We are Inviting as many Primary Schools as Possible to Participate in the Project
This is a project about the GAA, its games, its people, its history, its place in Irish life. The overall aim of this new project is to record the history of the GAA in every community and parish throughout the country through the words of the local people. We are inviting as many primary schools as possible to take part in the project.
This is a project ideally suited to the work of primary schools and fits neatly into both the Geography and History curriculas (www.curriculumonline.ie). The Geography Curriculum places emphasis on “A Sense of Place and Space” and also “Living in the Community.” We are hoping that teachers will incorporate our specifically designed children’s questionnaire into their classroom activities. The questionnaire will facilitate children to voice their opinions on the role of the GAA and the local club not only in their personal lives but also in the wider community.
In relation to the History Curriculum, there are specific links to the strand units entitled, “Personal and Local History”, “Life, Society, Work and Culture in the Past” and “Continuity and Change over Time.” The project also complements the “Story” strand which appears at all levels in the Primary School Curriculum. Children can benefit greatly by listening to, telling and retelling stories, it is a natural part of every child’s development and a fundamental part of history. Oral history has unique value as a historical source and it can be used to make the past real for children, (http://www.curriculumonline.ie/index.asp?locID=74&docID=-1). In addition to the questionnaires, we are encouraging teachers to initiate oral history class projects, whereby pupils interview their older family members on what it was like to support or be involved with their GAA club or county team in the past. Family members or former players could also be invited into the classroom where the interview may be recorded.
