University of Limerick students' blueprint to aid town planning for Swinford

The course involved four UL students working directly with senior personnel within the local authority and with community leaders to examine and explore the particular town of interest.

The students are Ray McGreal from Ballinrobe, Aisling Joyce from Galway, Deborah O Shea from Cork and Edel Murphy from Kildare and they worked under the supervision of Sinead McMahon from the University of Limerick and Rosemarie Webb from Galway City Council.

The focus for the students was then to develop and apply strategic mapping techniques that would reveal and represent the nature and complexity of the town, which could then be used as a platform to initiate discussion about the nature of the ‘town’ as it exists and how it might develop into the future.

Strategic maps

Strategic maps were to be developed for the town under the following topic headings:

• Water
• Landscape
• Energy
• Exchange
• Performance
• Community and Memory
• Mobility
• Settlement

Each topic area was to be explored and two types of maps were to be produced:

• A ‘Reflective’ Map – describing what already exists within the town, based on information gathered from both official and community sources as well as from the students own research, fieldwork and observations and

• A ‘Projective’ map – which portrays what could exist in the town, highlighting possibilities and proposing design concepts for the town based on an analysis of  the reflective map produced.

Attending the launch of the University of Limerick's School of Architecture Strategic Mapping Project on Swinford, held in association with Mayo Co Council, were students Aisling Joyce and Sinead McMahon, with Mayo Co Manager Peter Hynes, Rosie Webb University of Limerick lecturer, and local community representatives, including Western Development Commission's Joanne Grehan, Breege O'Connell, Michael Comer, Gateway Hotel's James Mooney, and Thomas Grimes, Ireland West Airprt Knock.

This map or series of maps re-formulates the  information presented in the ‘reflective’ map into an architectural design concept  about the town, which might assist in guiding the development of that place in the  future.

Over two week long workshops, the students had an opportunity to visit the town of Swinford and engage directly with the community.

On these occasions the students made presentations of both their early analysis of the town and their maps to a group made up of local authority personnel, community representatives and local elected representatives.

They also took part in a guided tour of the town. This ‘gathering information’ exercise allowed the students to learn more about the town from the people who know it best. It also offered locals the chance to respond and have an input into the work being produced about their town.

Key issues which came out the community discussions which the students focused on included:

• The decline of trade within the town.
• The lack of vitality within the town.
• The amount of vacant property, derelict buildings and under-used space – particularly in the back lanes and their potential use.

• The fragmented state of existing green areas
• The value of the railway line to the community and possible proposals for same.
• The significance of re-opening the Western Rail corridor to the town.
• The importance and related potential of the town’s proximity to Knock Airport.
• The potential to develop local forestry as an energy source
• An examination of the existing water network and it’s quality.

On display

This course module in now complete and the final presentation studies of the analysis and strategic mapping undertaken by the students will go on display in the Gate way Hotel in Swinford for a period of 4 weeks, up to 13th January 2012.

Members of the public are invited to visit and view these presentations and they are also encouraged to lodge comments and related feedback to Mayo County Council at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by post to Mayo County Council’s Swinford Area Office.

All communications should be received no later than 13th January 2012.

Attending the presentation of their finding at a special presentation in the Gateway Hotel were UL students Aisling Joyce and Sinead McMahon with Cllr Joe Mellett, Chairperson Swinford Local Area Committee and seated left Teresa Melia, Mayo Co Council Swinford staff officer, Rosie Webb, Galway City Council and UL lecturer, and Mayo Co Manager Peter Hynes, Standing,Thomas Grimes Ireland West Airport Knock , Paul Benson Mayo Co Council Executive Officer, Barry Freeman Mayo Co Council Planning Executive, Director of Services Paddy Mahon, Cllrs Anthony Lavin, Gerry Murray and Jimmy Maloney, Joanne Grehan, Western Development Commission and local community leaders Breege O'Donnell, Michael Comer and Gateway Hotel's James Mooney.