COFLA Education and Outreach Project

The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial Library & Archives is currently engaged in a major Education and Outreach initiative supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Heritage Lottery Fund grant as enabled the library and Archive to employ two addition staff for in support of the project ad to put in place a programme of activities and events over a three year period. The programme which will run until the Autumn of 2009 has two key themes and will be delivery both within the Library and Archive and at other venues. The first theme commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Flight of the Earls and this has been marked by a number of events already at COFLA. There has been an extensive outreach programme involving primary schools within the Armagh and east Tyrone area but also as far apart as Belfast and Strabane. In September 2007 COFLA organised a field trip which retraced the journey of Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, from Armagh city through Tyrone and the Sperrin Mountains to Rathmullan in Donegal. On 16-17 November in partnership with the City Chapter and Cumann Seanchais Ard Mhacha COFLA hosted a major conference attended by over 100 people to discuss the impact of the departure and exile of the Ulster chieftains in 1607. The Education and Outreach programme continues into 2008 with workshops for post primary pupils as well as presentations and tours for adult and community groups. The Library is at present hosting an exhibition drawn from its own collections which retells the story of this pivotal episode in Irish history. Admission is Free and all are welcome. The second theme that will be covered as part of the HLF funded project will be the history of Gaelic games in Northern Ireland. Again this will involve a programme of outreach and education given free of charge to local schools, at both primary and secondary level. There will also be a series of events within COFLA including a major conference in the Autumn of 2008 looking at the growth and development of Gaelic games. A pilot exhibition was organised by the Library and Archive between October 2006 and September 2007 on the development of the games within County Armagh and attracted a large audience across the year. COFLA has an extensive collection of material relating to Gaelic games within its archive and these will be drawn upon to relay the story of this important aspect of local sporting tradition and history. Further details on any aspect of the project can be had by contacting the Education Officer at the Library