I specialise in the creation of archaeological and historical StoryMaps, a powerful online tool which brings the stories of archaeological and historical heritage to broad audiences. They can also serve as a vehicle for encouraging direct engagement with historic landscapes, particularly through suggested tour routes. As a pioneer of the use of the medium for disseminating heritage in Ireland, my previous StoryMap work has been used as exemplars in teaching third-level students methods of communicating the past (see e.g. here at University College Dublin). In addition to constructing specially commissioned StoryMaps for heritage firms with whom I work, I also continue to produce StoryMaps based on my own research. You can explore a number of these below, which over the years have been produced using both the ArcGIS and StoryMapJS platforms. If you would like to discuss the production of a StoryMap please contact me via the Contact Page.
Abarta Heritage & Rubicon Archaeology StoryMaps
A selection of StoryMaps I have worked on with Abarta Heritage Ltd and Rubicon Archaeology Ltd on behalf of a range of local authority and state agency clients in Ireland (click on the image to visit the StoryMap).
A StoryMap produced by Abarta Heritage Ltd on behalf of Athlone No. 1 Battery Heritage Group which contextualises the history of Napoleonic-era defences along the River Shannon and highlights the efforts of the Group to preserve a surviving gun battery in Athlone, Co. Westmeath.A StoryMap produced by Abarta Heritage Ltd on behalf of Westmeath County Council Heritage Office showcasing the medieval site of Templecross Chapel, Co. Westmeath, Ireland and exploring its story and conservation.A StoryMap produced for Transport Infrastructure Ireland by Abarta Heritage Ltd highlighting the archaeological discoveries on the M7/M8 Motorway and showcasing the TII Digital Heritage Collections. The first major StoryMap produced to showcase archaeology from a major scheme in Ireland, it was created in 2015 for Transport Infrastruture Ireland by Rubicon Archaeology Ltd in order to demonstrate the potential of StoryMaps for disseminating heritage such as that found on the Carlow Bypass.
Shiels Heritage StoryMaps
StoryMaps produced as personal Shiels Heritage research initiatives based on my historical research (click on the image to visit the StoryMap).
An interactive map of Ireland charting details on more than 700 women and men who were receiving American pensions in Ireland due to 19th century military service, based on more than fifteen years research in the American pension system.
A StoryMap exploring some of the stories behing Irish American graves from the Civil War era in Marietta National Cemetery, Georgia, United States.
A StoryMap that explores the story behind Nathaniel Morphy, an Irish sailor killed in action in Finland during the Crimean War and buried in Kokkola, Finland.
A StoryMap based on research into the 1866 Cholera Epidemic on European immigrants and African Americans, based on extensive research in the U.S. pension file system.
A StoryMap exploring locations where the 90th Illinois Infantry, “Chicago’s Irish Legion” operated during the Battle of Missionary Ridge, Tennessee, United States in November 1863.
A StoryMap exploring the stories of families in Österbotten, Finland, that are revealed through the United States pension system.
A tour of locations on the battlefield of Antietam, Maryland, United States associated with the actions of the Irish Brigade during the engagement of 17 September 1862.
An english-language exploration of the actions of the Swedish-speaking Finnish unit Infantry Regiment 61 during the Battle of Tienhaara in July 1944.
An output of the Andersonville Irish Project exploring the stories of Irish Americans captured at the July 1863 Battle of Gettysburg who perished at Andersonville Prison of War Camp, Georgia during the American Civil War.
An early StoryMap recreating the life and journey of 19th century Irish emigrant Sarah Jane Cochran from Ireland to the United States.An early StoryMap that charts the story of the Kermeen family from the Isle of Man to the United States in the 19th century.
