great irish famine. schools | Marita Conlon-McKenna

Marita with Victoria Millar, Ivan O’Brien and Kathryn Thomson at the opening.

I am so excited as after all the hard work and planning the big ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ Exhibition in The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh in Northern Ireland has just opened.

I was a little nervous as to how it would look but once I stepped inside the Exhibition I was blown away by the huge illustrations showing Eily, Michael and Peggy and scenes from the book which has been brought to life artist Cat Finney by the amazing design and craft work team from Ulster Museums.There are also historical and relevant pieces from the time of the Great Irish Famine on display from the National Museum’s N.I collection.

You can listen to the story as you go around and also try out the interactive displays and even dress up in costumes of the period. The highlight is the giant hawthorn crafted from willow by Bob Johnson at the heart of the exhibition which is magical.

It was a wonderful opening with many of the team present including the incredible Victoria Millar, Senior Curator from National Museums, Northern Ireland, who brought the whole exhibition together from the initial concept and the brilliant designer Stefan McKee and his team. Northern Ireland Museum head Kathryn Thomson opened the exhibition. St Eithne’s School were invited along for the opening and I just loved watching their reaction to it.

Most of my family and grandchildren came along from Dublin as did my publisher Ivan O’Brien from O’Brien Press. We all had a great time with everyone exploring the park which brings history to life afterwards

I first visited the Ulster American Folk Park around 1990 when I was researching my book ‘Wildflower Girl’ as I heard they had built a replica ship there. I remember being so excited going around the park and then spending most of my the time sitting on a tiny bunk in the ship’s steerage section imagining that I was Peggy and was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean to America. Little did I think, that all these years later that the park would be hosting an exhibition based on one of my books.

‘The Under the Hawthorn Tree Exhibition’ will run for the next two to three years. The park is open every day except Mondays and is a brilliant place to come and explore with its cottages and cabins, school house and Victorian street with shops, and the ship as it brings so much of our history to life.

Marita with pupils from St Eithne’s School and with Exhibition Designer Stefan McKee.

Sitting under the beautiful Hawthorn Tree

I am getting very excited as the time gets nearer for the opening of the ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree’ exhibition in The Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh in Northern Ireland in a few weeks’ time.

I have been working with Victoria Miller and the wonderful team from Northern Ireland Museums on this big project over the past year and a half as they build and bring this Exhibition to life

It is a totally new experience for me getting involved with listening to young actors, musicians helping to choose illustrators and designers and seeing the detailed craft work done for an exhibition like this. I never realised the hard work and dedication mounting such an exhibition takes. I am learning so much and it is great fun as I can see things begin to come together.

I was back up in Omagh a few weeks ago to film with a group of wonderful students from the Sacred Heart School , Tattyreagh..They were in great form and full of questions and chat despite the awful rainy wet weather

It is hard for me to believe that it is over thirty – five years ago since I first visited thre park to do some research for my book ‘Wildflower Girl,’ . Little did I dream that all these years later an exhibition based around my book ‘Under the Hawthorn Tree ‘would be opening there.

As the time gets closer there is so much work going on with Stefan McKee designing and creating the exhibition and talented heritage maker Bob Johnson working in the Ulster Museum Folk site using willow to create the most incredible hawthorn tree for the centre of the exhibition and Matthew Walton creating birds that will sit in the tree. I cannot wait to go back up to Omagh and to see the tree in situ.

The exhibition will be open at the end of March, just in time for the Easter Holidays.