6th Class of Northampton National School Kinvara meet with Norwegian Ambassador

The Norwegian Ambassador Elsa Berit Eikeland along with Geir Klover, Director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, meet the 6th Class of Northampton National School Kinvara – Scoil Bhríghde Naofa, along with their teacher Orla McHale to discuss their projects on the South Pole Photo:Andrew Downes, Xposure .The Norwegian Ambassador Elsa Berit Eikeland along with Geir Klover, Director of the Fram Museum in Oslo, recently meet the 6th Class of Northampton National School Kinvara – Scoil Bhríghde Naofa, along with their teacher Orla McHale at the unique exhibition on Roald Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole, held at the O'Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, NUI Galway.

The students provided the Ambassador with a presentation about their research project highlighting the Irish connections to the South Pole. The students gave recitals of letters they had written about the adventures of being an explorer with Tom Creen. They described the strength and hardships of crossing the freezing cold ice land, competition amongst explorers reaching their destinations, as well as as seeing new animals such as penguins for the first time.

As part of the project the students also studied recent researchers in the southern waters, where they have been writing to Paddy Griffin from Kinvara who is currently based in South Georgia Island, Antarctica.Sixth Class of Northampton National School Kinvara, Scoil Bhríghde Naofa, pupils Aiobhean Barry and Moya Coppinger with the Norwegian Ambassador Elsa Berit Eikeland at the Amundsen Expedition held at the O'Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway. Photo: Andrew Downes, Xposure .

The Ambassador Else Berit Eikeland and Director Geir Klover were delighted to see the interest and students awareness about Amundsen who was the first in the world to navigate the Northwest Passage and the first to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1914. Norwegian Polar history is closely connected to defining Norway as an independent state in 1905, and to Norway's position as a state closely connected to the oceans and to polar regions.

The exhibition is based on images from the original lantern slides that Norwegian Polar Explorer Roald Amundsen used in public lectures about his expeditions through the Northwest Passage and to the South Pole.

Cold Recall – Roald Amundsen's Reflections from the South Pole will be on display in the O'Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway until Saturday, 8 July. It will run in association with SeaFest 2017 and is a collaboration between NUI Galway and the Marine Institute, in association with the Norwegian Embassy and the Fram Museum, Oslo.

For further information on SeaFest please see: www.seafest.ie

ENDS