Welcome to the Geographical Society of Ireland
The Geographical Society of Ireland (GSI), the professional representative organisation of geographers in Ireland, was founded in 1934. Over eighty years later, the GSI continues to raise awareness of the value and impact of Geography in Ireland and beyond, through a diverse range of activities and collaborations.
Society members are actively engaged in enhancing the international profile of Irish geography through their engagement with the International Geographical Union (IGU), RGS-IBG, Association of American Geographers (AAG) and other international groupings.
Conference of Irish Geographers 2023:
to be held in Wexford town (May 17-19)
This year’s 54th Conference of Irish Geographers, hosted by UCD, will take place in Wexford Town from May 17th to 19th. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Resilience’. The call for sessions and papers is now open. For more see here. As pointed out by this year's conference chairs, Arlene Crampsie and Gerald Mills, 'a change in location and venue brings with it opportunities for the conference and for our discipline'.
GeoNight 2023The international "Night of Geography", promoted by the GSI, EUGEO, IGU, will be held on April 14th 2023. The GeoNight is an initiative proposed for the first time by the CNFG (French National Geographical Committee) at a National scale in 2017. From 2018 onwards, the initiative has expanded internationally, first in Europe, thanks to EUGEO, and then even beyond, thanks to the IGU. For more and to propose an event for GeoNight see here |
9th EUGEO Congress Barcelona
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The Coolock Travellers' Community Mapping Project, which results from a Pavee Point and Maynooth Geography Research Partnership, will be on display in the Maynooth University Library Lobby from 10am on Monday November 14 to 2pm on Friday November 18. The official launch of the project will take place in The Roque Lab, Rhetoric house, on the South Campus of Maynooth University from 4pm to 5.30pm on November 17. For more see details on the right. All welcome. |
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Annual Health Geography Symposium for PhD Students and Emerging Researchers
Health geographers are putting together an Annual Health Geography Symposium for PhD students and emerging researchers. The objective is to provide an online platform where emerging researchers can present their work and discuss their findings. The first event is scheduled for the 15th of December, 2022. The organizing committee are currently inviting emerging researchers to get involved. If you have (or are) a student/ emerging researcher who would like to help us set up the first symposium please contact Eva Pilot (Scientific Secretary, International Commission on Health and the Environment) at eva.pilot@maastrichtuniversity.nl
In Memory of
Margaret Synge (née Lancaster, 1930-2022)
Those readers whose first year university geography experiences were in UCD during much of the 1970s and in Maynooth for some time later may be sorry to learn of the death of Margaret Synge at the age of 92. For many of them, Margaret may have mediated their introduction to map-work and map interpretation, and the rolling accent of this good-humoured and proud Scotswoman may well be still resonating in the recesses of their minds. Some at least will remember how she shepherded them through the challenges of their practical classes.
A geography graduate, Margaret came to Ireland in 1968 following her marriage to the glacial geomorphologist, Francis Millington Synge. Francis had spent some years as a lecturer in Aberdeen prior to his return to Ireland to work with the Geological Survey of Ireland. A dedicated field-worker with an unparalleled knowledge of many parts of Ireland, gained from many years of systematic field-work, Francis died at the untimely age of 56. Margaret chose to remain on in Ireland to bring up her young son, Ian, only deciding to return to Scotland in 1996, after Ian had moved there to attend university.
Margaret died in Aberdeen on 30 September 2022. A thanksgiving service is being held at Midstocket Church, Aberdeen on Wednesday 12 October at 2 p.m. Her contribution to Irish geography lies not in research projects but in her role as a teacher and guide to students. She deserves to be remembered. Aye!
Arnold Horner
A geography graduate, Margaret came to Ireland in 1968 following her marriage to the glacial geomorphologist, Francis Millington Synge. Francis had spent some years as a lecturer in Aberdeen prior to his return to Ireland to work with the Geological Survey of Ireland. A dedicated field-worker with an unparalleled knowledge of many parts of Ireland, gained from many years of systematic field-work, Francis died at the untimely age of 56. Margaret chose to remain on in Ireland to bring up her young son, Ian, only deciding to return to Scotland in 1996, after Ian had moved there to attend university.
Margaret died in Aberdeen on 30 September 2022. A thanksgiving service is being held at Midstocket Church, Aberdeen on Wednesday 12 October at 2 p.m. Her contribution to Irish geography lies not in research projects but in her role as a teacher and guide to students. She deserves to be remembered. Aye!
