Tipperary students travel to Dublin to learn all about the capital's history

The Ursuline sixth-year history class visited two museums in Dublin on Thursday, October 5. The first stop of the day was 14 Henrietta Street, also known as the tenement museum. Their tour guide Justine explained that before the house was turned into a tenement, it had been the home of the super wealthy Molesworth family.

The Georgian house was one of the first of its kind in Dublin, and during the winter season the elite of Dublin society would have gathered in the reception rooms many times to enjoy parties and social events.

With the passing of the Act of Union, Dublin went into decline, and the famine coincided with a property crash, which resulted in 14 Henrietta Street becoming a residence for over a hundred people.

They suffered from poverty, overcrowding and disease. It was a very interesting tour encompassing two very distinct periods of inner city

Dublin’s social history.

In the afternoon, the students headed to Glasnevin Cemetery and met Niamh, who told them stories of many of the distinguished historical figures buried there. Included on the tour was a visit to the O’Connell crypt. They learned that if they’d like to have a final resting place in the O’Connell circle, it would set them back €80,000. There is so much to interest a Leaving Certificate student in Glasnevin, especially the final resting places of some of the country’s most famous names from the

revolutionary period, including De Valera, Countess Markievicz and Michael Collins.

There heard entertaining stories associated with these figures and some tragic ones too. Thanks so much to Sophie and Charlotte, the Ursuline language assistants who accompanied Ms Keating and the students on the trip.

Contributed to School Days in the Tipperary Star.