Task 8 - Collage Town

Taking the town apart and putting it back together again was an enjoyable experience. I decided to study old maps and photographs as a way of dissecting information about both towns and representing my information in two A1 size collages with as much relevant and interesting information as I could find.

For Longford, the Royal Irish Academy’s Historic Towns Atlas was invaluable, providing so many interesting maps and photographs combined into one. In particular, the information from first and second edition Ordnance Survey maps and the places and functions described on these maps was enlightening. One map shows the names of all of the alleys off Main Street and another shows the developments associated with the river and Great Water Street. Also a map showing the growth of the town in different periods and the prominence of the cathedral in old photos is worth noting.

In Castlebar, several publications in Mayo County Library proved to be huge sources of information containing many interesting writings and old maps. Some unusual maps include long maps of roadways from Castlebar to Dublin and to Westport, a map of townlands within the environs and recent tourist style maps containing useful information about public buildings and sights in the town. The website www.castlebar.ie and the Lawrence photo collection were useful for finding photographs.

Both towns share a varied history with a variety of uses for the same building over the period of about two hundred years. A huge level of growth and expansion is evident in both towns as maps progress. Also worth noting is the style and hierarchy of inclusion when producing these maps over time.

Longford Collage

Castlebar Collage