When teaching kids about Ireland, you can choose many different focal points. Language teachers may choose storytelling whereas history teachers will no doubt prioritise Ireland’s fight for independence. The Emerald Isle conjures scope for engaging activities, delivering gripping stories and buckets of classroom craic.
Between the many famous writers and poets, the filmmakers, actors, and musicians, the Irish arts and culture community is world-renowned for past and present talent. What better way to introduce Ireland than through the arts?
But a focus on sports is worth considering too. Introduce golfing or boxing greats or mesmerise your class with the blistering pace of hurling. Alternatively, you concentrate your content on presenting Ireland as a modern democracy with a strong economy and vibrant, multicultural society.
Your focus will depend on your pupils’ age, school curriculum, and subject. This post delivers valuable resources for teaching kids about Ireland.
Start by pointing out Ireland on the map and providing some facts and stats. Here is the latest population information from the Central Statistics Office.
For younger children, add the following fun facts and numbers:
You can use the stats and interesting facts as a starting point and then go on to focus on a specific aspect.
The EU-funded Boost video, co-produced by the Atlantic Centre of Education’s teaching team, KKCL English in the UK, and Czech Hello below is another great resource.
Draw a timeline to introduce the key points in Irish history and select some for further exploration. You can add resources, quizzes, and art activities to engage kids and stir up interest.
Include tales of ancient Ireland with stories about the Celts and move on to talk about the coming of Christianity. The Viking and Norman invasions are up next followed by the Famine, the Rising and hard-fought independence.
One no-fail approach to teaching kids about Ireland is by introducing some of the most famous Irish writers and authors. Younger children will adore the gripping legends and fairy tales, including The Children of Lír, The Leprechaun’s Gold, and The Salmon of Knowledge.
At a time when mythology once again fascinates across generations, Irish Fairy Tales, Legends, and Myths featuring invincible heroes overcoming much adversity will not disappoint the tech-savvy generation of kids. Pick a story like The Legend of Cú Chulainn or The Story of Oisín in Tír na nÓg, read it with your class and tie in drama or art.
With older children, you can focus on literary greats such as Joyce or Wilde and discuss their writing. You can also organise a poetry workshop and share a few of thousands of great Irish poems. You may also run a poetry or short story writing competition with an Irish text as a prompt.
As the quality and quantity of Irish storytelling reign supreme, the well of resources to delight your class is limitless.
No teaching plan will be complete without a sizeable dollop of Irish music and dance. Again the beauty is that you have a wealth of styles, instruments, songs, bands, singers, songwriters, and musicians to draw from.
Introduce Irish instruments like the fiddle, bodhrán, tin whistle, and uilleann pipes and play greats like the Dubliners or Sharon Shannon in class. You can then share the captivating lyrics of chart-toppers like The Fields of Athenry, The Wild Rover, or Dirty Old Town. You could spend lesson after lesson listening to countless word-famous Irish folk songs without ever introducing some contemporary greats.
But when you do, make sure to include U2, The Pogues, Sinead O’Connor, Dermot Kennedy, and many more.
You can also introduce Irish dance by either learning and passing on some steps or by sharing Irish dance through the likes of Riverdance. The show levelled up Irish dancing, raising its profile and appeal and firmly rooting it on the global entertainment stage.
Another great way to introduce Ireland to your class is by playing one of the many Irish sports. Read up on the rules of Gaelic football, share a video of the world’s fastest game, hurling, or ask the kids to play pitch and putt or rugby.
Irish people are passionate about sports, on occasion triumphing at the top of the world in golf, soccer, athletics, boxing, snooker, and more.
You must teach your class a cupla focal, a few words and phrases in Irish. Although Irish is only the first language in a few areas, the language is still the heartbeat of Irish culture.
Here is a short list of words and phrases in Irish:
If you teach your class these few phrases, you open a door to the entirely different, rich culture that makes Ireland so beautiful, wild, and unique.
Over the last 30 years, Ireland has transformed into a modern, multicultural place, yet it has retained its vibrant history and culture.
You can discuss this transformation with older children and explore politics, economics, religion, migration, and the ever-changing fabric of Irish society.