Ireland Unit Study

We’re finishing up our Ancient Studies history year with an Ireland unit. I’m also including some resources for the other time periods because it’s hard not to discuss everything when questions arise.

I’ve always had a fascination with Ireland and this unit study is really exciting for our family.

We read a lot of books, watched some movies, listened to Irish music (old and new), and took a trip to Ireland!

We’re all about experiential learning!

We stayed at Ashford Castle where we flew hawks and visited Kylemore Abbey, Galway City, and County Meath – where we saw Trim Castle, The Hill of Tara, Newgrange, and City of Kells!

We loved seeing all the sheep and sweet Irish Wolfhounds.

Ireland is so beautiful! Yes, it really is that green.

Book List

• What Life Was Like Among Druids and High Kings (we found this at our local library)
• Treasures of Ireland by A.T. Lucas (also found at our local library)
• Brigid’s Cloak by Bryce Milligan (this is one of my very favorites!)
• Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola
• The Story of Saint Patrick by James A. Janda
• Patrick: Saint of Ireland by Diana Mayo
• St. Patrick’s Day by Gail Gibbons
• St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning by Eve Bunting
• The Saint and his Bees by Dessi Jackson
• Saint Brendan and the Voyage Before Columbus by Michael McGrew
• Irish Folk Tales by Henry Glassie (this was one of my college course texts!)
• Early Irish Myths and Sagas by Jeffrey Gantz (this was also one of my college course texts!)
• Druids, Gods, & Heroes from Celtic Mythology by Ann Ross
• Step into the Celtic World by Fiona MacDonald
• Life in Celtic Times by A.G. Smith
• Raiders of the North: Discover The Dramatic World Of The Celts And Vikings by Fiona MacDonald

Advanced Reading:

I love to read along with my children, but sometimes I want something meatier or I just get very interested and want to delve deeper.

I love the Dublin Saga by Edward Rutherfurd. See also Ireland: Awakening. He’s one of my favorite authors.

I’ve been enjoying the Ireland series by Frank Delaney.

Music

Here’s a great article on the history of Irish music.

We listened to The Corrs and The Chieftains.

We tried out a tin whistle and Bodhran.

Movies

(always preview or children view at your discretion)

There are a great many PBS and History Channel DVDs about ancient and more recent Ireland events at our library.

• The Secret of Roan Inish – a fun magical legend!
• The Secret of Kells
• Michael Collins
• The Wind That Shakes the Barley
• Some Mother’s Son
• In the Name of the Father
• The Boxer
• Bloody Sunday
• Dancing At Lughnasa
• The Quiet Man (filmed on the grounds of Ashford Castle!)

Activities and Printables

We’re kinda getting out of the crafts stage and doing more activities and writing.

• St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland printables from Education.com (I printed these for our plane rides and road trips.)
• We wrote limericks while driving through the City of Limerick, Ireland
• FREE unit study from Knowledge Quest Maps!
• Lots of FREE and FRUGAL Irish printables from Currclick.
• This fun lapbook from A Journey Through Learning.
• Teach the Trinity with shamrocks.
• A FREE lapbook from Homeschool Share.
• FOOD! Bake soda bread and make corned beef and cabbage. (We had some delightful modern Irish food. They have amazing bread, butter, and potatoes!)

My youngest daughter’s Limerick Poem:

Lots of St. Patrick’s Day ideas: