Carrickelona

Liam Neeson

Liam Neeson

Liam John Neeson OBE (born 7 June 1952) is an Irish actor born in Ballymena, County Antrim who has been nominated for an Oscar, Golden Globe and a BAFTA.

He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler’s List, Agent Bryan Mills in Taken, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Alfred Kinsey in Kinsey, Ras Al Ghul in Batman Begins and the voice of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia film series. He has also starred in several other notable films, including Excalibur, The Dead Pool, Rob Roy, Nell, Gangs of New York, Love Actually, Kingdom of Heaven, The Haunting, Clash of the Titans, and The A-Team. He was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and educated at Saint Patrick’s College and Queen’s University Belfast. He moved to Dublin after university to further his acting career, joining the renowned Abbey Theatre.

C S Lewis

C S Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as “Jack”, was an Irish-born British^[ novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist. He is well known for his fictional work, especially The Screw tape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia and The Space Trilogy.

Lewis was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, and both authors were leading figures in the English faculty at Oxford University and in the informal Oxford literary group known as the "Inklings". According to his memoir Surprised by Joy, Lewis had been baptized in the Church of Ireland at birth, but fell away from his faith during his adolescence. Owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, at the age of 32 Lewis returned to Christianity, becoming "a very ordinary layman of the Church of England" His conversion had a profound effect on his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim.

In 1956, he married the American writer Joy Gresham, 17 years his junior, who died four years later of cancer at the age of 45.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Lewis died three years after his wife, as the result of renal failure. His death came one week before his 65th birthday. Media coverage of his death was minimal, as he died on 22 November 1963 – the same day that U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and the same day another famous author, Aldous Huxley, died.

Lewis’s works have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies. The books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia have sold the most and have been popularized on stage, TV, radio and cinema.

Snow Patrol

Snow Patrol - Final Straw Album Cover

Snow Patrol were Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band. The lead singer Gary Lightbody is originally from Bangor in Northern Ireland but the the band is now based in Glasgow. The band’s first three records, the EP Star fighter Pilot (1997), and the studio albums Songs for Polar bears (1998) and When It’s All Over We Still Have to Clear Up (2001), were commercially unsuccessful and were released by the independent labels Electric Honey and Jeepster respectively. The band then signed on to the major record label Polydor Records in 2002.

I think snow patrol should be in the hundred years of creativity for Northern Ireland because of their great song writing and their creative album covers.

George Best

George Best

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional football player, best known for his years with Manchester United. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goal scoring and the ability to beat defenders. In 1968 he won the European Cup with Manchester United, and was named the European Footballer of the Year. When fit, he was an automatic choice for the Northern Ireland team, but he was unable to lead them to the World Cup qualification, despite being capped 37 times and scoring nine goals.

In 1999, he was voted 11th at the IFFHS European Player of the Century election, and 16th in the World Player of the Century election. Pelé named him as one of the 125 best living footballers in his 2004 FIFA 100 list and Best was named 19th, behind Gerd Müller, at the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. In his native Northern Ireland, the admiration for him is summed up by the local saying: “Maradona good; Pelé better; George Best.”

He was one of the first celebrity footballers, but his extravagant lifestyle led to problems with alcoholism which curtailed his playing career and eventually led to his death in November 2005 at the age of 59. His cause of death was multiple organ failure brought on by a kidney infection, a side effect of the immuno-suppressive drugs he was required to take after a liver transplant. In 2007, GQ named him as one of the 50 most stylish men of the past 50 years.

James Galway

James Galway

James Galway was born in Belfast in 1949.

After his education time he spent 15 years as an orchestral player. Galway played with the Philharmonia Orchestra as it rose to prominence in the 1950s.

He then played with Sadler’s Wells Opera, Covent Garden Opera, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He auditioned for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan, and was principal flute of that orchestra from 1969 to 1975. To Karajan’s surprise and dismay, after a period of some disagreement, “Jimmy” Galway decided that he would leave to pursue a solo career^.

In addition to his performances of the standard classical repertoire, he features contemporary music in his programmes, including new flute works commissioned by and for him by composers including David Amram, Malcolm Arnold, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, John Wolf Brennan, Dave Heath, Lowell Liebermann and Joaquín Rodrigo. The album “In Ireland” by “James Galway and the Chieftains” reached number 32 in the UK album charts in 1987.

He still performs regularly and is one of the world’s most well-known flute players.

He is Principal Guest Conductor of the London Mozart Players, based at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, South London.

Most recently, Galway has performed for the Academy Award-winning ensemble recording the soundtracks of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy, composed by Howard Shore.

In June 2008, Galway was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame along with Liza Minnelli and B. B. King.

He currently performs on Nagahara flutes, as well as some Muramatsu Flutes. He also has his own line of flutes, Galway Spirit Flutes.

Terry Bradley

Artwork by Terry Bradley

Terry Bradley was born in Belfast in 1965. His early life was spent growing up just off the notorious Shankill Road where his mother tried to keep him inside and away from the “Troubles” outside their front door.  Bradley found a form of escapism reading Herge’s Adventures of Tin Tin and his work is still influenced by the black lines of the vivid drawings that illustrated the collection of books that he gradually acquired. He also spent hours in the attic room of his house listening to the then new pirate radio station Radio Luxembourg and imagined his travels and the exotic world beyond the realities of Belfast in the 1970’s.  From an early age Bradley discovered that drawing calmed his nerves and that he could loose himself in the complexities of observing people and then recreating them on paper.

After a move out of the city in the late 70’s Bradley entered a large comprehensive secondary school and was instantly the outsider. Art and English were his best subjects and the rest of the time was spent staying out of trouble. Terry still lives in Ireland but his painting are sold al over the world.

Van Morrison

Van Morrison

Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It’s Too Late to Stop Now, are widely viewed as among the greatest ever made.

Known as “Van the Man” to his fans^. Morrison started his professional career when, as a teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands covering the popular hits of the day. He rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Northern Irish R&B band Them, with whom he recorded the garage band classic “Gloria”. His solo career began under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single “Brown Eyed Girl” in 1967. After Berns’ death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks in 1968.Even though this album would gradually garner high praise, it was initially poorly received; however, the next one, Moondance, established Morrison as a major artist, and throughout the 1970s he built on his reputation with a series of critically acclaimed albums and live performances. Morrison continues to record and tour, producing albums and live performances that sell well and are generally warmly received, sometimes collaborating with other artists, such as Georgie Fame and The Chieftains. In 2008 he performed Astral Weeks live for the first time since 1968.

Much of Morrison’s music is structured around the conventions of soul music and R&B, such as the popular singles, “Brown Eyed Girl”, “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)”, “Domino” and “Wild Night”. An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as Astral Weeks and lesser-known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One The two strains together are sometimes referred to as “Celtic Soul”.

Morrison has received considerable acclaim, including six Grammy Awards, being inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and appearing on several “Greatest Artists” lists.

Year 14 pupils Rebecca Rea and Rebecca Humphreys had the opportunity to spend the week living with Spanish families and attending lessons at IES Ben Gabirol, our Spanish Comenius partner. The meeting was also attended by our partners from Germany and Italy, and the young people from each country had the opportunity to learn about each other’s culture and lifestyle during a number of special events which were planned during the week. Mrs Mitchell and Mr McCready accompanied the pupils and worked alongside the teachers from the Comenius schools to develop future project work and evaluate the work that has taken place so far. Highlights of the week included a visit to the city of Grenada and the Picasso museum in Malaga, whilst the teachers paid a visit to a local catering college to learn about vocational courses in Spain. We look forward to welcoming our Comenius friends to Carrickfergus College in March.

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Pupils at each of the European partner schools designed items to be sold as part of an enterprise activity and helped promote and advertise the event in each of their schools. The products for sale included home-made fans from Malaga, sweat bands from Milan, memory pens from Berlin and a Northern Ireland cookery book produced by the pupils of Carrickfergus College. During the event, which was held during our annual sponsored walk, pupils also had the opportunity to buy refreshments and ice-cream from our enterprising students, and all proceeds want to support ‘Kids Alive.’ This very worthwhile charity helps provide education and support for young people in Ethiopia and Carrickfergus College pupils are hoping to raise enough money to build two new classrooms in the town of bekoji next year. As you can see from the photographs a great day was had by all and the sale of the Comenius goods contributed to the over all amount raised on the day which was over two thousand pounds – well done everyone!

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Northern Ireland over the last 100 years has produced a number of individuals who have come up with innovative ideas and concepts. Some made major discoveries while others developed products and services of worldwide significance.

Pupils from Year 9, 10 and 11 History classes at Carrickfergus College have been researching these innovators as part of our Comenius project ‘Minds at Work.’ We hope that maybe one day one of our pupils will be able these famous people and be able to call themselves truly innovative!

Augustine Henry

Augustine Henry was an Irish sinologist though he was actually born in Scotland  on the 2^nd July 1857.

He is best known for sending over 15,000 dry specimens and seeds and 500 plant samples to Kew Gardens in the United Kingdom.

By 1930 he was a recognized authority and was honored with society membership in Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Finland, France, and Poland.

He was educated at Cookstown Academy and later on went  to  Queens College Galway, to study medicine.

He had studied Chinese before going to China and gained a great proficiency in the language.

