Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to highlight that the Battle of Aughrim Visitors' Centre was reopened yesterday. Especially after the lockdown and Covid-19, people have been coming back to visit many of our heritage sites all around the country. Although we can travel now, there is still much to see in our local areas. The Battle of Aughrim was a historic battle that took place in 1691 between Williamites and Jacobites. In this visitors' centre, people can see what it was like. It was the single largest loss of Irish life on Irish soil in a battle. When you go to this visitors' centre you can understand what it was like. You can see the costumes the soldiers wore. You can feel the muskets. You can see the experience of men and families in that period of time. Aughrim is just a few miles outside of Ballinasloe.

This visitors' centre is an experience for families to enjoy our past, to see what life was like and to understand what life was like back in the 1690s. It is also an experience to understand how history shapes our life. It shapes our life right now. I studied history for my leaving certificate. I am thinking again of all the leaving certificate students who will be finishing their exams in the next few days. I also took history as my degree subject. History is important to understanding decisions made at a diplomatic level and at a military level and the strategies that are used and to understand how we plan ahead for own society. This is an uncertain time, particularly when we see what is happening at a European level. When it comes to diplomacy, global politics and international relations, understanding the past has never been as important as it is today.