The Royal Irish Academy

1916 Portraits and Lives was launched at the Royal Irish Academy on 2nd November 2015.

In her opening speech, An Tánaiste Joan Burton praised the multifaceted nature of the book: “Portraits and Lives is like a prism that reflects all shades of contemporary thought on 1916 across the spectrum. It is fair, partial and balanced representing the prevailing political ideologies that fed into its planning and its outcome.The biographies are clear and concise, and the stories themselves show that regardless of background, life experiences and shared philosophies can forge a single ideology and identity that yields irrevocable change.The different perspectives reveal a great deal about the social, cultural and political complexities that served as the backdrop to Easter Week.They illustrate that a full appraisal of 1916 is only possible by examining the lives of a cross-section of those at its core.They themselves were open to and nurtured by the seeds of international ideologies that swept Europe and the globe in the 19th and early 20th centuries".

1916 Portraits and Lives is available online, on our website www.ria.ie/publications, and in your local bookshop.

1916 Portraits and Lives was launched at the Royal Irish Academy on 2nd November 2015.

In her opening speech, An Tánaiste Joan Burton praised the multifaceted nature of the book: “Portraits and Lives is like a prism that reflects all shades of contemporary thought on 1916 across the spectrum. It is fair, partial and balanced representing the prevailing political ideologies that fed into its planning and its outcome.The biographies are clear and concise, and the stories themselves show that regardless of background, life experiences and shared philosophies can forge a single ideology and identity that yields irrevocable change.The different perspectives reveal a great deal about the social, cultural and political complexities that served as the backdrop to Easter Week.They illustrate that a full appraisal of 1916 is only possible by examining the lives of a cross-section of those at its core.They themselves were open to and nurtured by the seeds of international ideologies that swept Europe and the globe in the 19th and early 20th centuries".

1916 Portraits and Lives is available online, on our website www.ria.ie/publications, and in your local bookshop.

1916 Portraits and Lives was launched at the Royal Irish Academy on 2nd November 2015.

In her opening speech, An Tánaiste Joan Burton praised the multifaceted nature of the book: “Portraits and Lives is like a prism that reflects all shades of contemporary thought on 1916 across the spectrum. It is fair, partial and balanced representing the prevailing political ideologies that fed into its planning and its outcome.The biographies are clear and concise, and the stories themselves show that regardless of background, life experiences and shared philosophies can forge a single ideology and identity that yields irrevocable change.The different perspectives reveal a great deal about the social, cultural and political complexities that served as the backdrop to Easter Week.They illustrate that a full appraisal of 1916 is only possible by examining the lives of a cross-section of those at its core.They themselves were open to and nurtured by the seeds of international ideologies that swept Europe and the globe in the 19th and early 20th centuries".

1916 Portraits and Lives is available online, on our website www.ria.ie/publications, and in your local bookshop.

1916 Portraits and Lives was launched at the Royal Irish Academy on 2nd November 2015.

In her opening speech, An Tánaiste Joan Burton praised the multifaceted nature of the book: “Portraits and Lives is like a prism that reflects all shades of contemporary thought on 1916 across the spectrum. It is fair, partial and balanced representing the prevailing political ideologies that fed into its planning and its outcome.The biographies are clear and concise, and the stories themselves show that regardless of background, life experiences and shared philosophies can forge a single ideology and identity that yields irrevocable change.The different perspectives reveal a great deal about the social, cultural and political complexities that served as the backdrop to Easter Week.They illustrate that a full appraisal of 1916 is only possible by examining the lives of a cross-section of those at its core.They themselves were open to and nurtured by the seeds of international ideologies that swept Europe and the globe in the 19th and early 20th centuries".

1916 Portraits and Lives is available online, on our website www.ria.ie/publications, and in your local bookshop.

Lunchtime Lecture by Dr Jacinta Prunty.

Lunchtime Lecture series organised by the Royal Irish Academy Library and the Irish Historic Towns Atlas 'Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland.'

This was the Academy's Heritage Week lecture 2014, introduced by Prof. Mary E. Daly, Academy President.

The speaker contextualises the surveying of Ireland on the 6" scale: the survey was attempting to define boundaries for taxation purposes and to portray the country on an unprecedented scale, using scientific methods, rigorous standards and a highly systematised approach. The maps were to provide a full record of the living landscape. The maps would be authoritative and have legal standing. Colby drew up a Code of Instructions for the military and civilian surveyors; these were amended over time to cater for unforeseen issues. Larcom was responsible for the recruitment of linguists and antiquarian scholars for the Memoir and Placenames work. There was a clear chain of command and strong discipline. Training was to a high standard. The latest instruments were purchased and problems with triangulation, particularly of the Great Central Plain, were resolved. New instruments were developed. Contour lines were used. Placenames were recorded even if they were not to be used. Every piece of information was allocated a source. Issues arose of what should be included or omitted on the map, e.g. gravestones (omitted). How would the railways be superimposed on the maps? How should water-land boundaries be shown? (the Crown had foreshore rights, thus this was a key decision). How do you define a footpath? Revisions proved difficult, budgeting was very tight, there was pressure from various groups, e.g. industrialists, the railways, the Memoir group. Printing brought its own set of problems, and sales were necessary to enable the project to continue. These and many other issues facing the Survey are discussed in the course of this lecture.

