GCSE History Students Explore Oral History at Ulster Museum

The event, “Exploring Sources: The Troubles and Beyond,” was organised by the Museum’s Education Service in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University and hosted by Professor Chris Reynolds, Professor of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University.

The session focused on the importance of oral history in addressing the challenges of legacy in Northern Ireland. Students engaged with a distinguished panel who shared personal testimonies from the period between 1968 and 1974. Panellists included:

• Paul Arthur – People’s Democracy / Civil Rights activist
• Anne Devlin – Northern Ireland Labour Party, Young Socialist, and member of the People’s Democracy
• Eileen Weir – Former factory worker and women’s peace process activist

Each speaker offered powerful recollections and reflections from the civil rights era, providing young people with unique insights into lived experience, activism, conflict, and community resilience. Students also had the opportunity to question the panellists directly, deepening their understanding of the complexities surrounding shared history and the legacy of conflict.

A total of 160 pupils from the following eight schools attended:

• Belfast Royal Academy
• St Malachy’s College
• Assumption Grammar School
• High School Ballynahinch
• St Colman’s High School
• St Colmcille’s High School
• Wellington College
• St Joseph’s College, Belfast

In Session 2, students participated in a series of hands‑on workshops designed to develop historical thinking, creativity, and peacebuilding skills through museum education. Activities included:

• Object-based storytelling workshops exploring how artefacts can be used to interpret and communicate the past
• Fuzzy cognitive mapping, encouraging innovative thinking while promoting dialogue and understanding
• A guided tour of the Museum’s Troubles and Beyond exhibition, offering further context and connection to the themes explored during the day

This Shared Education experience fostered collaboration between schools, strengthened cross-community relationships, and supported young people in developing nuanced understandings of Northern Ireland’s past and its ongoing legacy.