A Forgotten Polish Hero of the Great Irish Famine:
Paul Edmund Strzelecki

GALWAY CITY MUSEUM, SPANISH PARADE, GALWAY,
2 January – 30 March, 2020


CARNA EMIGRANTS CENTRE / IONAD CUIMHEACHÁIN NA NIMIRCEACH, CARNA, CO. GALWAY,
1 February – 30 March, 2020


NATIONAL FAMINE MUSEUM IN STROKESTOWN PARK, CO. ROSCOMMON
14 March - 24 May, 2020

Workshops for school children on Paul Strzelecki and the Great Famine accompany the exhibition in various venues around the country.

They are addressed to children age 11-12 and local schools are invited to participate in them.

The workshop, entitled Paul Strzelecki’ struggle to save Irish children during the Great Famine, considers how a Polish man came to save thousands of Irish children during the Great Famine of the 1840s. We ask how he learnt about the devastating impact of the potato blight, what motivated him to put his own life at risk and the lessons that can be learnt from this turbulent period in not only Irish but European history. Strzelecki and his life in many ways embody the themes of emigration, nationalism, globalisation and humanitarianism which form our modern world. These concepts are central to the discussions in this class. 

The workshops are conducted by an NUI Galway historian Dr. Tomás Finn, who has prepared a very engaging and interactive 50-min programme for participating children.

Workshops 1
Dr. Tomás Finn

Tomás Finn holds his doctorate in History from the National University of Ireland. He lectures in the Department of History at NUI, Galway. His research interests include modern Irish and British history and politics, the role of intellectuals, public policy, Church-state relations and Northern Ireland. He is author of Tuairim, intellectual debate and policy formulation: Rethinking Ireland, 1954-75, (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2012).

If you represent a school and are interested in taking part, please contact the exhibition curator or your local venue hosting the exhibition to find out more – list of venues is available here