Crossgar schoolchildren enjoy local history project

Crossgar schoolchildren enjoy local history project

15 February 2023

A FIVE-MONTH long history project involving Crossgar schoolchildren came to a successful conclusion last week.

Children from three primary schools learned about the history of their village and respective school. 

The project entailed a series of history talks and walking tours of Crossgar led by local man Callum Bowsie.

Callum, who was recently co-opted on to Newry, Mourne and Down Council to represent the Rowallane district, is also the president of the newly-formed Crossgar Historical Society.  

In September, Callum began visiting the P7 classes Cedar Integrated PS, Glasswater PS and St Joseph’s PS. 

The children learned about how to use old maps, photos, censuses and newspapers to research local history.

They also learned about how Crossgar and Kilmore developed, the railway, the churches, housing, farming, WW2, and old stories connected to these places.

Each class also learned the history of their own schools, two of which can be traced back over 200 years. 

Callum, who is a qualified ESOL teacher, said: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting back into the classroom to share my love for local history and instil a bit of pride in our village so that the next generation can keep local history alive; the stories and places that make us who we are.  

“My aim is to raise awareness of our local heritage and secure it for the next generation. The enthusiasm from the children for local history was encouraging in this regard. 

“I believe gaining local knowledge of our community from a young age has social benefits too. Showing young people how they and their families are part of the story of their locality, helps them value their community and instils civic responsibility.”

Mrs Heather Gill, P7 teacher at Glasswater, thanked Callum for sharing his expertise and knowledge.

She said: “Through looking at photos and maps and documents, and listening to lots of interesting facts about our local area, the boys and girls learnt how our village and school have changed over the years.” 

Miss Rachel Bennett, P7 teacher, at Cedar, said: “We wish to thank Callum for a fantastic presentation and walking tour. Our P7s had a great time learning about the history of Crossgar.” 

Mr Marcus Miskelly, P7 teacher, also expressed his thanks. “We have all learned so much about Crossgar,” he said.