Teachers' Resources

Roscommon Castle is a dramatic and imposing 13th Century Norman Castle.  It was built in 1269 by Robert de Ufford, on lands he had seized from the Augustinian Priory. The castle has a tumultuous past which can be explored with junior level children in the presentation below.

This sheet contains some lovely ideas for creating an adventure with your class when out on a walk. Suggestions include questions you might ask the group, activities you can try out or simply some things to highlight to the children as you go along.

Developed to compliment the National Curriculum in England, this site is aimed at 7-11 year olds. It includes some great resources, including an interactive Anglo-Saxon virtual village.

In the twentieth century, concrete walls gradually replaced traditional stone walls. In the past, the building material for walls was stone, usually from local quarries. Download the Old Stone Walls information sheet below for more information.

Let the children explore continuity and change over time by discussing these old ads and the difference in prices between now and then.

The Book of Kells is the most famous hand-coloured book in the world. This great publication gives you the chance to colour some of the drawings as the monks did over a thousand years ago. Choose from over 60 drawings of heavenly figures, Biblicial characters, fantastic creatures, animal and bird designs and Celtic lettering - to create your own little masterpieces.

This book is quick and easy to make, yet still offers flexibility and potential for children to create their own unique versions. They can be used for everything from storytelling to making guidebooks about a local wood or museum, what they put into your book is up to you!

There are several medieval churches still to be seen in Kilkenny City. St. Canice’s Cathedral is the most complete. It is called a cathedral because it was built as the principal church of the diocese. It was the special church of the Bishop of Ossory and he had his seat there. This was an actual chair which was called cathedra in Latin. St. Mary’s Church was the Parish Church of Kilkenny in the middle ages

Irish history has a cast of millions of characters, but every now and then one lad or lady sticks out as truly heroic. It’s time for Neil Delamere to take on Ireland’s Heroes. From the legendary warrior, Cúchulainn to the pirate queen, Gráinne Mhaol, Neil wants to get inside their skin and see if he has what it takes to be a modern day Irish Hero. Spoiler alert: He doesn’t.

A great genealogy website with games, ideas and resources, suitable for a range of age groups. Activities include a family history scavenger hunt and creating a time capsule.

A quick activity that can offer delightful characters to use in building stories, having adventures or unfolding the life of an old building. 

Explore buildings of interest and different architectural style around the local neighbourhood, town or village.

This website has lots of interesting information on the history and heritage of Christchurch Cathedral, Dublin for older age groups.

Loughnaneane Park is a free amenity provided by Roscommon County Council which is available to all. This pack aims to promote Loughnaneane Park as an education resource site, to be used by primary schools for field studies relating to natural, built and cultural heritage.

A fun and interactive site which engages children in maths, science and the visual arts through the medium of architecture. 

Would you like your class to learn more about their heritage, and Kilkenny's archaeology, in a fun and education-centred way? The Heritage Office of Kilkenny County Council has developed a series of four lesson plans focused on teaching archaeology to young children! The plans are aimed at pre-school, junior and senior infant classes. They are linked to the primary school curriculum and the Aistear curriculum.

Through using the resources below, and undertaking a trail around Kilkenny Castle, the children should learn about:
1.     The people associated with Kilkenny Castle – the Butler family and the servants.
2.     Certain design features of the castle, such as limestone, moat, sally port, arrow
3.     loop windows, servants’ entrance, coat of arms and lead hoppers.
4.     The strategic site that the castle is built on.
5.     How the building is changed and why. How the defensive character of the castle became less important as time went by.

Explore the past, the hands-on way! Archaeologists are scientists and historians who spend much of their time on their hands and knees, carefully digging through layers of earth to discover the past. What they find not only reflects the past, but also helps us to understand the present and to anticipate the future.