The Spring Rice Committee (1824): Planning the Ordnance Survey of Ireland

The Spring Rice Committee (1824): Planning the Ordnance Survey of Ireland

Presented by Dr. Finnian O'Cionnaith

The Ordnance Survey of Ireland has, over the past two hundred years, become interwoven with life on this island. Its origins, however, are often difficult to notice given the wealth of information produced since its foundation in 1824. This presentation examines how the topic of reforming land-based taxation in Ireland soon became a full-blown argument in Westminster, pitting the formidable Duke of Wellington against a small group of Irish MPs. To find a working solution, a Parliamentary committee sought to see how a new, detailed and highly accurate survey of the island could help ease growing social and economic tensions. The result set Ireland on a new cartographic course.

Dr. Finnian O'Cionnaith is a qualified land surveyor who studied the topic of this lecture in Ireland and the UK. He has written several books on cartographic and surveying history in pre-Ordnance Ireland. Currently, he works in the field of business intelligence and GIS.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Phoenix Park, Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, Ireland