Arnold Horner
EUGEO Congress 2023
Geography for Our Common Future
September 4th - 7th, Barcelona
The Catalan Geographical Society jointly with the Geography Department of the University of Barcelona, in cooperation with the Association of Geographical Societies in Europe (EUGEO), are delightful and honoured to invite you to join the 9th EUGEO Congress on the Geography of Europe, which will be held in Barcelona, Catalonia, on September 4th - 7th, 2023. The Congress continues the tradition of the EUGEO biannual congresses, bringing together geographers from all over the world. The main topic of the congress - Geography for our common future - highlights the interaction between people and the environment and encourages us to answer questions and propose solutions for our common future. The Congress is open to all possible topics in Geography and it is open to all geographers. For more see here
Geographical Society of Ireland Book Awards
The winners of the GSI book awards 2022 were Powerful Primary Geography: a Toolkit for 21st Century Learning by Anne M. Dolan and Karen Till’s edited collection Earth Writing: Bogs, Forests, Fields & Gardens. The awards were announced at the annual Conference of Irish Geographers which was held in Limerick in May. In total eight books were nominated (see below for details). Congratulations to the winners and to all those whose books were nominated.
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For more on the nominated books see here
Statement of Support for Ukraine and IGU actions
The International Geographical Union (IGU), of which the Geographical Society of Ireland is a full member, has released a number of statements following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Geographical Society of Ireland supports the actions inherent, and the sentiments of these statements. For more see here:
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GeoNight 2022The GSI invite members to organise events to celebrate GeoNight which is the international "Night of Geography". This year GeoNight will take place on April 1st 2022. GeoNight is an initiative proposed for the first time by the CNFG (French National Geographical Committee) in 2017. The objective of the event is to celebrate and promote all things geography! Since then, GeoNight has expanded internationally, first in Europe, thanks to EUGEO, and then even beyond, thanks to the IGU. Events may include talks, workshops, walks, exhibitions, and competitions to name but a few. We encourage members also to have their events recorded on the International GeoNight Event Map so as to demonstrate our commitment to our discipline. Please also share your activities on social media using @geogsocire and #GeoNight2022 or by emailing us at gsi.procomms@gmail.com
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INNOVATIONS IN GEOCOMPUTATION:
A tribute to the career of Martin Charlton
A tribute to the career of Martin Charlton, Associate Professor Emeritus at Maynooth University, was held online at the National Centre for Geocomputation (NCG) and Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute (MUSSI) earlier this month. Friends and colleagues of Martin from across the world, gathered to reflect on and celebrate his life and work. A recording of the event is now available online.
GEOGRAPHY AWARENESS WEEK November 15–19, 2021GeoWeek (Geography Awareness Week) takes place on the third week in November each year. The purpose of GeoWeek is to highlight the importance of geographical knowledge for understanding the world around us and addressing contemporary social, political and environmental issues. We encourage geographers of all ages from across island to share their GeoWeek activities on social media using @geogsocire and #GeoWeek2021 or by emailing us at gsi.procomms@gmail.com
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Keynote Speakers from CIG 2021
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The value of Junior Cycle Geography: Online Discussion
The value of Junior Cycle Geography and the importance of promoting Geography in our schools will be the focus of an upcoming online discussion, organised by The Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT) Geography Team. Speakers at the event include Professor John Sweeney (Maynooth University) who is a specialist in Climate Change research, along with architect environmentalist and broadcaster, Duncan Stewart and senior meteorologist at Met Éireann, Evelyn Cusack. The session will be chaired by the JCT Geography Team and Dr Susan Pike (Dublin City University). The event will take place on Thursday Oct 21st at 7pm. To register click here
Geographers from the University of Limerick and Queen’s University Belfast lead new digital humanities project on the histories of the Ordnance Survey.
