As part of this project, The Linen Hall’s Engagement Officer recorded 36 oral history interviews with individuals connected to integrated education, including teachers, former pupils, prominent supporters, and politicians. These recordings, alongside full transcripts, are now available for public consultation in the library, and you can listen to excerpts from some of the recordings below:
Trevor Parkhill MBE is a founder parent of Hazelwood Integrated Primary School and now Chair of the Board of Governors at Hazelwood Integrated College. In this clip, he reflects on the decision to establish an integrated school in north Belfast in 1985.
Recorded on 8 January 2026.
Nick Mathison is the Alliance Party Member of the Legislative Assembly for Strangford. He is the party’s education spokesperson and chairs the Assembly’s Education Committee. In this clip, he reflects of the history of integrated education and his hopes for future development of the sector.
Recorded on 9 January 2026.
Fiona McAteer is an Alliance Party Councillor for the Titanic ward, and Policy and Research Officer for Kellie Armstrong MLA. In 2025, she served as Belfast’s High Sheriff and is a former employee of the Integrated Education Fund. In this clip, she describes the drafting of the Integrated Education Bill and its passing into legislation in 2022.
Recorded on 16 January 2026.
Peter Weir is a Democratic Unionist Party politician who currently sits in the House of Lords as Lord Weir of Ballyholme. He previously served as Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Executive (2016–17 and 2020–21). In this clip, he shares his thoughts on the Integrated Education Bill, which was passed into legislation in 2022.
Recorded on 19 January 2026.
Stephen Pittam is former Trust Secretary of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. He ran the Trust’s Northern Ireland programme from 1986 to 2001, which financially supported several integrated schools. In this clip, he reflects on his experiences of visiting integrated schools in the 1980s.
Recorded on 22 January 2026.
Ciara Moore is principal of Scoil na Seolta, an independent integrated school and naíscoil teaching through the medium of Irish, which opened in east Belfast in 2025. In this clip, she explains the meaning of the school’s name and logo.
Recorded on 2 February 2026.
Anne Carr is a founder parent of All Children’s Integrated Primary School and was later fundamental in the drive to develop Shima Integrated College. In this clip, she talks about the approach to teaching sport at All Children’s.
Recorded on 5 February 2026.
Pat Sheehan is the Sinn Féin Member of the Legislative Assembly for Belfast West. He is the party’s education spokesperson and is also Deputy Chair of the Assembly’s Education Committee. In this clip, he talks about his response to the introduction of the Integrated Education Bill in 2021.
Recorded on 12 February 2026.
Susan Jones MBE has worked at Fort Hill Integrated Primary since 2012 and is currently the school’s Integration and Community Co-ordinator. In this clip, she describes the changes that were implemented after joining the school following its transformation to integrated status in 2009.
Recorded on 16 February 2026.
Kevin Lambe is a former Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education Development Officer, teacher at Lagan College and founding Principal at Shimna Integrated College. In this clip, he talks about some of the challenges of opening Shimna Integrated College in 1994.
Recorded on 19 February 2026.
Brian Lambkin is a founder teacher and former Principal at Lagan College. He also served as Director of the Mellon Centre for Migration Studies at the Ulster-American Folk Park in Omagh and is current chair of Healing Through Remembering. In this clip, he recalls the first day at Lagan College and the use of Ardnavally Scout Centre for teaching.
Recorded on 20 February 2026.
Noreen Campbell is a founder teacher and later Principal of Hazelwood Integrated College. She later served as CEO of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. In this clip, she discusses the challenges of finding a building for Hazelwood Integrated College.
Recorded on 24 February 2026.
Stuart Irwin is a former pupil at Hazelwood Integrated College and a founding trustee of Integrated AlumNI. In this clip, he talks about his experience of attending Hazelwood Integrated College in the early 2000s.
Recorded on 2 February 2026.
Patricia Murtagh is a founder teacher and former Principal at Hazelwood Integrated Primary School. She is currently Deputy Chair of the Integrated Education Fund’s Board of Directors. In this clip, she shares her memories of being appointed as Principal at Hazelwood Integrated Primary School.
Recorded on 7 March 2026.
Paul Caskey OBE is Chief Executive of the Integrated Education Fund and previously served as the organisations Campaign Director and Head of Campaign. In this clip, he talks about Baroness May Blood’s engagement with the Integrated Education Fund.
Recorded on 12 March 2026.
Sheila Greenfield taught in Sheffield before moving to Belfast in the 1970s. In 1981, she was appointed as the first Principal of Lagan College and remained at the school until 1987. In this clip, she talks about the diary she kept during her time as Principal of Lagan College.
Recorded on 21 April 2026.
Frances Donnelly is a School Improvement Professional for the Education Authority who previously worked as a Senior Development Officer for the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. In this clip, she talks about her motivation for joining the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education in the mid-1990s.
Recorded on 27 March 2026.
Kurtis Dickson is an Alliance Councillor for Downshire East and was formerly Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh. He was a pupil at Fort Hill Integrated College. In this clip, he discusses the transition from attending a Controlled primary school to a secondary Integrated school.
Recorded on 9 March 2026.
