What happened in Omagh?An introduction to Irish history for Year 7

by

Nicky PeartAshfield School

Ireland in Schools NPS University of Nottingham

MenuLesson 1 Aims: What happened in Omagh?

Slideshow: What is Ireland like?What descriptive words would you use to describe Ireland?Why are there troubles in Ireland?Omagh: What happened?

An Omagh Remembrance - A poem by John FrielHow do the people of Omagh feel?

An Omagh Remembrance - A poem by John Friel

Lesson 2 Aims: What happened in Omagh?Discussion Preparation

How do the people of Ireland feel about Omagh, and react?Gwen Hall’s open letter to the 'Real' IRA from her hospital bed

Discussion PreparationQuestions

Lesson 3 Aims: Discussion - What happened in Omagh?Discussion lessons: How do they work?

Map Northern Ireland

What happened in Omagh?

Aims• To analyse an event.• To see the reactions.

• To see the background.

Lesson 1

What is Ireland like?

Aims• To analyse an

event.• To see the

reactions.• To see the

background.

Aims• To analyse an

event.• To see the

reactions.• To see the

background.

What descriptive words would you use to describe Ireland?

Peaceful Violent energetic

Traditional MixedUn co-

operative

Troubled Beautiful Divided

Why are there

troubles in Ireland?

Since the 1600s Protestants and Catholics have been fighting over who should run Ireland. In 1921 the country was divided in to the Republic of Ireland,

which was Catholic, and Northern Ireland, which was Protestant. However, this did not solve the problem and the fighting still continued. In Easter 1998 both sides agreed to be peaceful, on August 15 1998 28

people were killed in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

Why did it happen?

Aims• To analyse an

event.• To see the

reactions.• To see the

background.

Omagh: What happened?An Omagh Remembrance - A poem by John Friel

One Saturday in Omagh in busy Market StreetWhere locals and shoppers would regularly

meetThey talked and laughed about things in the

pastThen suddenly they were silenced by a

deafening blast.

Concrete and glass spilled onto the streetAnd innocent people fell to their feet

Water pipes burst and so started a floodThose who talked and laughed were covered

in blood

Emergency services were there straight awayTo help injured people on that tragic day

All those who helped were courageous and brave

There were twenty nine people whom they could not save.

Aims• To analyse

an event.• To see the

reactions.• To see the

background.

An Omagh Remembrance - A poem by John Friel

Families cried as their dead had been namedOthers were traumatized, injured and maimedThe people who live there were terrified and

shockedAs the centre of Omagh was violently rocked.

How much is enough and where will it endThe killing of innocent families and friends?Look at the damage, what have they done?

A mother weeps for her dying son.

This is the violence which everyone loathesThe dead only wanted to buy food or clothes;Some went with friends, others went aloneThese twenty nine people are not coming

home.

Put aside your differences, hatred and fearsFor the people of Omagh as they cry endless

tears.Our sympathies are with you and with you we

prayFor peace in our province and violence to go

away.

How do the people of

Omagh feel?

Aims• To analyse

an event.• To see the

reactions.• To see the

background.

What happened in Omagh?Discussion Preparation

Aims• To analyse an event.• To prepare questions.

• To see reactions.

Lesson 2

Aims• To

analyse an event.

• To prepare questions.

• To see reactions.How do

the people of Ireland feel about Omagh?

How do they

react?

A few days later, Gwen Hall wrote an open letter to the 'Real' IRA from her hospital bed.To be bold lads who ripped the heart out of Omagh:I will probably never know who you are - but you know.I'll tell you who I am. My name is Gwen. I am the mother of Alastair who is the bravest person I know. We and all the other victims of your ambush last Saturday would like to know 'why?'. I went to Hell and back lying injured in the debris and water and blood not knowing if my 12 year old son was alive or dead. By God's grace he survived and that is why I am lying here able to write. I wish you could have heard that child crying inconsolably yesterday as he struggled with the pain from his severed limb. That was what ripped at my heart. However, we are two of the lucky ones, for which I thank God. We do have a future.You may have broken the bodies of the people of Omagh, but you can never break their spirit. The last line of one of my favourite songs is - "God is watching us...from a distance." You can run but you cannot hide.

On behalf of the people of Omagh - the bereaved, injured and anyone else affected.

Discussion Preparation

You have a worksheet with a list of questions about

Omagh and the troubles in Ireland. You have the rest

of the lesson to prepare the answers to the questions in

bullet points.

You do not need to have the same answers as the

person next to you.

It’s your opinions that we want.

Aims• To analyse an

event.• To prepare

questions.• To see reactions.

Prepare all the questions below for the discussion next lesson.

Lesson 2

1. What is Ireland like as a country?

2. What happened at Omagh?

3. Why did the bombing happen?

4. What were the reactions of the people of Omagh?

5. What effect does a bombing have on a community?

6. How can events like Omagh be stopped?

7. What events, like Omagh, have happened in your lifetime?

8. Would you go and live in Ireland?Why?

What happened in Omagh?Discussion

Aims• To analyse an event.

• To take part in a discussion.

Lesson 3

Aims• To analyse

an event.• To take part

in a discussion.

Discussion lessons:

How do they work?

The rules of a discussion lesson.

1. Only one person speaks at a time.2. We respect everyone’s opinions.3. Everyone will have the chance to speak.4. The teacher is the chair of the discussion.

They will ask the questions, but will only comment to correct information.

So how does this discussion work?

Every person in the room is given a playing card. The teacher has the same playing cards as the students. The teacher will shuffle their cards and take the card off the top of the pile. The person in the room with the same card will answer the question.

Remember to concentrate. Your card could come out of the pile at any time, and it could come out more than once.