Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland
The maps and associated material of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, from its inception in 1824 to the present day, were the subject of this lecture series. The Ordnance Survey’s mapping of Ireland was a project which encompassed an enormous data gathering exercise, including Memoirs (statistical and descriptive data centred on parishes), Name Books (Placename data), topographical drawings and John O’Donovan’s OS Letters (antiquarian, linguistic and historical data). Most of these records reside in the Academy Library where they constitute an important research resource.
Ordnance Survey illustrations, memoirs and maps from the Library collection feature alongside the larger-scale town plans that are central to the work of the Irish Historic Towns Atlas project. This Lunchtime Lecture series took place during Heritage Week on Wednesday 27 August 2014.
This series marked the publication of Irish Historic Towns Atlas, no. 26, Dublin, part III, 1756 to 1847 by Rob Goodbody; Dublin 1847: city of the Ordnance Survey by Frank Cullen; and Ordnance Survey Memoirs Drawings: a selected illustrated handbook by Angélique Day, all published in Summer/Autumn 2014.
To listen to these lectures click here.
Wednesday 27 August
‘The map-making of the Ordnance Survey: challenges on every front’ – Jacinta Prunty (MU)
Wednesday 1 October
‘The Ordnance Survey Six-inch Mapping Project: political and cultural agendas’ – William Smyth, MRIA (UCC)
Wednesday 8 October
‘Translations? The Ordnance Survey and Irish place-names’ – Nollaig Ó Muraíle, MRIA (UG)
Wednesday 15 October
‘George Petrie’s “Topographical Department” (1835-42)’ – Paul Walsh (Department of Arts, Heritage & Gaeltacht)
Wednesday 22 October
‘Glimpses of Ireland’s past: drawings in the Ordnance Survey Memoirs’ – Angélique Day
Wednesday 29 October
‘John O’Donovan’s work for the Ordnance Survey’ – Michael Herity, MRIA
Wednesday 5 November
‘From Rocque to the Ordnance Survey: mapping Dublin 1756 to 1847’ – Rob Goodbody
Wednesday 12 November
‘Dublin in 1847: city of the Ordnance Survey’ – Frank Cullen (IHTA)
Wednesday 19 November
‘Ordnance Survey Ireland: mapping our future’ – Colin Bray (OSI)