A new book on old set of Maps of County Kilkenny from 1819

Lord ButterSlip

I am just considering writing a book on the Grand Jury Maps of County Kilkenny and i am wondering would anybody be interested in the book? it will have a bit about the maps (15 of them) and on how to read them and then it will have a full index of the parishs, townlands and estates and items of interest (minus The liberties of Kilkenny and the Barony of Gowran which are missing). They are the earliest detailed(4 inchs to an Irish mile) maps of County kilkenny (1809-19) and show townland boundaries and buildings/Houses and done in ink by hand. There is only one article in another book written about the maps (also there is no copies anywhere else). Anyone have any interest?

I love maps, particularly ones that show the places we know now as they would have been in the past. I imagine there would be huge interest in what you describe among people tracing their roots and trying to place their ancestors' homesteads and townlands. Good luck with it if you decide to give it a go!

fabbydabby

I like maps too, and enjoy perusing them, especially detailed ones of an area I am familiar with. i love looking at the place names and such.

I can't see this being a popular read though. Could you put a spin on it to make it more commercially appealing, instead of...well... a book about maps?

kkmick

I can't see this being a popular read though. Could you put a spin on it to make it more commercially appealing, instead of...well... a book about maps?[/QUOTE]

I agree with this but i personally would be very interested with it and think that you would definetly be well recieved

Lord ButterSlip

I have also thought about how to make it appeal to as many people as possible with out turning it into a vampire novel and i was thinking along the lines of looking in detail at a particular house/estate or somwhere that the map makers thought important enough to add extra things to and going to that place now and showing the buildings and there roles in the area also doing this with a few other places raths schools churches etc. there is also a load of places where instead of drawing the plan of the houses the front elevation was drawn in instead so comparisons between these and photos would be done. the development of towns and villages and waterford city aswell (the only city on the maps as the kilkenny sheet is missing). I am just firing out ideas here so any thing that looks good/interesting, shout. Tell me any ideas you might have aswell.:D

fabbydabby

Historical Buildings? You could give all the old local staples a resounding miss (Kilkenny Castle, Shee Alms house etc etc) and instead write about grand old landed gentry style houses in the county of Kilkenny and the people who lived in them. The human touch might provide broader appeal.

Team up with an architect or photographer perhaps.

fabbydabby

And put in lots of scantily clad vampires and dusky maidens with loose morals (and pants).

Lord ButterSlip

fabbydabby wrote: »

write about grand old landed gentry style houses in the county of Kilkenny and the people who lived in them.

On that note there is loads to choose from so it could certainly be done.

Purry Cat

Have you been in touch with Kilkenny Archaeological Society about this? Sounds like the kind of thing they might - or should - be interested in.

Lord ButterSlip

I havent said any thing about it to them but i am a member and the maps actually belong to the society but i suppose they would be interested. How does publishing work though in terms of a 50 pages softback selling for a fiver. how much to who etc.? i really dont know anything about it.