Offaly school creates amazing virtual reality project

Students from St Kieran’s NS in Broughal, Co Offaly have created a virtual reality version of Clonmacnoise as part of a history project.

Not only have the whizzkids painstakingly recreated the historic site, they can now explore their virtual world thanks to Oculus Rift technology.

It really is brilliant to see these youngsters, who haven’t even made it to secondary school, learning skills that could be invaluable to them later in life - like how to script within the programme and 3D modelling.

Clonmacnoise is one of Ireland’s most famous monastic sites and the virtual version the children have created allows them to experience the Whispering Arch and even climb up the outside of McCarthy's Tower.

The virtual reality platform MissionV is used for teaching and training the pupils and it is being beta-tested in 11 Irish schools. MissionV have said their platform will be open to all schools across the country in September.

Principal of the school Esther Lambe has to be praised for her forward thinking. She says there is a queue out the classroom door of children wanting to work on the project.

“The fact that it is so creative, that they’re solving problems - that’s the amazing part of it as far as I’m concerned.

“That leads to good teamwork; it leads to kids teaching each other and they don’t realise they are doing it,” said principal Lambe.

Throughout the video you can see how much of the history of Clonmacnoise the children have picked up and that demonstrates the beauty of this scheme.

Well done to all involved with St Kieran’s NS for this.

Hat tip: Technology.ie and @Mark_Coughlan