Castle Tower has many links with other schools in the Ballymena area, particularly though the ‘Ballymena Learning Together’ community.
However, an ETI inspection report in 2017 recommended that the school should begin a programme of formal shared education. Castle Tower embarked on its shared education journey at the beginning of the 2018/19 school year with two separate projects, one for nursery pupils and the second for primary pupils.
Glór Dhal Riada is the local Irish Language and Culture development group that was established within the Ballymena and Glenravel Area in 2008. The group’s name is appropriate to the Mid and East Antrim area as it is derived from the ancient Gaelic overkingdom of Dal Riada that included north east Ulster and a sizable portion of western Scotland and its Islands. Dal Riada was founded by Gaelic Irish migrants who brought their Language, and writings with them. Ths song performance is from Liam Ó Corraí .
Glór Dhal Riada is the local Irish Language and Culture development group that was established within the Ballymena and Glenravel Area in 2008. The group’s name is appropriate to the Mid and East Antrim area as it is derived from the ancient Gaelic overkingdom of Dal Riada that included north east Ulster and a sizable portion of western Scotland and its Islands. Dal Riada was founded by Gaelic Irish migrants who brought their Language, and writings with them. This performance is from Lorcán ó Darach & Louis Young.
Glór Dhal Riada is the local Irish Language and Culture development group that was established within the Ballymena and Glenravel Area in 2008. The group’s name is appropriate to the Mid and East Antrim area as it is derived from the ancient Gaelic overkingdom of Dal Riada that included north east Ulster and a sizable portion of western Scotland and its Islands. Dal Riada was founded by Gaelic Irish migrants who brought their Language, and writings with them. This performance is from Lasairfhíona Nic Ruairí from Glor Dal Rhiada playing the Harp.
Glór Dhal Riada is the local Irish Language and Culture development group that was established within the Ballymena and Glenravel Area in 2008. The group’s name is appropriate to the Mid and East Antrim area as it is derived from the ancient Gaelic overkingdom of Dal Riada that included north east Ulster and a sizable portion of western Scotland and its Islands. Dal Riada was founded by Gaelic Irish migrants who brought their Language, and writings with them. This performance is from Conn Fyfe, an Irish Dancer from Seven Towers, Ballymena.
Glór Dhal Riada is the local Irish Language and Culture development group that was established within the Ballymena and Glenravel Area in 2008. The group’s name is appropriate to the Mid and East Antrim area as it is derived from the ancient Gaelic overkingdom of Dal Riada that included north east Ulster and a sizable portion of western Scotland and its Islands. Dal Riada was founded by Gaelic Irish migrants who brought their Language, and writings with them. This performance is from Nigel and Elaine Black from Glór Dhal Riada.
The Exploring our Space programme commenced in 2017 and is increasingly popular. The programme aims at introducing spaces and places within Mid and East Antrim that would not traditionally be visited by people from different community backgrounds.
It has also given community groups from throughout the Borough an opportunity to network and build relationships. As well as visiting the physical space, participants also heard from local community groups, received history talks, cultural music and history sessions, cookery demonstrations etc. One of these visits in 2019 was to Andrew Jackson Cottage, Carrickfergus, during Ulster Scotch Leid Week. This event included an Ulster Scots cookery demonstration and a language class…
Project worked with young people between 15-18 – youth leaders and leaders in communities. Project looked at differences, embraced diversity, and drew on the comparisons of Rwanda and NI. It looked at developing initiatives for peace and reconciliation though the good practice of Genocide and Holocaust education, through intercultural arts.
It sought to address the dangers of prejudice and division in NI and Rwanda. The Project worked with young people to develop a song to unite Rwanda and NI through peace and reconciliation in learning that division is a legacy of the past and that with respect and mutual understanding of shared space, safety and a society free from hate – much can be achieved. The finished complications ‘Brand New Day’ was performed in the Braid Arts Centre, Ballymena by young people from the Waveney Youth Centre and the Inter Ethnic Forum (MEA). This performance took place in front of friends, family and special guests from Council, including the Deputy Mayor. In preparation for this, these young people worked with local musicians, as well as genocide survivors Jean-Paul Samputu and Pelagie Buchanan.
This video is a selection of photographs from Holocaust Memorial Day events which have been delivered by Council in the Mid and East Antrim area over the years. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council wants everyone who lives in this Borough to feel welcome, safe, respected and celebrated, therefore these Holocaust Memorial Day events are important and significant to Council as we continue to Work Together to Create a Better Future for All.
HMD takes place on 27 January each year. It’s a time for everyone to pause and remember the millions of people who have been murdered, or whose lives have been changed beyond recognition during the Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides. On HMD we can honour the survivors of these regimes, and challenge ourselves to use the lessons of the their experience to inform our lives today.
This programme has been running in Mid and East Antrim since 2016 and engaged with approximately 1000 Year 7 pupils from across the Borough. Learn more about the project and hear some feedback from teachers. Also included in our showcase is a short film about “What is Good Relations?” made for the Year 7s. We also have some photographs from a range of events delivered across the years to share.
As part of our P7 Schools Engagement Programme, we developed a short video explaining the Good Relations programme and what it is trying to achieve for the Borough. This short film is included in the virtual package being developed for 2020/21.