Pupils learn ‘true horrors’ of Auschwitz during trip

Funded by Carrickfergus Borough Council’s Good Relations Office, the four-day trip saw two pupils from each of the post-primaries in the town travel to Eastern Europe earlier this month.

The history students were accompanied by teachers and three members of the local council.

With an itinerary including Krakow and the salt mines at Wieliczka, the focus of the trip was undoubtedly Auschwitz, one of the most notorious concentration camps during the Second World War.

Janet Shearer, Good Relations Officer with the local authority, said the project aimed to recognise the legacy of the global conflict. “With Holocaust Memorial Day coming up as well as the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we decided as a legacy to take the pupils to Poland,” she added. “ It links in to the last Carrick Council and to our own history here in Northern Ireland, so it was a great learning experience for them.”

Included in the delegation were Ulidia students Rachael Keatley and Hannah Irvine, along with teacher Dorina Connelly.

Rachael said: “During our trip to Poland I not only furthered my knowledge about the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945, but also had an amazing weekend experiencing Polish culture. Throughout the four days we visited Auschwitz, Birkenau and also the salt mines. I enjoyed seeing Auschwitz One and Two, having a natural curiosity for this period and a desire to understand better how the Jews were treated by the Nazis. Despite studying history, I could not have prepared myself for the reality and the true horrors that they experienced. This is something I will always have with me.

“I loved being able to experience another culture and see how things differ from being at home. The salt mines were a great way of showing Polish culture, history and also how the times have changed and how there has been so much progress made.

“This experience more than anything has taught me that ‘hate’ will always have some form of dominance over every country in some way or another. But it is how you choose to look at experiences and grow from them that will make the difference in the world.

“I would also like to say thank you to Carrickfergus Council and the pupils and teachers from Downshire, Carrick College and Carrick Grammar for a fantastic trip.”

Meanwhile, each school is expected to hold a special assembly to share the pupils’ experiences and to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.