – 1922 Contents Across an Open Field: Stories and artwork about the Decade of Commemorations, 1912 - 1922 by children from Ireland and Northern Ireland © Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership Ltd. 2016 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written authorisation. 9 1912: Shipyards and Unions ISBN 978-19024330732 Published by: 15 1913: The Lockout Kids’ Own Publishing Partnership Ltd. Carrigeens, Ballinful, Co. Sligo, Ireland. 23 Social History (+353)719124945 http://kidsown.ie 39 1914 – 1918: World War 1 http://www.100yearhistory.com Charity number: 20639 55 1916: The Easter Rising Kids’ Own Editorial team: Orla Kenny, Jo Holmwood, Emma Kavanagh 67 International Stories Design: 75 1919 – 1921: The War of Independence Martin Corr 85 1921: Partition and Civil War Text & images: All text and images by participating children 88 1922: The Anglo-Irish Treaty Project writer: 89 1912 – 1922: Suffragettes Mary Branley 96 List of participating schools and children Project artist: Ann Donnelly 99 Our reflections on this work Acknowledgements: Kids’ Own would like to thank the following for their support and involvement in the 100 Year History Project: Fionnuala Callanan, Director, and Liguori Cooney of the Reconciliation Fund (Department of Foreign Affairs); Paul Fields, Director, Kilkenny Education Centre and Marie O’Donoghue, Education Authority, Northern Ireland; Carmel O’Doherty, Director of Limerick Education Centre; Bernard Kirk, Director of Galway Education Centre; Jimmy McGough, Director of Monaghan Education Centre; Pat Seaver, Director of Blackrock Education Centre; and Gerard McHugh, Director of Dublin West Education Centre. We would like to thank all the children, teachers and schools involved in the project. Cover image: A second class house, Belfast. Gaelscoil na bhFál, Belfast. The Lusitania is torpedoed & sinks Amy & Craig, Lisnafunchin, N.S., Foreword Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny This book is the product of a collaborative initiative A phone call received at my desk in Belfast: a seed of an between ten schools in Ireland and Northern Ireland. What idea planted by Orla Kenny, Creative Director of Kids’ is particularly striking and exciting about the publication Own, and a couple of years later, a new creative exchange is that the work has all been carried out by primary has taken place connecting communities across Ireland school children. In the telling of history from a child’s and Northern Ireland. The success of this does not perspective there are many historical treasures and pieces happen by accident. The development of this network of historical information that illuminate the book. The is a testament to Kids’ Own’s ability to act as a catalyst children’s writings bring us to the mills and shipyards of between artists,writers, teachers and children. Their Belfast and show us the very young age of some of their pioneering methods forge a rich environment where workers. We see the numbers of children in a junior infant creativity is nurtured and developed. In a society that class in a school in Dublin and how they had two days off is becoming more virtual, surreal and isolating it is during the Easter Rising. We develop an understanding heartening to see the energy and fun created when people of the large number of children in families at that time are connected. It is the partnership, dialogue and platform and develop an insight into what life was like living in a for the exchange of ideas, that creates the adrenalin for tenement dwelling. We hear about the currency used and this type of approach. There is no concrete, preconceived the Dublin Lockout. We the see the impact of the invention path set out at the beginning. People are the raw material of the engine, where the taxi man of the early 1900s and it is when they come together to explore, question, moves away from driving a horse and cart. We see the challenge, support and have fun, that the process begins. arrival of mechanically propelled tanks in World War One The magic ingredient as always are our children. When and develop an understanding of what life was like for a they are placed in this type of environment they never soldier in the trenches on international duty. We also hear cease to amaze us. They shine with their ability to think about animals on the front line. We see a flying machine for themselves, to solve problems and to notice something land in Wexford on its way to Kilkenny from Wales, and that we would never think of. The depth and breadth of the we hear about refugees, suffragettes, votes for women, learning that the children are experiencing is tangible. and the 1911 census. This publication demonstrates the Central to everything is the development of the process; commonality, humanity and concerns of our nation, all this gives the educators the opportunity to break away written and drawn by children. It offers a platform for from constraints. Experiences such as these not only give historical discussion about our nation, our people, and the children a sense of value but a much needed outlet for how our children understand its evolution, development, their creative expression. Kids’ Own excels in establishing emergence and identity. It is a rich tapestry of history, and developing successful partnerships that create new written from the eyes, ears, imagination and hands of spaces for our children to explore. This is education at its children. best. Paul Fields Marie O’Donoghue, Director, Kilkenny Education Centre Education Authority, Northern Ireland 4 Across an Open Field Lucy Stone Luis emerged, that was both broad and specific; representative Hazelwood I.P.S., Newtownabbey, Co. Down Introduction of both the macro – global and national happenings, and the micro – local events and family stories. The work contained within this book is by no means representative of all that occurred within the decade, 1912-22, but it captures the children’s fascinations across a range of themes and events: some were drawn This book is the outcome of a two-year collaboration to social change and economic development; others were involving over 300 children from ten schools across intrigued by the minutiae behind great global events; Ireland and Northern Ireland. The project, which was others learned about their own family histories and the generously supported by the Department of Foreign contributions or sacrifices of individuals who were blood Affairs Reconciliation Fund, offered an opportunity for relations; others were captured by a single story, which children to have active participation in the Decade of they chose to explore collectively in more detail. Kids’ Commemorations and to meaningfully contribute to Own publishes children’s work to give credence and status the commemorative experience, through their own self- to children’s voices and lived experiences. We strive to directed research. counter the perception that publishing and arts practice are the reserve of an elite few and to present childhood In year one, participating teachers – in collaboration with within an egalitarian context. This book draws attention artist, Ann Donnelly and writer, Mary Branley – were to the incredible turbulence of this period in our history, encouraged to lead the children through an enquiry-based but also the sense of hope and possibility, and the spirit of exploration of the Decade of Commemorations, focusing innovation that was alive at that time. It also demonstrates on events and stories that they found interesting and that children have a powerful voice – collectively and wanted to pursue further. Kids’ Own values individuality individually – within our historical and cultural narratives. and ambitious approaches towards co-creation. We prize While the children highlight the stark differences between children’s authentic voices and experiences and we trust life a hundred years ago and life today, it is also striking in the process. With this in mind, the project was allowed to see a resonance with contemporary concerns, such as to unfold with each school taking a different direction the transnational mobility of migrants and refugees. The and the children finding their own areas of interest and long-term nature of this project really provided the space exploration. and scope for the children to go deep with their research; to look beyond the received myths and perceptions around In year two, the artists worked with the children to draw historical events. together their findings from the research and to go deeper. Stories and historical events were rewritten by the What does the child’s voice contribute to our literature children or recounted to the writer and transcribed. The and our culture? The publication of children’s work sends children were also introduced to imagery and artwork a message about the value we give to children and their from the decade and, guided by the artist, developed their participation in our society. Do children have a right to own paintings and imagery. An exciting body of work equal participation and inclusion or not? Are their voices Across an Open Field 7 important to us as a society, or not? If they are, we should We are also indebted to the Department of Foreign Affairs consider giving children a bigger platform for their work Reconciliation Fund for supporting this project over three to be seen, read, heard and understood. years. We would

Load more