National Library hosting Mayo exhibition - Ireland from Maps

THE National Library of Ireland is bringing a special exhibition to Mayo.

Ireland from Maps will open at Claremorris Town Hall Theatre on February 9 and will be on show until February 20.

The National Library of Ireland has an extensive collection of maps including some of the earliest maps of Ireland.

Ireland from Maps uses some of these documents to look at some of the ways Ireland has been depicted through the ages.

The earliest maps were simple representations of the landscape of ‘home’ scratched on to clay tablets. Several thousand years later, powerful satellites allow highly accurate maps to be made by anyone with access to a computer and an internet connection.

The basic purposes of the map remain the same, however: to allow people to find their way from one point to another and to describe the features of a place.

Ireland from Maps introduces basic mapping concepts and terminology as well as exploring the subtext behind some of the most well-known maps of Ireland.

The exhibition runs in the theatre from February 9 to 20 and is open weekdays from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed 1 to 2 p.m. for lunch). Admission is free.