Leaving cert history project ideas

Msrebeckyxo · 17-09-2016 8:40pm #1

Lads I'm badly stuck, our first rough draft of out essay is due two weeks yesterday and I haven't a clue what to do!
I was thinking Irish history such as the magdalene laundries or Rte (censorship) something along the lines of these but I'm not sure if these would be okay to do? I honestly haven't a clue what to do and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

losing my mind over this project

Kalimah · 17-09-2016 8:48pm

My niece did the 1941 bombings of Dublin about 10 years ago. I had suggested it to her as there was a family story that our great great grandfather's house was destroyed. It turned out to be a great project and we found a huge amount of material. I'd see if there was a family connection with an historical event and go from there.

Msrebeckyxo · 17-09-2016 8:57pm

Kalimah wrote: »

My niece did the 1941 bombings of Dublin about 10 years ago. I had suggested it to her as there was a family story that our great great grandfather's house was destroyed. It turned out to be a great project and we found a huge amount of material. I'd see if there was a family connection with an historical event and go from there.

Wow. I was literally googling that when I decided to refresh my boards thread to see if anyone had replied! It does seem really interesting actually, the only problem is looking for a source as obviously wiki isn't accepted. Thank you very much for your advice!

Kalimah · 17-09-2016 9:26pm

Isn't that a coincidence! Actually there some very good sources of information. The Dail records of the day detail parliamentary questions about compensation for the victims. Thoms directory list the residents and you can look up the newspapers for first hand accounts.

VG31 · 18-09-2016 1:24am

Msrebeckyxo wrote: »

Wow. I was literally googling that when I decided to refresh my boards thread to see if anyone had replied! It does seem really interesting actually, the only problem is looking for a source as obviously wiki isn't accepted. Thank you very much for your advice!

There's no shortage of sources:

1. The Bombing of Dublin's North Strand
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bombing-Dublins-North-Strand/dp/0717146448/
http://www.kennys.ie/the-bombing-of-dublin-s-north-strand-1941-the-untold-story.html

2. In Time of War: Ireland, Ulster and the Price of Neutrality, 1939-45
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-War-Ireland-Neutrality-1939-45/dp/0717124118/
http://www.bookdepository.com/In-Time-of-War/9780717124114

3. Bombs Over Dublin
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bombs-Over-Dublin-Sean-Mcmahon/dp/185607983X/
http://www.kennys.ie/bombs-over-dublin.html

The first source looks particularly good for a detailed account of the bombings.

Also:

http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-recreation-culture-dublin-city-public-libraries-and-archive-heritage-and-histo-17
https://northstrandbombing.wordpress.com/

endacl · 18-09-2016 1:39am

http://www.learnaboutarchives.ie/index.php/news/ara-i-newsletter-archive/151-dublin-city-archives-activities-relating-to-the-north-strand.html

Links to interviews and trancripts of people who lived on the North Strand at the time. Members of my partner's family were recorded, and remember being woken up in the middle of the night to make space for children from neighbouring houses that had been damaged in the incident.

Really interesting project, if you take it on. There are still some quite elderly people you could look up to interview.

Interviews = A1

Msrebeckyxo · 18-09-2016 10:56am

I can't quote all the above replies as I'm on an android but thank you so much to everyone! Will have a good look at all the sources and maybe buy one of the books. Hopefully the project works out, it seems to be a very interesting one to do.
Again thank you to all the replies, dug me out of a hole

randylonghorn · 24-09-2016 3:49am

The kind of thread which makes this forum worthwhile, fair play to all who were generous with their time / ideas / knowledge.

pmrc · 07-01-2017 11:58pm

What do people think The Irish spitfire pilots of WW 2 or who faught in the battle of britian, for the leaving cert history

randylonghorn · 08-01-2017 3:27am

Definitely, just make sure you have enough / suitable sources.

There was a fair bit in the papers a while back about "Spitfire Paddy", but I'm not sure what other sources are out there.

VG31 · 08-01-2017 1:46pm

pmrc wrote: »

What do people think The Irish spitfire pilots of WW 2 or who faught in the battle of britian, for the leaving cert history

Here are some sources on Brendan Finucane, who is perhaps the most well known Irish fighter ace in the RAF:

http://acesofww2.com/UK/aces/finucane/
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2009/0623/646111-finucane/
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/celebrated-irish-raf-pilot-recalled-1.725504
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/spitfire-paddy-the-battle-of-britains-youngest-air-ace-26878317.html

Paddy Finucane: Fighter Ace by Doug Stokes
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paddy-Finucane-Fighter-Crecy-Classic/dp/0859791807/
http://www.kennys.ie/paddy-finucane-fighter-ace-crecy-classic.html

spurious · 08-01-2017 2:51pm

Or there are the 168 'Attagirls', the Air Transport Auxiliary who were the women pilots who flew aircraft in non-combat situations, delivering new and repaired aircraft, moving them between bases as required. Quite a dangerous job given that they needed to know how to fly a large variety of aircraft and sometimes the factory testing wasn't comprehensive. They freed up the young male pilots to fly in combat.

Here's an article about one of the Irish Attagirls.

Edrees98 · 09-01-2017 11:49pm

pmrc wrote: »

What do people think The Irish spitfire pilots of WW 2 or who faught in the battle of britian, for the leaving cert history

Try to avoid doing a project on WW2, instead do something on like Kemal Atatürk and how he secularised Turkey or even something cool like CIA involvement in the Afghan-Soviet war. Most people do WW 2 related projects so it must get quite annoying and boring for the examiner. Just my two cents.

randylonghorn · 10-01-2017 4:38am

Very few do Irish / local links with WW2 though, and that's much more the kind of thing the examiners want to see.

eilis100 · 16-10-2021 1:21pm

Looking for ideas for my daughter.

She doesn't want to any thing war.

But open to other suggestions

spurious · 16-12-2021 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118028149#Comment_118028149

Something with a local (Irish) connection. Every year that is what the Chief Examiner's report says is wanted.

Leaving cert history project ideas

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