2011 Presidential Candidate,
Politician, Human Rights Campaigner, Author
I
studied geography through Irish. I found the subject useful and a
pleasure to study. I was particularly interested in the geology element
of the subject.
(we invited other candidates to tell us about how useful
for their later careers they found studying geography in schools.
Only one replied)
Writer, climber, presenter of documentaries on TG4 and RTÉ, ranging
from travel in the Sahara to the Arctic and the Himalayas.
In
my mind’s eye I carry a picture of the world. In fact, my mind’s eye is a picture of the world. It is coloured by Geography – the
ocean blues, shining ice, desert browns and yellows, the rough palette
of the mountains, the greens of fertility and all the hues of
population. Many forms of education teach us to understand the world in
which we live: Geography teaches us to understand the world we
share with other people. To undermine the role of Geography in education
is akin, in my view, to diminishing landscape-art in the galleries. Out
goes Cézanne for a start – and I mention him only because he’s my
favourite painter. Out, too, goes Jack B. Yeats…
Botanist, Educator, Writer, Broadcaster, Panellist
on Mooney goes Wild:
‘I had a great geography teacher in secondary school in St. Vincent’s in
Dundalk and as a result of her inspired teaching I came 3rd in Ireland
that year in Geography - 1967 - a source of great pride to me to this
day. I cannot understand how anyone can appreciate the country we live
in - its scenery, its wildlife, its landscape without having a knowledge
and love of geography.’
Geography
at school introduced me to the magical world of maps as interpreters of
the countryside, leading in turn to a lifetime of exploration and
adventure from the hills of Ireland to the mountains of the Himalaya.
Both the simple pleasure of feeling warm rough granite beneath my
fingers as I climb in the Mournes, and the delight of seeing that same
rock hewn into architecture by expert stonemasons, underscore to me the
important relationship between geology, geography, landscape and people;
environmental and cultural connections we lose at our peril.
Incoming President of the
Geographical Association
What other subject focuses on the nature of
the relationship between the human and physical worlds, promotes
environmental and social understanding and develops the knowledge and
skills for pupils to be able to work towards sustainable futures? If
anything, geography is more essential now than ever.
Teacher, International Kayaker, Mountaineer, Co-Director of Shearwater
Sea Kayaking
"As
far back as early childhood, I was obsessed with maps, travel and the
great outdoors. Studying Geography under an inspirational teacher in
Secondary School, gave me the opportunity to develop this obsession into
a life- long passion. Appreciation of world landscapes and environment,
geology, climate, heritage, mountains, rivers, understanding maps are
all now hugely important to me as I strive to inspire my own class of
Leaving Cert Geography students. As a kayaking and mountaineering
instructor, I derive enormous satisfaction from introducing adults to
the unique coastal, river and mountain areas of Ireland. I sincerely
believe that we cannot claim to deliver a well rounded second level
education unless we include Geography therein. Removing Geography from
the curriculum would be a serious loss to the educational lives of
future generations."
President, Association of Geography
Teachers of Ireland
Geography is not just about
mountains, and river and cities. It encapsulates Sternberg's definition
of intelligence as 'adaptability'. People who have learned geography are
amongst the most adaptable to change because Geography is a synthesising
subject. It takes aspects of economics, physics, history, politics
and more and creates new understandings of human life, the earth and the
interaction between the two. No other academic nor practical subject
does this. Geography is the thread that ties together our diverse
experiences of education, work and life in general. It enriches and gives deeper
meaning to our lives. It gives us the skills and confidence to explore
or world and connect with our global neighbours. Our relationship with
geography is hard-wired into our genes. Our very first impulse is to
look around us to discover the space we inhabit. To relegate the single,
identifiable subject of Geography to a sprinkling of themes in an
amorphous 'social studies' course is to fail to understand the
fundamental nature and importance of geography. At its worst, it represents a dilution of our cultural
sovereignty.
I
studied geography through Irish. I found the subject useful and a
pleasure to study. I was particularly interested in the geology element
of the subject.
In
my mind’s eye I carry a picture of the world. In fact, my mind’s eye
is a picture of the world. It is coloured by Geography – the
ocean blues, shining ice, desert browns and yellows, the rough palette
of the mountains, the greens of fertility and all the hues of
population. Many forms of education teach us to understand the world in
which we live: Geography teaches us to understand the world we
share with other people. To undermine the role of Geography in education
is akin, in my view, to diminishing landscape-art in the galleries. Out
goes Cézanne for a start – and I mention him only because he’s my
favourite painter. Out, too, goes Jack B. Yeats… 
Geography
at school introduced me to the magical world of maps as interpreters of
the countryside, leading in turn to a lifetime of exploration and
adventure from the hills of Ireland to the mountains of the Himalaya.
Both the simple pleasure of feeling warm rough granite beneath my
fingers as I climb in the Mournes, and the delight of seeing that same
rock hewn into architecture by expert stonemasons, underscore to me the
important relationship between geology, geography, landscape and people;
environmental and cultural connections we lose at our peril.
"As
far back as early childhood, I was obsessed with maps, travel and the
great outdoors. Studying Geography under an inspirational teacher in
Secondary School, gave me the opportunity to develop this obsession into
a life- long passion. Appreciation of world landscapes and environment,
geology, climate, heritage, mountains, rivers, understanding maps are
all now hugely important to me as I strive to inspire my own class of
Leaving Cert Geography students. As a kayaking and mountaineering
instructor, I derive enormous satisfaction from introducing adults to
the unique coastal, river and mountain areas of Ireland. I sincerely
believe that we cannot claim to deliver a well rounded second level
education unless we include Geography therein. Removing Geography from
the curriculum would be a serious loss to the educational lives of
future generations."
Geography is not just about
mountains, and river and cities. It encapsulates Sternberg's definition
of intelligence as 'adaptability'. People who have learned geography are
amongst the most adaptable to change because Geography is a synthesising
subject. It takes aspects of economics, physics, history, politics
and more and creates new understandings of human life, the earth and the
interaction between the two. No other academic nor practical subject
does this. Geography is the thread that ties together our diverse
experiences of education, work and life in general. It enriches and gives deeper
meaning to our lives. It gives us the skills and confidence to explore
or world and connect with our global neighbours. Our relationship with
geography is hard-wired into our genes. Our very first impulse is to
look around us to discover the space we inhabit. To relegate the single,
identifiable subject of Geography to a sprinkling of themes in an
amorphous 'social studies' course is to fail to understand the
fundamental nature and importance of geography. At its worst, it represents a dilution of our cultural
sovereignty.