08/06/2012 -
Launch of Sligo Historic Towns Atlas
Launch of Irish Historic Towns Atlas, no. 24, Sligo by Fióna Gallagher and Marie-Louise Legg and Irish Historic Towns Atlas, Volume III in the Royal Irish Academy, Friday 25 May 2012.
At the launch of the Sligo Historic Town Atlas in February, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan described the publication as a’ Treasure trove of meticulously researched material that lays the bedrock for so much more work in the future.’
Minister Deenihan placed the Sligo Atlas in context ‘The Irish Historic Towns Atlas is a Royal Irish Academy research project, first established in 1981. It forms part of a wider European project, and has been designed with comparison in mind – so that Irish towns can be studied alongside one another and their historic plans compared with towns produced following similar guidelines by the wider European project. The aim of the project is to trace the growth and development of our towns by looking at the town plan and morphology of the townscape.’
The Minister commended the authors ‘Fiona Gallagher has been interested in the history of her home time all her life and drew her first map when she was ten. Her publication ‘The Streets of Sligo’ which was published in 2008 has been an indispensable resource.’ Mary Louise Legg is an historian who has published widely on Irish matters.’ The Minister also acknowledged the contribution of the other members of the project team and the staff of the Royal Irish Academy‘ for another major contribution to urban history in Ireland.’
Mayor Councillor O’Grady welcomed the perfect sense of timing, with the launch of the Atlas ‘In the year we prepare to celebrate the 400th anniversary of our charter. This publication is the story of Sligo, a beautifully crafted and perfectly illustrated historical record which will have a cherished place in households all over Sligo.
The changing topography and streetscape of our town over the centuries will hold a fascination for our community, especially people with an interest in local history and the evolution of our town through the ages. In addition to the range and quality of the text, the exceptional quality of the presentation reflects great credit on everyone associated with the project. The generous use of illustrations and old photographs perfectly complement the narrative, and this will quickly become the standard reference point for historians, students and librarians.’
Sligo Borough Council’s Senior Architect Sean Martin, MC for the launch, outlined ‘The wonderful bounty of Maps and illustrations that accompany the Sligo edition of the Atlas, coupled with those documents is the text that places Sligo in context throughout the centuries. When one reads the document you have to admire the skill, discipline, and expertise of the authors Mary-Lou Legg and Fiona Gallagher and indeed the entire editorial team in their achievement of condensing an enormous time span and its events into a succinct text that captures the key events and issues of the era. What is profoundly striking from the maps, illustrations and text is the sequence and layering of urban change that change being driven by either warfare, economic success or failure, self interest and profit, corporate focus of the common good, social change or indeed the natural forces of Topography and land use that determined the shape and direction of urban growth with that constant, the Garavogue, always flowing through it.’
- Minister Ruairi Quinn and President of the Royal Irish Academy, Luke Drury join Irish Historic Towns Atlas authors, editors and staff to celebrate recent publications outside the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson Street, Dublin.
Back row (Left to Right): Marie-Louise Legg, Jennifer Moore;
3rd row (Left to Right): Patrick Wallace, Avril Thomas, Angela Murphy, Catherine McCullough, Sarah Gearty, Tony Claffey;
2nd row (Left to Right): Jacinta Prunty, Howard Clarke, Anngret Simms;
Front row (Left to Right): Fióna Gallagher, Luke Drury, Minister Quinn, Eamon O'Flaherty.
- Fióna Gallagher
- Minister Ruairi Quinn and Professor Howard Clarke at the Launch of Sligo Historic Towns Atlas at Offices of Royal Irish Academy