P6 and P7 recently visited the Palace Stables in Armagh to take part in their Source to Supermarket Apple Week Programme. In the beautiful Georgian Palace Stables the children learned how apples have been grown in Armagh for hundreds of years and how they were used in eighteenth century cooking. They visited the Georgian kitchen of the Palace and met Samuel Armstrong, the cook. Samuel taught them not only how to make apple potato bread but also how to show their “reverences” as a bow or a curtesy.
The children also met Mr Heaney, an eighteenth century character, who showed the children how the damaged apples were not wasted and were pressed in a special press to make juice which was used to make cider.
The children learned about traditional games and customs of the Georgians.
A beautiful apple display in the Hayloft was the backdrop to the workshop on modern day apple farming. Here the children learned about the apple’s journey from the tree to the supermarket shelf. We were surprised by the amount of apples that we eat which are not actually from Ireland!
The children then took part in an apple themed arts and crafts session making an apple bookmark as a lovely souvenir of a great day!
