CARNAUN NATIONAL SCHOOL
Carnaun National School visits The Ulster Americam Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone` 21 - 23 March 2000 The Sixth Class Pupils of Carnaun National School, Athenry have had a very successful research trip to the Ulster American Folkpark, the centre for Migration Studies, in Omagh, Co. Tyrone. The Carnaun children decided to research their project "Irish Emigration to America" in Omagh as the library and database there specialises in emigration studies. This is a joint project being done on the Internet between Carnaun National School and Glade Creek Elimintary School, Ennice near Sparta in North Carolina. The results will be published on a special website jointly hosted by the two schools - one in Achréidh na Gaillimhe and the other 3,000 feet up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The children's stay in Omagh was enhanced by the warm and friendly atmosphere of the Folkpark and the kindness, generosity and enthusiasm of the staff who were genuinely interested in the project. The children studied the causes of emigration, conditions in Ireland before the emigrants left Ireland, the passage to America and conditions on board the various ships and later the American frontier experience. The visit to the Library of the Migration Centre was the highlight of the trip. Here they were shown the extensive collection of printed material and database of documents on Irish emigration to North America. Before they left they presented Dr. Patrick Fitzgerald an authority on emigration and lecturer at the Migration Centre (The children were familiar with his work on 'The Scotch - Irish) with a copy of the book 'The Lamberts of Athenry' which was published as a direct result of last year's history project in Carnaun School. They visited the site of last year's horrific tragedy and in the 'Garden of Remembrance' in the town prayed for the souls and families of those who were killed in a town united by grief. Another piece of research on the pupil's part was to find the Townland of 'Athenree' as some people contend that the song 'The Fields of Athenry' may have originated there. They found the townland, famous for a large Portal Tomb and traditionally an Irish speaking district, to be about 12 miles from Omagh on the Cookstown Road. Pronounced 'Aughiree' by the locals who told them that there was no tradition of singing the 'Fields of Athenry' in the area but in fact when it was being sung on television they joined in but changed the words to 'the Fields of Augnacloy'. The pupils, Lorna O'Regan, Michelle O'Brian, Martin Browne, Martha Qualter, Thomas Trowell, Rebecca Langan, Eileen Coffey and Christian Tracey were accompanied on this exciting trip by their teacher, Finbarr O'Regan and his wife Stephanie. View pictures of our visit?
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SCOIL NÁISIÚNTA CARNÁIN  BAILE
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