GEOG30020 Historical Geography of Ireland

Academic Year 2020/2021

*** Not available in the academic year indicated above ***

Historical geography focuses on the relationship between space and time and studies the people and events that have shaped the cultural landscape. This module examines the historical geography of Ireland, and assesses the geographical impact of historical events such as successive waves of colonisation, the Great Famine, and Irish Independence. The module will focus on both urban and rural areas and discuss the importance of historical geography in understanding the contemporary Irish landscape. All students must attend a compulsory one day fieldtrip (the exact date will be confirmed in Lecture 1). A small fee (approx €10) may be charged to cover the costs.

Show/hide contentOpenClose All

Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module, students should:
a) Be able to identify key agents that have shaped the Irish cultural landscape;
b) Be able to critically assess the influence of important historical events in shaping Irish geographies;
c) Have developed enhanced critical thinking, information synthesis and writing skills;
d) Have developed fieldwork and collaborative skills through field based activities.

Indicative Module Content:

Wk 1: Introduction & Sources
Wk 2: Background to the Nineteenth Century
Wk 3 – 5: Pre-Famine Settlement Landscapes & Fieldtrip (Fri / Sat of Week 5)
Wk 6 – 7: The Great Famine
Wk 8 – 9: Post-Famine Landscapes of Social Change
Wk 10 – 11: Early 20th Century Political and Cultural Landscapes
Wk 12: Recap & Conclusion

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22

Field Trip/External Visits

8

Autonomous Student Learning

78

Total

108

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Teaching and learning on this module will include:
- Lectures
- Active / task-based learning through peer and group work during fieldwork and in 'discussion sections' during lectures
- Inquiry and case-based learning through a one day fieldtrip and research-based assignment 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Equivalents:
Irish Landlord Landscapes (GEOG30250)


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Essay: 3000 word research essay Week 10 n/a Graded No

50

Examination: One hour end of trimester exam. 1 hour End of Trimester Exam No Graded No

50


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Group feedback on common issues arising from the written assignment will be provided during lectures. - Timely individualised feedback will be provided on the research essay. - Students are welcome to meet with the module coordinator during office hours if more detailed feedback / further clarification is required.

The following items will provide a general introduction to the Historical Geography of Ireland. More focussed readings will be suggested and/or uploaded to Blackboard as appropriate. You are also expected to read widely in relevant journals (see below).

General Readings:
• Aalen, F.H.A, Whelan, K., Stout, M., eds. (2010) Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork: Cork University Press
• Andrews, J. (2002) A Paper Landscape: the Ordnance Survey in nineteenth century Ireland. Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Barry, T., ed. (2000) A History of Settlement in Ireland. London: Routledge
• Bartlett, T., ed. (2018) The Cambridge History of Ireland, Vol IV, 1880 to the Present. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Brady, J & Simms A., eds (2001) Dublin Through Space and Time (c. 900 - 1900). Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Breathnach, C. (2005) The Congested Districts Board of Ireland, 1891 – 1923: poverty and development in the West of Ireland. Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Clarke, H., Prunty, J., Hennessy, M., eds. (2004) Surveying Ireland’s past: multidisciplinary essays in honour of Anngret Simms. Dublin: Geography Publications
• Crawford, E.M. (2003) Counting the People, A Survey of the Irish Censuses, 1813 – 1911. Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Crowley, J., Ó Drisceoil, D., Murphy, M., Borgonovo, J., eds. (2017) Atlas of the Irish Revolution. Cork: Cork University Press.
• Crowley, J., Smyth, W.J., Murphy, M., eds. (2012) Atlas of the Great Irish Famine. Cork: Cork University Press
• Crossman, V. (1996) Politics, Law and Order in Nineteenth-Century Ireland. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan
• Dooley, T. (2007) The Big Houses and Landed Estates of Ireland: A Research Guide. Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Duffy, P.J. (2007) Exploring the History and Heritage of the Irish Landscape. Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Freeman, T.W. (1969) Ireland: A general and regional geography. London: Metheun
• Graham, B.J. and Proudfoot, L.J. eds. (1993) An Historical Geography of Ireland. London: Academic Press
• Guinnane, T.W. (1997) The Vanishing Irish: Households, Migration and the Rural Economy in Ireland, 1850 – 1914. New Jersey: Princeton
• Jones-Hughes, T. (2010) Landholding, Society and Settlement in Nineteenth-Century Ireland: A Historical Geographer’s Perspective. Dublin: Geography Publications
• Kelly, J., ed. (2018) The Cambridge History of Ireland, Vol III, 1730 – 1880. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
• Kennedy, L., Eu, Paul S., Crawford, E.M. and Clarkson, L.A. (1999) Mapping the Great Irish Famine, A survey of the Famine Decades. Dublin: Four Courts Press
• Kinealy, C. (2006) This great calamity: the Irish Famine, 1845 – 1852. Dublin: Gill and Macmillan
• Nolan, W. (various) County History and Society Series. Dublin: Geography Publications
• Prunty, J. (2000) Dublin Slums, 1800 - 1925: A Study in Urban Geography. Dublin: Irish Academic Press.
• Smyth, W.J. and Whelan, K., eds. (1988) Common ground: essays on the historical geography of Ireland: presented to T. Jones Hughes. Cork: Cork University Press
• Stephens, N. and Glassock, R.E., eds. (1970) Irish Geographical Studies in honour of E. Estyn Evans. Belfast: Queen’s University
• Stout, M. (2005) ‘Historical Geography’. In: Geary, L. and Kelleher, M. eds. Nineteenth-century Ireland: a guide to recent research. Dublin: University College Dublin Press
• Vaughan, W.E., ed. (1989) A New History of Ireland, Vol. V, Ireland under the Union, 1801 – 70. Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Vaughan, W.E., ed. (1996) A New History of Ireland, Vol. VI, Ireland under the Union, 1870 – 1921. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Journals:
• Annals of the Association of American Geographers
• Historical Geography
• Irish Geography
• Irish Historical Studies
• Journal of Historical Geography
• Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland (available from http://www.ssisi.ie/journals.php)
• Past and Present
• Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Section C
• Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers

Websites:
• Ask About Ireland: www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room
• 1901 and 1911 Census Online: http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/
• Century Ireland Project: https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/
• Griffith Valuation: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/
• Historic Population: www.histpop.org
• House of Commons Parliamentary Papers: E-Database available via UCD Library
• Irish Newspaper Archive: E-Database available via UCD Library
• Irish Times: E-Database available via UCD Library
• National Photographic Archive: http://www.nli.ie/en/national-photographic-archive.aspx
• Ordnance Survey of Ireland: http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,517849,958936,1,10