KDHS lecture, 25 Feb 2025: County Clare in the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland by Catherine Porter

This lecture, entitled "Beyond the Map: County Clare in the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland" was delivered to Kilrush and District Historical Society on 25 Feb 2025 by Professor Catherine Porter. In 1824, the first Ordnance Survey (OS) of Ireland began in earnest. The maps produced from this survey serve as the foundation for much of how we interpret today’s landscape. However, the geographies of Ireland collected and compiled by the OS extend far beyond cartography. Additional sources document the natural landscape, built environment, culture, society, and more. While the material generated from this venture informs contemporary discussions on the contested tangible and intangible legacies of nineteenth-century Britain in Ireland, it also provides valuable insight into pre-Famine populations and their resilience in the face of an evolving landscape. This lecture focuses on the project OS200: Digitally Re-Mapping Ireland’s Ordnance Survey Heritage, whereby a research team based at the University of Limerick and Queen’s University Belfast sought to bring together—for the first time—the maps, memoirs, name books, and letters from the first Ordnance Survey into a freely accessible digital resource, now hosted by Digital Repository Ireland at https://dri.ie/os200/spotlight/os200 Using examples from County Clare (and further afield!), this lecture explores the archive and demonstrates how the resource can be used by researchers and the public. Dr Catherine Porter is an Associate Professor and Head of Geography in the School of History and Geography at the University of Limerick. A historical geographer, her research focuses on innovative approaches to analysing early maps and texts, particularly the history of mapping Ireland from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. She is currently the Ireland lead investigator for OS200: Digitally Re-Mapping Ireland’s Ordnance Survey Heritage, a digital humanities project co-funded by Taighde Éireann and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Catherine was previously awarded the J.B. Harley Fellowship in the History of Cartography and the Royal Irish Academy R.J. Hunter bursary, and is a current member of the Royal Irish Academy Historical Studies Committee. 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/61177276...