A NEW war book for schoolchildren has been launched in Killyleagh.
A Village at War tells the story of Killyleagh and Shrigley in the First World War.
Written by journalist Chris Hagan, the chairman of Killyleagh Remembers the Great War, it contains a collection of short stories about the war and many of those who fought and sacrificed their lives
It was launched by Tony McCusker, a Board member of the Heritage Lottery Fund, at a special schools event in Killyleagh Library on Friday.
Around 40 senior children from St Mary’s Primary School, Killyleagh and Killyleagh Integrated Primary School came together to be presented with a copy of the book. It includes exercises to let them explore the events of 1914-18 as they affected the local community.
The schools were also presented with copies of a specially produced DVD in HD in which relatives of those who fought during the Great War, from the Killyleagh and Shrigley areas, tell their family story for posterity.
Mr Hagan said it was the fifth consecutive year that they have worked with the two schools, and he was grateful to the two principals, Jason Milligan and Dolores Miller, for the pupils’ participation in this 2017 event.
He explained the book was produced with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a programme of cross-community events marking the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Messines and Passchendaele, the first time that soldiers from the 36th Ulster Division fought alongside the 16th Irish Division.
Mr McCusker said the Heritage Lottery Fund was delighted to be involved and pleased to see primary schoolchildren engaged in learning about the past.
Ann Fee, of the Sloane’s History Group, then introduced Austin Cheevers and Zena McAllister who
captured the attention of the young people with their family stories from the war — with Mr Cheevers showing his grandfather David Watson’s entrenching tool, used on the Western Front; and Miss McAllister displaying a 70 year-old doll given to her by her relative, James Morrison, one of most decorated survivors of the war from Killyleagh.
Copies of the book are to be presented to the senior pupils of Derryboy Primary School in the New Year.