From book to screen to exhibition ‘The Atlas of the Irish Revolution’

The best-selling and award-winning Atlas of the Irish Revolution from Cork University Press anchors a new exhibition, opening Thursday 16 May at St. Peter’s Cork on North Main Street. Funded by the Cork City Council Arts Office, the exhibition will remain in residence until the end of the year.

This collaboration between University College Cork and LW Management Group who operate the St. Peter’s Cork venue, brings dynamic UCC scholarship into a unique public space in the heart of Cork city. It is the latest public outreach effort by the Atlas of the Irish Revolution project, following the major documentary series earlier this year, ‘The Irish Revolution’, narrated by Cork film actor Cillian Murphy and produced by RTÉ Cork and UCC.

The exhibition explores key moments in the 1913-1923 period, touching on history, geography, art history, sociology and archaeology. It intertwines national, international, and distinctly Cork perspectives of Revolutionary Ireland through images and extended, informative panels.

A key feature of the exhibition is a dedicated reading area where visitors can explore Cork University Press’s 5kg and 1,000-page book, which features over 100 essays, 300 maps, and hundreds of images. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view ‘The Irish Revolution’ documentary series on-site. Throughout the year, St. Peter’s Cork and UCC will host several public lectures addressing various themes from the book.

Commenting on the official launch of the Exhibition Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Thomas Moloney said: “The Atlas of the Irish Revolution book is a sincerely impressive achievement for the team at University College Cork and it is clear that this book is among the greatest Irish history books. The accompanying exhibition here at St. Peter’s Cork is an excellent example of collaboration between University College Cork and LW Management and I am delighted that Cork City Council was able to support the initiative. I believe a great job has been done in bringing all of the elements of the revolutionary period together and I am confident that the exhibition will give visitors a substantial taste of those elements”

Christine Moloney, CEO of LW Management praised the work of the University College Cork team and said: “The LW Management Group, through our St. Peter’s Cork venue, is delighted to partner with University College Cork on the “Atlas of the Irish Revolution” exhibition. Our aim is to create a space in Cork for people to explore this incredible book and to delve into its artwork, maps and accessible scholarly articles. Our free entry exhibition provides a unique opportunity for visitors to deepen their understanding of this period and to stand back, reflect and return time and time again to dip in and out and explore a chapter or a particular theme at a time. Given the upcoming centenary commemoration for 1920, this exhibition will also set the scene for our Programme of Events at St. Peter’s Cork in 2020”

Dr John Borgonovo, Lecturer in the School of History at UCC and Associate Editor of the Atlas of the Irish Revolution said: ’The Atlas of the Irish Revolution was created to make cutting-edge scholarship accessible to the general public. The editorial team is pleased that LW Management and Cork City Council Arts Office have offered us an opportunity to bring a selection of the book’s maps, posters, photos, and images into St Peter’s historic and evocative setting. The exhibit is part of UCC President Patrick O’Shea’s vision to place the university, ‘firmly back in the public square’ through imaginative public engagement with the community. UCC’s schools of history and geography intend to continue its public outreach program as we progress further into the ‘decade of centenaries’.

The Atlas of the Irish Revolution Exhibition opens at St. Peter’s Cork on Thursday the 16th of May 2019 and runs until the end of the year. Admission is free.