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Pupils see the Irish famine story that's 'more relevant than ever'

Elaine MitchellBBC News NI south west reporter
BBC Three children stand together in an exhibition space. They are two girls and a boy all dressed in a school uniform of maroon jumper and pale blue shirt with a striped tie. The trio are standing in front of display boards in a museum. The lighting is quite dark but all three are smiling. BBC
Pupils from St Eithne's in Derry were among the first to see the new exhibition

A famine in which millions died or emigrated might seem a touch heavy for a children's book.

But Under the Hawthorn Tree has captured generations of hearts and is now the subject of a new museum exhibition.

The story of Eily, Michael and Peggy fending for themselves in the Irish famine of the mid 19th Century will be brought to life in an interactive display.

Author Marita Conlon-McKenna says world events mean the story is more relevant than ever.

An older lady stands in a museum space. She has long blonde hair and wears dark framed glasses. She is smiling widely and is wearing a brightly coloured floral print shirt.
Author of Under the Hawthorn Tree Marita Conlon-McKenna

"It has echoes with famine, displacement, with things are happening in people's lives," she said.

"So I can understand how it just has this appeal and draws people in."

Conlon-McKenna said she was "blown away" by the exhibition at the Ulster American Folk Park in County Tyrone.

Her classic is on school curriculums around the world.

"It's everywhere," Conlon-McKenna said.

"It's in nearly every language in the world and children in schools all over the world and everywhere are reading it on the curriculum in Mexico and parts of America.

"I go all over the world meeting children and going to schools and to colleges and universities.

"And it's amazing that this small story of these children in Ireland has a global reach."

Seeing the exhibition based on her work was "so special" for the writer from Dublin.

"It's way surpassed my expectations I mean the design and the elements are just everything. The book is here in the exhibition it's fantastic."

A woman stands in front of a picture board. She is wearing a dark shirt and has glasses. Her hair is long and straight. She is smiling. The board behind her shows part of a picture of the trunk and branches of a hawthorn tree.
Victoria Miller is curator at the Ulster American Folk Museum in Omagh

This is the first new exhibit at the Ulster American Folk museum in four years.

Victoria Miller, senior curator of history, said she hoped it would appeal to new visitors as well as regulars who "want to have a different experience when they come here".

"The past is a really useful marker for us today both in terms of our current lives but also planning for the future," she added.

"And there's always something to be learnt from the past to help inform how we live our lives today."

The picture shows a dimly lit room, with a huge depiction of a hawthorn tree. It's intricately woven from wicker branches. Its trunk reaches to the roof where its branches span across the ceiling. Behind it, under green lighting, is a picture of a wooded area. to its right are some bookshelves. Under the hawthorn tree there is a bench.
The exhibits hawthorn tree is woven from willow branches

At the heart of the exhibition is a large scale sculpture of a hawthorn tree crafted by the museum's willow weaver Bob Johnston.

The first school group to visit the new exhibition were P7 pupils from St Eithne's School in Derry who finished reading the book just before visiting.

Macey, 11, said when she read the book she "felt like she was in it".

Liam, 11 said he really liked the book and his favourite part of the museum was the "speeches and smellings" that brought the story to life.

Abigail, 11 says the book was "a real cliff-hanger" and was delighted to speak to Marita Conlon-McKenna.

"My favourite thing was getting to ask the author questions and really getting to know what she did to make the book."

A bookshelf holds several books. The closest and biggest in frame is Marita Conlon-McKenna's Under the Hawthorn Tree. Beside it is one about Refugees and Migrants and beyond it are more books that are less visible.
The children's books deals with famine and displacement

And for Conlon-McKenna, seeing the children experience the book in a new way was thrilling.

"Watching the children going around has blown me away because the children just love it," she said.

"How it's been brought to life it makes my characters walk off the page and walk into the exhibition it's just incredible. How this small, lucky book just changed my life."

A woman stands in front of a display board in a museum. The display board is titled Famine and hunger. A woman in a brightly patterned shirt stands alongside it. She had blonde hair and is wearing glasses. Her hands are clasped in front of her and she is smiling.
Author Marita Conlon-McKenna was 'blown away' seeing her book brought to life