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Cavan exhibition is a great example of how students can get involved in commemorating our past

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (Thursday) commended students from Virginia College in Cavan for their work in putting together a commemorative exhibition on Cavan’s contribution to the First World War. Speaking at the opening of the exhibition in the Central Library in Cavan, Minister Humphreys added that the exhibition was a great example of how young people can get involved in commemorating our past.

“This exhibition, which has been researched, written and designed by the Transition Year and Fifth Year students of Virginia College, is an impressive combination of text, artefacts and visual material. The result is an exhibition which sheds light on the experience and contribution of County Cavan to the First World War.

“This is just one of a series of events taking place across the country to mark to 100th anniversary of the onset of the First World War, an event which left an indelible mark on the Irish nation.

“The Virginia College exhibition is a fantastic example of how students can become involved in commemorating our past. By taking a look at how their own communities were affected by events which happened 100 years ago, students and young people develop a greater understanding of these past conflicts.

“As we move closer to the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising, I am keen to get students involved in marking that momentous event, and I think this exhibition provides an ideal template.

“Students at Virginia College have investigated the many reasons why Cavan men enlisted in the ranks of the British Army and researched the Battles of the First World War and the various Battalions and Regiments in which local Cavan men fought. What they had in common, above anything else, is their horrific experiences of trench warfare.

“I believe that it is very important for young people to be involved in commemorative projects, so they can fully learn about, and appreciate, the true nature of war. In this way, this generation of young people is creating important links with the past.”