Flight from Famine

Be transported back to a time of hunger, poverty and emigration through this interactive workshop that explores what life was like in rural Ireland at the time of the Famine.  Your pupils will work in small groups and use replica costume and images from the time to recreate their own famine scene.

Through role play, pupils will share in the experience of thousands of migrants as they gather their bundles and make their way to the departing ship and the hope of a new and prosperous life in a new world. They can share their thoughts with a group of ‘Roving Reporters’ before they embark on an emigration journey. Throughout the session, your pupils will be encouraged to be creative and work together to stage their scenes and determine how the famine affected Irish people. The session will provide opportunities to connect their learning with previous knowledge, and is particularly suitable for those who are studying the novels Under the Hawthorn Tree or The Wildflower Girl.