New IRA map of Tipperary to form landscapes of revolution focus

In late 2021, the Tipperary County Archives received a unique early 20th century map on-loan from a local family.

They had carefully cared for the “IRA Map” for decades, and have graciously permitted its digitisation by the Archives to ensure its detail is preserved for future generations. What makes the map special are the annotations and markings on it, which appear to have been made by a member of the IRA.

Although there is no key, these markings appear to include things like IRA routes through the countryside, the locations of communications, roadblocks and rendezvous, and possibly the scenes of actual or intended ambushes.

It is evident from the areas annotated on the map that it is focused specifically on certain localities within the area of operations of 3rd Tipperary Brigade IRA. The identity of the individual who created the map and its precise date of origin are yet to be established.

What is clear is that it represents an exceptional opportunity to explore, with the assistance of the local community, how the IRA used and visualised the landscape—and hopefully find out more about the map’s origins, meaning and purpose.

Abarta Heritage, through the Landscapes of Revolution Project have been appointed by Tipperary Heritage Office to undertake a public-facing project on the map as part of its Decade of Centenaries Programme.

Over the coming months the public will be encouraged to engage with the map and to explore the potential meanings behind some of the annotations and markings on it. Talks and workshops and will be held to demonstrate how the public can interact with the revolutionary landscape around them, while object-recording days will be held, encouraging local people to have surviving objects from the period added to the project database.

Along with a special page for the project at www.landscapesofrevolution .com there will be regular project updates through blog posts and social media channels.

The Landscapes of Revolution Project uses methodologies devised and developed over the past decade to engage communities with their local 1916-23 archaeology. These techniques have proved highly successful in identifying, highlighting and mapping revolutionary-era archaeology, one of Ireland’s least understood archaeological resources.

The Landscapes of Revolution team are drawn from archaeologists of Abarta Heritage Ltd based in Clonmel; among their previous projects is one exploring the archaeology of the Kilcommon Ambush in North Tipperary.

The project begins with a project inception talk, which will be held virtually at 07 pm on Tuesday 08th March. You can register for the talk via eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie /e/landscapes-of-revolution -archaeology-project-the -tipperary-ira-map-tickets -268820458227 or by emailing us at info@abartaheritage.ie.

You can explore the Project website at www.landscapesofrevolution .com and keep up to date with updates via the blog at https://landscapesof revolution.com/project-blog/.