Examinations and Irish history – Intermediate Certificate history and gauging the official historical narrative, 1926–1968

Abstract

This article looks at the Intermediate Certificate examination on Irish history between 1926 and 1968. An investigation on how the official syllabus was examined is of equal merit, if not more important than the syllabus itself, being used as the official marker of a pupil’s aptitude and awareness of Irish history. Furthermore, examination papers are a massively underused historical source, and a further lens through which to gauge the official ideology regarding the history of the Irish nation. By conducting a longitudinal study of how Irish History was engaged with at the Intermediate Certificate level and importantly at what aspects were stressed by the state through the examination papers set, it is possible to glean not only what is generally seen as important but also what issues, themes, or events were repeatedly stressed and therefore seen as the defining issues in the course of Irish history. This article looks at Intermediate History, as unlike Leaving Certificate History, with its increased specialisation, the Intermediate course throughout the period comprised of an overview of Irish history and as such can provide a sense of which aspects of this long storied history were chosen to be recalled, and in what manner. It also focuses on the Intermediate Certificate, due to the low rate of progression beyond this level. Ultimately, this article finds that while certain topics did dominate, as has been noted by others, only a select few events or personalities were universally seen as important across the period. Various aspects of Irish history were of more or of less importance depending on the context. Notwithstanding, an overall narrative can still be gleaned, which focussed on the Physical Force tradition as well as the promotion of Ireland as its own Gaelic nation.