Module Specifications.
Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025
All Module information is indicative, and this portal is an interim interface pending the full upgrade of Coursebuilder and subsequent integration to the new DCU Student Information System (DCU Key).
As such, this is a point in time view of data which will be refreshed periodically. Some fields/data may not yet be available pending the completion of the full Coursebuilder upgrade and integration project. We will post status updates as they become available. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Date posted: September 2024
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Description Significant changes to the Irish cultural landscape have taken place since the seventeenth century, which is the starting point of this module. The evolution of the urban system, in particular the growth of Irish country towns, is explored within the context of landlordism. The impacts of decisions made in the ‘big house’ can be seen in demesne landscapes, agricultural improvements and estate towns and villages which are depicted on the first edition Ordnance Survey maps. Meanwhile, by the 18th century, Dublin had become established as the ‘second city’ of the British Empire and was being remade by the urban authorities and by private interests. This module examines the changing relationships between economy, politics and society which moulded the evolving urban and rural landscapes of Ireland, charting the demise of landlordism and the upheavals which led to a new landscape of smallholdings. The shifting urban context also saw the loss of Dublin’s status in the 19th century and a combination of factors leading to suburbanisation, initially for the middle-classes and, by the mid-20th century, for everyone. By the end of the 20th century, Ireland’s urban and rural landscapes were radically different. This module takes a historical geography perspective to examine these topics, using a range of sources including cartographic and archive materials, and incorporating fieldwork as well as seminar and practical based learning. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Learning Outcomes 1. Trace in detail the key periods of landscape evolution and development in Ireland from 1600 to 2000. 2. Critically evaluate the role and impact of key agents of rural and urban landscape change during the period 1600 to 2000 and identify their legacy in the contemporary Irish landscape. 3. Explain the factors influencing Dublin’s development from the 18th century and assess the geographical implications of political and economic change. 4. Reflect upon the relationship between social and political change and the evolution of the cultural landscape. 5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the key concepts and main research methodologies underpinning contemporary approaches in historical geography. 6. Construct a well-designed original piece of research in historical geography using a range of primary source material. 7. Engage in self-directed learning through independent study in specialised areas of personal interest. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml |
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Indicative Content and Learning Activities
Indicative contentTopic 1 Foundations: Settlement and society in Plantation Ireland (RMcM & JC) Topic 2 Ireland transformed: landscapes of town and country in the 17th century (JC) Topic 3 Improving the rural landscape: demesne creation, big house construction and estate management during the 18th and 19th centuries (JC) Topic 4 Shaping urban landscapes: landlords as agents of change during the 18th and 19th centuries (JC) Topic 5 Making Dublin during the 18th century: the role of urban landlords, the corporation and the state (RMcM) Topic 6 Fieldwork (RMcM & JC) Topic 7 Dublin: after the Act of Union (RMcM) Topic 8 Failure of the system: famine and aftermath (JC) Topic 9 Fragmented city: suburbs and slums in late 19th and early 20th century Dublin(RMcM) Topic 10 New farms and rural landscapes: land reform from the late 19th to mid-20th century (JC) Topic 11 Urban housing in the 20th century (RMcM) Topic 12 Geographies of 21st century Ireland (RMcM & JC) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indicative Reading List
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Other Resources 46723, Publication Series, 0, County History and Society Series, 46724, Publication Series, 0, Maynooth Studies in Local History Series, 46725, Publication Series, 0, Dublin Through Space and Time Series, 46726, Publication Series, 0, Irish Historic Towns Atlas Series, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||