A large group from Elphin Community College recently visited Croke Park and Glasnevin Cemetery for a history tour. The following is a look back on their day from the perspective of different students
3rd Year Student’s report on their History Trip to Croke Park and Glasnevin Cemetery
By Gilbert Muldowney, David Wynne, Laura Muldowney and Sarah Keane.
On Thursday the 25th of February, our school travelled to Dublin to visit Glasnevin Cemetery and The Croke Park Museum, to discover more about our Irish heritage and sporting culture.
We started our tour with Croke Park. During our tour we learned the history of the stadium and about its huge cultural and historical importance. This is best reflected in how each stand got its name. The Cusack stand was named in honour of the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack. The Davin stand, also called the Canal End, was named after Maurice Davin, an athlete and co-founder of the GAA. The Nally stand is a smaller stand, named after a great friend of Michael Cusack. Hill 16 was named in remembrance of the 1916 rising, and the Hogan Stand is named after Michael Hogan, a footballer who lost his life on Bloody Sunday.
Next we travelled to Glasnevin Cemetery. We visited the graves of many Irish heroes such as: Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stewart Parnel, Eamon DeValera, Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins.
Our tour guide was excellent and we learned a lot about the lives of the people who shaped our country’s history. It was a great day and enjoyed by all who went.
A First Year Student’s report on her History Trip to Croke Park and Glasnevin Cemetery
By Molly Roxby, First Year
On 25th February 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 5th Year students went on a trip to Croke Park to bring history to life for us. We were split into two groups & taken on a tour of the stadium. As well as viewing the fantastic sports facility the tour guide explained the historical significance of the stadium which is the third biggest stadium in Europe. We were all impressed with the fact that Hill 16 was built from the rubble transported from O’ Connell St to Croke Park after the Easter Rising in 1916.
We departed Croke Park and went to Glasnevin Cemetery where we had a guided tour. We visited the graves of Michael Collins, Eamon DeValera and Daniel O’Connell, amongst others, and their impact on the history of Ireland was recounted, especially in relation to Irish independence. We all learned something new.
There are over 1.5 million people buried in Glasnevin and many of the tombstones were very old and mysterious! We were all intrigued with the different stories the guide told us as we walked around the graves of so many people, some famous, some infamous and many just ordinary people, all sharing this vast final resting place.
Thank you to Ms. O’Sullivan for organising such an interesting trip for us.
Mock Election
An mock election ballot was held at Elphin Community College last Friday to coincide with the General Election. The outcome for our Roscommon-Galway vote matched the real election although the order was slightly different. Denis Naughton was elected on the first count. Eugene Murphy was elected on the second count and Michael Fitzmaurice was elected on the 5th count.
Volleyball
The Elphin Community College Senior Boys Volleyball Team have reached the All-Ireland Semi-Final by defeating Colaiste de hIde from Dublin on Wednesday and the First Year Girls played their first tournament on Wednesday. Read reports from both teams here