Schoolchildren from the Killyleagh area have been taking part in a special competition to mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War.
Schoolchildren from St Mary’s, Killyleagh and Derryboy Primary School took part in the initial state of the competition, organised by the Killyleagh Remembers the Great War group, with funding support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The children were asked to fill in a scrapbook with photos and family history stories of their family’s involvement in the First World War. The scrapbook contains interesting facts and figures about the 242 men and two women from the Killyleagh, Shrigley and Derryboy areas who served in the war between 1914-18.
The first batch of winners from P5 and P6 of Derryboy were selected by UTV news presenter Paul Clark, who is a keen historian of the war and its impact on the Irish regiments who served.
The highly commended each received a history book and an autographed photograph from Mr Clark, as did the winners along with a cash prize.
The winners were Clementine McMullan, Izzie and Alfie Hagan and Cormac Mullan.
As part of the outreach, Mr Clark is to visit Derryboy to talk to the pupils.
The St Mary’s winners are to be announced later.
A third primary school, Killyleagh Integrated, has already taken part in the scrapbook challenge. The senior pupils of the school are to be invited to take part in a separate competition.
As part of the final phase of its activities, the group is to publish a trail of Killyleagh which will take the visitor around some of the key sites and historic places connected to the First World War.
:The information is based on a series of guided war walks held between 2014 and 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great War. The information draws on the stories recorded by the guides on those walks — Mr Austin Cheevers, Mrs Ann Fee, Miss Zena McAllister, Mr Dougie Marr and Mr Chris Hagan,” explained a spokesperson.
“Using copies of the water paintings of Mrs Wendy Cromie, of Killyleagh, the aim of the free publication will be to explore the places connected to those who went to war.”
