Hill of The O’Neill & Ranfurly House Arts & Visitor Centre

What will students see and do?

Hill of The O’Neill is one of the most historically important locations in Ireland. It was the medieval centre of Ulster, with a history stretching back over 2,000 years to the Iron Age. The region was ruled by The O’Neills, one of Ulster’s most powerful dynasties, for over 400 years.

Visitors can learn all about Hugh O’Neill, AKA The O’Neill, a key figure in the history of the area, who led armies during the Nine Years War. Upon his eventual defeat, he and over 90 followers departed to Spain, in what became known as The Flight of the Earls.

In the permanent Ranfurly House exhibition, students will learn about the significance of these astounding events, and what they meant for the future of Ireland.

Following The Flight of the Earls came the Plantation – a move by Scottish and English leaders to colonise the ancient Gaelic traditions and ‘civilise’ the Irish. The interactive exhibition details these events in an engaging and accessible way for students.

You will meet your tour guide at Ranfurly House at the foot of the hill, before starting your adventure. The first stop is the exhibition. From there, visitors climb the hill while learning about its rich historical significance.

From the Glass Tower at the top of the hill, students will take in 360-degree views of Ulster, surveying the region as its former rulers did centuries ago.

Hill of The O’Neill & Ranfurly House is also the perfect starting point to explore the rest of Dungannon town, which was formed as a plantation town after the defeat in the Nine Years War. The reception of the centre is also the local visitor centre, so there’s a wealth of expertise available for you to continue your educational explorations.

More than just a history trip, students can experience workshops including art, drama and sustainability. This is an incredibly diverse learning opportunity with many curriculum-related outcomes.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

At Hill of The O’Neill, there are a wide variety of workshops suitable for Key Stage 1 through to A-Level. Here are just some of the offerings.

History on the Hill – Ideal for Key Stage 1 and 2, this workshop uses an engaging combination of drama, medieval history and puppetry to tell the story of the area. Pupils start with a guided tour of the hill, during which Key Stage 1 children will learn about historical figures and their stories. Key Stage 2 students will study the exhibition and complete work booklets.

Following the tours, Key Stage 1 children will watch a puppet show all about life in the past. Key Stage 2 pupils will take part in a drama workshop to deepen their understanding of life during this time.

History on the Hill includes the following educational outcomes: talking and listening; history; working with others and change over time, as well as others.

Discovering Our Past – This activity introduces archaeology to Key Stages 2 and 3. Students work alongside professional archaeologists from Queen’s University Belfast who also supported the local Time Team investigation.

In this two-hour workshop, students are introduced to the relationship between archaeology and learning about the past. This is then applied to the Hill of The O’Neill to uncover its historical importance.

Learning outcomes include measures and handling data; history; working with others and change over time.

Create a Castle – Specially created for Key Stage 1, this workshop combines historical storytelling with creativity and waste awareness. Pupils will learn about the Flight of the Earls and the Plantation of Ulster.

They’ll then find out why a hill is a great place to build a castle by exploring the Hill of The O’Neill. Finally, with guidance from a local artist, they will create their own castle with the use of recycled materials.

Learning outcomes include history; being creative and change over time.

Words on the Hill – In this workshop designed for Key Stage 2 and 3, writer and storyteller Liz Weir leads a creative writing workshop. Students are inspired by the historical and mysterious events of the local area and transform their ideas into poetry.

Subjects covered

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