Junior Cycle History Paper

I was delighted to discover that I was name-checked in the 2022 Junior Cycle History Paper. (Showing my age and therefore my eligibility to be on a history exam I still think of it as the Inter Cert or the Junior Cert!)

Four things about appearing on this exam paper are exciting for me. Firstly, it’s a little bit thrilling to get mentioned in a state examination especially as it’s a state examination I sat (or at least I sat an aged version of it!). Secondly, given the threat to History as a core Junior Cycle subject a few years ago there was something special about being included in an paper that was attempted by all Junior Cycle students. I played a small part in the campaign to keep History as a core subject so have been keeping on eye on all things Junior Cycle History for the past few years

Thirdly, I am delighted that the history syllabus is engaging with museums and how our past is communicated in ways other than through textbooks. I wish that had been the case when I was at school. There’s still an overemphasis on dates (I’ve never been able to recall dates which has never been an issue since I left school. Historians don’t need to have a good memory to be a good historian) but things are changing for the better. It was also great to see Cavan County Museum get a mention on the paper. It’s a museum I really like - particularly the replica World War I trenches.

Finally and, for me, most importantly I wa delighted to see that the quote used highlights the important of looking beyond the printed page and artefacts as source material. The greater the variety of sources used the better! It was escpecially pleasing to see that the quote used comes from one of the reports I’ve written about museums - on setting them up and on creating exhibitions. These reports are the result of collaboration with curators, historians, conservation experts, art historians, oral history specialists and others. I may have been the one name checked but those reports draw on the generous sharing of expertise by really talented and committed professionals.

Anyone who wants to read the Beyond Storytelling report (and learn about the experts involved in creating it) can download a copy by clicking on the image below.