EDUCATION MINISTER JOE McHugh today announced that students from DEIS schools will be given free access to Glasnevin Cemetery in the capital as part of a special history project. 

€60,000 was awarded from the Dormant Accounts Fund to give hundreds of students from these schools access to the cemetery and museum where many of the country’s most famous republicans are buried. 

The scheme will run from September 2020 and will see students from up to 70 schools across the country “gain valuable knowledge on a site steeped in history and further their familiarity with Irish history”, according to the minister.

There are over 800 DEIS schools operating in Ireland. These are schools which provide extra supports to students from socio-economically disadvantaged areas.

McHugh said: “I am delighted that this money has been awarded, in particular to Glasnevin Trust to help them to expand the education programme and give students from Deis schools access for free.

“One of the best ways to get young people engaged with the stories from our past and how they relevant today is to see history and Glasnevin Cemetery is one of the best places for that rich experience.

“Glasnevin’s educational programme is hugely successful at getting people to connect to the history of Ireland in a unique way. It allows them to view history through a different lens and investigate sources – proving that there is more than one side to every story.”

Aoife Watters, CEO at Glasnevin Trust added: “We at Glasnevin Trust are delighted to have been awarded this grant under the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding ensures that a wider cohort of school students will benefit from the unique learning opportunities that exist within Glasnevin Cemetery Museum and will engage with a variety of historical events and figures which are central to The Decade of Centenaries.

“The cemetery is a site steeped in history and students participate in educational programmes to further their knowledge and awareness of Irish history. They are enabled to view events from the past through multiple viewpoints, encouraging skill development and supporting the teaching and learning of history.”

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