Henry was the first to send seeds to Europe. While at Yichang and in other parts of China he collected plants, seeds and specimens many of which had not been known until then.

In 1888 he published a list of Chinese plants.

Augustine Henry died in 1930.

Harry Ferguson

Henry George “Harry” Ferguson (4 November 1884 – 25 October 1960) was an Irish engineer and inventor who is noted for his role in the development of the modern agricultural tractor, for becoming the first Irishman to build and fly his own aero plane, and for developing the first four-wheel drive Formula One car, the Ferguson P99. Today his name lives on in the name of the Massey Ferguson company.

Ferguson was born at Growell, near Dromore, County Down and was the son of a farmer.

In 1902 Ferguson went to work with his brother Joe in his bicycle and car repair business. Whilst working there as a mechanic, he developed an interest in aviation, to the extent of visiting air shows abroad. In 1904, he began to race motorcycles.

Click on the images below to view a few of his inventions:

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Frank Pantridge

Professor James Francis “Frank” Pantridge, MD, CBE (3 October 1916 – 26 December 2004) was a physician and cardiologist from Northern Ireland who transformed emergency medicine and paramedic services with the invention of the portable defibrillator

Born in Hillsborough, County Down, he was educated at Friends School Lisburn and the Queen’s University of Belfast, graduating in medicine in 1939. During World War II he served in the British Army and was awarded the Military Cross during the Fall of Singapore, when he became a POW.

This is his invention it is called a 'Defibrillator'

He served much of his captivity as a slave labourer on the Burma Railway. After his liberation he worked as a lecturer in the pathology department at Queen’s University, and then won a scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he studied under Dr. F.N. Wilson, a cardiologist and authority on electrocardiography.

Pantridge returned to Northern Ireland in 1950, and was appointed as cardiac consultant to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast and professor at Queen’s University, where he remained until his retirement in 1982. There he established a specialist cardiology unit whose work became known around the world.

John Boyd Dunlop

In 1887, John Dunlop developed the first practical pneumatic tyre for his son’s tricycle, tested it, and patented it on December 7, 1888. Dunlop’s development of the pneumatic tyre arrived at a crucial time in the development of road transportation. Commercial production began in late 1890 in Belfast, Ireland. Dunlop partnered with William Du Cros to form a company that would later become the Dunlop Rubber Company.

Sir James Martin

Sir James Martin was a British engineand together with Captain Valentine Baker the founder of the Martin-Baker aircraft company which is now a leading producer of aircraft ejection seats.

Life

James Martin was born in Crossgar, County Down in Ulster. He established his own engineering firm in 1929.In 1934, he and   Valentine Baker formed Martin-Baker; Captain Baker took the test pilot role. It was in crash of their third design the MB-3 that Baker was killed.

In 1934, Captain Valentine Baker, a flying instructor, became a partner and together they formed the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company Ltd. Sadly in 1942, Baker died when the MB-3 he was flying crashed after engine failure during landing. In 1944 the Air ministry asked Martin-Baker to develop an ejection seat as in the new age of jets, baling out of an aircraft had become impractical or impossible. Martin set about this task and in 1945 carried out the first test with dummies from the defiant aircraft. It was found that most effective way of ejection was to have an explosive charge that forces the seat up into the air. On 24th July 1946, Bernard Lynch was the first person to participate in a live test. The first person to be saved by a Martin-Baker ejection seat was test pilot John Lancaster who ejected form an A52 ‘flying wing’. Since then over 6,900 lives have been saved by Martin-Baker ejection seats and the company is now the largest supplier of ejection seats worldwide.

The Shipyard of Harland & Wolff

Between 1900 and 1930, Harland and Wolff was Belfast’s biggest employer by a long way. Thousands of people worked in the ship yards and demand for ocean liners was huge.

The Harland and Wolff shipyard was founded in 1862. It was founded by Edward James Harland and Gustav Wilhelm Wolff. At its height, Harland and Wolff and the ship yard in Belfast became one of the biggest ship builders in the world. Harland and Wolff own the world’s largest dry dock, which is in Belfast.

Harland Wolff constructed over 70 ships for the White Star Line. The Titanic was the best known of these.

A prominent feature of the Belfast skyline is the Harland and Wolff cranes, Samson and Goliath. When people think of Harland and Wolff and Belfast, the image of the cranes is usually the first thing that comes to mind, after the Titanic. The crane Samson was built in 1974 and the crane Goliath in 1969.

We would like to thank our Italian hosts for their hard work in making the trip so memorable! The next meeting will be held in Malaga, followed by a final meeting in Carrickfergus.

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Runner Up 1

Runner Up 2

Runner Up 3

Runner Up 4

Click on the above links to find out about our partner in Nauen, Germany, and about life at Graf Von Arco School.