E-scéal 320 - The Gathering Ireland 2013
- Published: 08 November 2012
The Gathering Ireland 2013 is a tourism initiative designed to invite members of the Irish Diaspora to holiday in Ireland in 2013. This is part of a strategy to encourage Irish people overseas in making an important contribution to Ireland’s economic recovery.
This national project will see the people of Ireland reaching out to many millions of families, friends overseas, inviting them to consider the benefits of choosing Ireland as their next holiday destination.
The Department of Education & Skills is encouraging all primary school children and their families to get involved in this significant event by engaging in the Gathering Ireland Primary Schools Letter Writing Initiative.
This will involve
a. Selecting a friend, relative or past pupil overseas with whom you wish to correspond with
b. Writing a paragraph about The Gathering Ireland 2013 and the benefits of visiting your community
c. Sending the letter/email
This initiative may be a very practical and interesting project for children in senior classes. Some schools have already used their Clár Leabhar to research their schools past pupils in the context of history and social geography. Every school community has its own archeology, place names, incidents, people and stories. Some schools have already researched their own locality and formed digital archives for ease of research by others. There are limitless opportunities to use this project integrating all aspects of the primary curriculum. The Gathering Ireland may also offer opportunities for principals and teachers to harness the time, skills and goodwill of parent associations.
Who knows what hidden treasure might emerge from researching your schools alumni! Further information can be downloaded from www.thegatheringireland.com
Click here to view Gathering Ireland Primary Schools Letter Writing Initiative flyer
Packs of these flyers are available from your local Education Support Center for distribution to senior classes.
Is sinne le meas
Seán Cottrell & Gerry Murphy