A team of geographers, historians, linguists and computer scientists from the University of Limerick (UL) and Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) have been awarded €740,000 from a fund supporting UK-Ireland collaboration in Digital Humanities. The joint award scheme draws together funding from the Irish Research Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to fund eleven digital humanities projects across the UK and Ireland. OS200: Digitally Re-Mapping Ireland’s Ordnance Survey Heritage, co-lead by Dr Catherine Porter (UL) and Professor Keith Lilley (QUB), is a collaboration which aims to reinvigorate interest in the Ordnance Survey (OS) by re-connecting and sharing the divided legacies of the OS in Ireland. OS200 will use 21st century technologies to analyse and visualise how Ordnance Survey staff operated on the ground in the 19th century and will create a free online resource revealing hidden and forgotten aspects of life and work from across Britain and Ireland. Partners include the Department for Communities and Public Record Office in Northern, the Royal Irish Academy, the Digital Repository of Ireland, Logainm at Dublin City University, and the Irish Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
GSI Participate in International Geographical Society Gathering on Climate Change, Biodiversity and SDG Research ahead of COP26 UN Climate Change Conference
Following an invitation from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, the Royal Geographical Society and the International Geographical Union, the Geographical Society of Ireland participated in an online International Geographical Society Gathering on 22 June 2021, ahead of the Conferences of the Parties meeting scheduled for later in the year for Glasgow, UK. The main objective of the ‘gathering’ was to bring together geographers from different geographical societies to find out what is being done by Geographers in these different communities in relation to the climate (and biodiversity) crisis, and what we might be able to do, as Geographers, in order to meaningfully address the issue. 65 people from 30 countries participated at the event and more than 10 geographical societies, including GSI shared their activities and projects related to these important topics. You can read the GSI submission here.
The gathering also considered a Joint Statement on the climate and biodiversity crises to be signed by a range of the world's Geographical Societies. The GSI look forward to further supporting this and other initiatives so we can play our part in drawing attention to, understanding and developing solutions to these major global challenges of our time.
The gathering also considered a Joint Statement on the climate and biodiversity crises to be signed by a range of the world's Geographical Societies. The GSI look forward to further supporting this and other initiatives so we can play our part in drawing attention to, understanding and developing solutions to these major global challenges of our time.
GSI Member Dr Ruth McManus (DCU) appointed to the Board of the Irish Historic Towns Atlas
r Ruth McManus (DCU) has recently been appointed to the Board of the Irish Historic Towns Atlas as one of two new honorary editors, the other being Dr Jonathan Wright (History, MU). She follows in the footsteps of distinguished geographers Professor Anngret Simms and Dr Jacinta Prunty. The IHTA project, established in 1981 as one of the research projects of the Royal Irish Academy, records the topographical development of Irish towns. It is part of a wider European scheme, with towns atlases containing broadly similar information available for different countries, thereby facilitating international comparative research. In addition to the printed fascicles, digital versions of the atlases and ancillary publications including books, maps and a suburbs series, are also available. These provide a significant resource for research and teaching purposes Dr Niamh Moore Cherry (UCD) awarded Honorary Professorship at UCLFormer GSI President, Assoc. Prof. Niamh Moore Cherry (UCD) has been appointed an Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London. The appointment was made in recognition of her current and ongoing contributions to the work of the School across research and education domains. Niamh has been actively working with a number of colleagues over the last five years on issues of metropolitan governance, regeneration, and local and regional development with outputs published in European Urban and Regional Studies, Regional Studies and Town and Country Planning. These collaborations have also attracted research funding from the IRC COALESCE scheme as well as having significant policy impact in Ireland and the UK. Niamh has given guest lectures and seminars on the UCL Planning Masters programmes, and her own students have benefitted from her collaborations through guest lectures by UCL colleagues in the Masters level International Urban Fieldcourse: London module. Niamh is absolutely honoured to have been awarded this appointment and is looking forward to deepening collaborations between Irish and UK-based researchers and policymakers over the next few years.
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Dr Susan Pike (DCU) has been appointed President of the Geographical Association. Susan works in Geography Teacher Education at DCU's Institute of Education, where she has coordinated Geography Education for 20 years. As a geographer, she also contributes to a range of other areas including early childhood education, as well as Masters options in Climate Change Education and Poverty and Social Inclusion in Education.
