A new digital project will allow users worldwide to journey through the historical landscapes of Galway's townlands, towns, and villages, bringing the area's rich heritage to life.
Students from the University of Galway are playing a key role in the innovative project, which is led by Galway County Council in conjunction with Galway County Heritage Forum, The Heritage Council and local community and heritage groups.
‘Galway County Heritage Trails’ showcases the cultural and historical significance of nearly half of County Galway’s 4,556 townlands through meticulous research and the application of cutting-edge technologies.
One of the standout features of the initiative is the creation of StoryMaps, a series of interactive maps combining geographical data with multimedia elements to guide users through the historical landscapes of County Galway’s townlands, towns and villages.
In recent months, University of Galway students Dylan Reilly, Joseph Ennis and Natalie Cyrkle have been working with the Heritage and GIS teams of Galway County Council to convert historical data from sources, including O’Donovan’s Ordnance Survey Letters, Griffiths Valuation, the Down Survey, and the 1901 and 1911 censuses, into digital formats.
So far, 161 townlands in the civil parishes of Kiltartan, Kinvaradooras, Kilcolgan, Kilthomas and Killinny have been digitized, while online StoryMaps have been created for Oranmore, Mountbellew, Monivea and Ballyglunin, bringing the number of townlands now digitized to 2,000.
“StoryMaps is a simple yet powerful way to share information and enlighten, engage, and inspire people with stories that relate to locations of interest around us. Incorporating location and mapping into the context of a story, each StoryMaps is designed to provide an immersive experience, shedding light on the cultural and historical significance of various locations," said Cllr Liam Carroll, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway.
“Placements such as those with the Heritage Office allow students from the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies to develop important skills and broaden their horizons in terms of longer-term career options open to them. The positivity shown by students in their presentations in Áras an Chontae only serves to demonstrate the value of their experience in this project."
Liam Hanrahan, Director of Services, Director of Services for Economic Development & Planning added: “By combining academic rigor with local authority and community collaboration, this project underscores the power of digital technology in preserving and sharing local history. The digitized sources and StoryMaps not only honor the past but also pave the way for dynamic, future-oriented research and learning and are an invaluable resource for researchers, educators, the diaspora and history enthusiasts.”
Pictured at an event in Áras an Chontae celebrating the involvement of University of Galway students in the ‘Galway County Heritage Trails’ project is Cllr Liam Carroll, Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway (back, 5th from right), students Joseph Ennis, Natalie Cyrkle and Dylan Reilly (front), and officials from the Heritage and GIS sections of Galway County Council and University of Galway. Credit: Sean Lydon.
Meanwhile, Galway County Council is inviting members of the public to contribute to ‘Galway County Heritage Trails’ with the objective of digitizing heritage information relating to all 4,556 County Galway townlands. To date, the Heritage Office has worked with community heritage groups, active retirement groups, Forum Connemara, Galway Rural Development, schools, University of Galway students, and The Heritage Council in digitizing 2,000 of the County’s townlands.
“Making heritage more accessible to everyone is one of our main goals,” explained Marie Mannion, Heritage Officer with Galway County Council.
She added, “There are over 64,000 townlands in Ireland of which there are in the region of 4,556 in County Galway, Ireland’s second largest county. The townland is a uniquely Irish division and one of the oldest in existence. The boundaries of the townland have often been redefined to match borders with other divisions. It is the smallest notable division and is often the one with which people identify themselves.”
“In addition to the academic aspect of the project, there is a strong emphasis on community engagement. Galway County Council and the students have worked closely with local heritage and community groups to collect and present local heritage information that enriches the content of the StoryMaps. This collaborative approach ensures that the digital heritage trails reflect the authentic voices and experiences of the community."
Michael Mulkerrins, Principal of Peterswell NS, whose 5th and 6th class students collaborated with the Heritage Office of Galway County Council on mapping the townlands of the civil parish of Kilthomas, said, “The children spent time studying our school maps to decide on what townlands they could visit and then it was decided that each student would photograph a small number of townlands. Students worked hard to find suitable points of interest to photograph in each townland and were thrilled to get the opportunity to visit every corner of our homeplace. Seeing their photographs now on the completed storyboards is fantastic recognition for our students.”
Meanwhile, Eilish Kavanagh of Kinvara Heritage Group said the new digital heritage resources have opened access to the rich heritage of Galway’s townlands and places for the ordinary person.
“This project not only aids in preserving local history but also serves as a model for other communities interested in digitising their historical records,” she added.
To view the StoryMaps and Townland research, visit www.galwaycoco.maps.arcgis.com.
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