William Bald, the man who proposed the Dublin-Galway railway line and created still unrivalled maps of Mayo, will be the subject of a public lecture.
Galway Archaeological and Historical Society will present William Bald in Connacht, a talk by Paul Duffy, in the Harbour Hotel, Dock Road, next Monday, at 8pm.
William Bald (1789 - 1857 ), the Scottish surveyor, cartographer, and civil engineer was appointed director of the Trigonometric Survey of County Mayo at only 20. His finished map, in 25 sheets, is considered to be the finest county map ever produced. He was also a pioneer in the development of Ireland’s railways and his 1834 proposals for a Dublin-Galway line had a major influence on the choice of route finally chosen and opened in 1851.
Paul Duffy is a charted fellow of Engineers Ireland has lectured and published extensively on Ireland’s engineering heritage. His book, Galway - History on a Postcard, was published last year.
Admission to the talk is free and all are welcome.