The Geographical Association (GA) is the leading subject association for teachers of geography. Its mission is to further geographical knowledge and understanding through education, with the vision of being a 'vibrant and diverse subject community inspiring high-quality geographical teaching and learning'. From its roots at a meeting to exchange lantern slides 128 years ago, it now has members in more than 60 countries and strong links with geographical organisations around the world. Having a GSI member as president will no doubt increase the visibility of the GSI internationally, and strengthen our links with Geographers and teachers of Geography across varied institutional sectors. Susan's chosen presidential theme this year is 'Compassionate Geographies', clearly a theme that is has relevance on lots of levels. New Research: Memories of Droughts in IrelandThe drought of Summer 2018 reminded us of how vulnerable Irish society is to water shortages, from local farms to businesses, wells to water supplies and even biodiversity. In a country renowned for rainfall we often forget that in the past Ireland has experienced some significant drought periods, particularly in the 1990s, 1970s and before. Funded by the Irish Research Council, Geographers from UCD and Maynooth University are looking to document local experiences and coping strategies that were implemented by individuals during past drought events and to identify lessons that can be learned from local experiences. So, if you have stories of your experience of drought you would like to share, know of weather records or diaries that you think may be of interest, or would simply like to find out more, please visit:
www.ucd.ie/droughtmemories |
Geographers Respond to Covid-19
Irish Geographers, in collaboration with others, have made a number of contributions to our understanding of the pandemic, the challenges it poses, its impacts on communities and the implications of management strategies. In doing so, the significance of space, place and location, as well as spatial mobility and interaction as factors that underpin how the pandemic works, has been highlighted. Ronan Foleys’s editorial in the most recent edition of Irish Geography ‘Geography and the Covid-19 Crisis in Ireland’ examines these issues from a number of disciplinary perspectives. In doing so, Foley reminds us all of the fundamental importance of geographical knowledge.
Also, highlighting the importance of knowledge gleaned from spatial analysis is the research by Gerald Mills et. al. ‘Making sense of publicly available data on COVID-19 in Ireland’. Involving a collaboration between geographers and medical practitioners, this work draws on publicly available data to examine the impact and pace of the pandemic as it waxed and waned unevenly across the country. Finally, McCarthy and MacCarron’s work on the spatial analysis of the death notices published on RIP.ie (which has received significant attention in the media) highlights the counties most affected by the saddest impacts of the virus, whilst also reminding us of the real people, families and communities that lie behind the statistics. Our condolences to all those who have lost loved ones during this crisis.
Images above: (top) shows the reduction traffic levels in response to the lockdown (supplied by G. Mills) and (below) shows deaths as recorded on RIP.ie (supplied by G.McCarthy) .
EUGEO 2019
Images above from 7th EUGEO Congress which was held in conjunction with the 51st Conference of Irish Geographers, in Galway City in the west of Ireland. The conference took place over four days (May 15th – 18th 2019) and the theme for the 2019 conference was Re-Imagining Europe's Future Society and Landscapes. The theme focuses on the centrality of the concepts of society and landscape within the Discipline of Geography and the importance of the relationship that exists between the physical and cultural landscape. Over 500 delegates attended the conference representing an astonishing 37 countries.
Save GeographyIn response to the changed position of Geography within the Junior cycle curriculum The Association of Geography Teachers of Ireland has created petition, calling for the restoration of Geography as a core subject on the Junior Cycle curriculum. If you can, please support this petition.
Nine reasons why geography mattersRTE Brainstorm recently published an article by By Anna Davies, Irish Research Council and Frances Fahy, NUI Galway outlining why geography is so important!
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New followers on TwitterThanks to all who participated in the 2019 Year of Geography initiative. Its success can be seen not only in its coverage in the local media but also in the increased traffic on twitter and other forms of social media. Followers on Twitter have increased from 408 on January 1st 2019 to 1,815 today! As can be seen from the diagram below (produced by Adrian Kavanagh) each month saw new followers!
Donegal features as the final county on the GSI's Year of Geography InitatiativeDecember sees Donegal feature as the final county on the very successful Year of Geography social media initiative, the objective of which has been to better highlight Geography across the island of Ireland and to better illustrate to the Irish public the work that geographers do. Follow #DonegalWeek in to find Tweets about people's favourite Donegal places, interesting place names, maps of everything from the county's coastal heritage its transport network, border connections and border passes and much more.
Prof. Des Gillmor makes a strong case for Geography in letter published in The Irish Times.Prof. Des Gillmor (Trinity College Dublin) published a letter in the Irish Times outlining how students see that geography is of ‘vital relevance to their lives and to the world today’, that twice as many students study geography at Leaving Cert than study history, and that geography is ‘the only subject which deals comprehensively’ with contemporary challenges such as climate change. Read the letter here
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Membership
Membership of the society is open to anyone with an interest in environmental and geographical issues. Benefits of membership include; - A subscription to the international peer-reviewed journal Irish Geography, - Participation in field trips and events sponsored by the society - Access to a network of individuals and organisations with similar interests. - Information on geographical events in Ireland and overseas. |
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Contact UsTo contact the Geographical Society of Ireland please complete the form below or email us at
gsi.procomms@gmail.com |