Location: Academy House

Date: Wednesday 27 August, 2014

Disclaimer:

The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors’ own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

Lunchtime Lecture by Prof. William Smith, MRIA.

Lunchtime Lecture series organised by the Royal Irish Academy Library and the Irish Historic Towns Atlas 'Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland.'

Lecture on the genesis and thrust of the great 6" Survey of Ireland by the Ordnance Survey: the maps, memoirs, letters and technical innovations which resulted. The subsequent applications of the maps for Griffith's Valuation, electoral boundary maps and other surveys; the heritage for academic research. http://www.slideshare.net/theroyalirishacademy/the-ordnance-survey-sixinch-mapping-project-political-and-cultural-agendas

Location: Academy House

Date: Wednesday 1 October, 2014

Disclaimer:

The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors’ own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

Lunchtime Lecture by Paul Walsh.

Lunchtime Lecture series organised by the Royal Irish Academy Library and the Irish Historic Towns Atlas 'Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland.'

Walsh explains the context for the Memoirs, an intrinsic element of the 6" mapping project. Larcom had described the connection between the maps and the Memoir as a 'Portrait of the island of Ireland ... accompanied by a biography'. He examines Larcom's utilitarian perspective, the role of the OS engineers and their mathematical skills and the focus on the parish as the unit for surveying and description. The sections of what became known as the Topographical Dept. are described as well as the reporting systems in place. The pressures caused by budgetary overruns etc. and the ensuing political decisions re the Memoir scheme and its demise are discussed. In conclusion, the work of the 19th-century surveyors is connected to the current work of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

Please see accompanying powerpoint. http://www.slideshare.net/theroyalirishacademy/paul-walsh-george-petries-topographical-department-183542-15102014

Location: Academy House

Date: Wednesday 15 October, 2014

Disclaimer:

The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors’ own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

Lunchtime Lecture by Professor Nollaig Ó Muraíle, MRIA. (Lecture delivered by Paul Walsh on behalf of Prof. Ó Muraíle).

Lunchtime Lecture series organised by the Royal Irish Academy Library and the Irish Historic Towns Atlas 'Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland.'

This paper addresses the difficulties of naming places in Ireland, the work done by the OS Topographical Dept. and especially John O'Donovan to ensure that names used on the 6" maps were as accurate as possible. The difficulties presented by the Irish language, the methodologies used by Placenames staff and the tensions between accommodating the Irish language origins or versions of names and later Anglicised forms are discussed, as are the compromises which were made. The accuracy of O'Donovan's method is assessed. Handout - http://www.slideshare.net/theroyalirishacademy/handout-murale when following this lecture and see accompanying powerpoint presentation. http://www.slideshare.net/theroyalirishacademy/n-murale-8-oct

Location: Academy House

Date: Wednesday 8 October, 2014

Disclaimer:

The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors’ own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

Lunchtime Lecture by Dr Frank Cullen.

Lunchtime Lecture series organised by the Royal Irish Academy Library and the Irish Historic Towns Atlas 'Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland.'

Cullen discusses the OS map of Dublin (1847) which casts a 'window on the city'. This map was made by military surveyors with civil assistants. They were empowered to enter and survey private property, this ensuring that the backs of buildings could be more accurately plotted on the map. Flower beds, sewers and water mains all feature on the map; the detail is astonishing. The methodology employed and the detailed processes of verification of drafts, revisiting sites and correcting the originals are discussed. The map was hugely popular, so many members of the public turned up at Mountjoy House, HQ of the Ordnance Survey, to make tracings that an order had to be made to stop them!

Location: Academy House

Date: Wednesday 12 November, 2014

Disclaimer:

The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors’ own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.

Lunchtime Lecture by Rob Goodbody.

Lunchtime Lecture series organised by the Royal Irish Academy Library and the Irish Historic Towns Atlas 'Mapping city, town and country since 1824: the Ordnance Survey in Ireland.'

This paper addresses the mapping of Dublin city from John Rocque's map of 1756 down to the OS mapping of the city 1830-40s, all within the canal ring. Outlining the limitations and exigencies of mapping in different periods, the various types of map, from estate maps, street directories, administrative maps etc., Goodbody surveys the mapping heritage of the city interpreting the maps under discussion, highlighting idiosyncracies and pointing to the developments in mapping the city. Please see accompanying powerpoint. http://www.slideshare.net/theroyalirishacademy/rob-goodbody-from-rocque-to-the-ordnance-survey-mapping-dublin-17561847-05112014

For more information see Rob Goodbody, 'Dublin: part III: 1756-1847 (Irish Historic Towns Atlas, 26) (Dublin, 2014)

Location: Academy House

Date: Wednesday 5 November, 2014

Disclaimer:

The Royal Irish Academy has prepared this content responsibly and carefully, but disclaims all warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy of the information contained in any of the materials. The views expressed are the authors’ own and not those of the Royal Irish Academy.