Placing astronomy: landscape, space and science at Armagh Observatory, 1790-1916

Abstract

This project takes a geographical approach to the history of science in order to situate the often cutting-edge research carried out within the confines of the Observatory building into its wider regional landscape and beyond, and in doing so explores its ecclesiastical and civic connections to the provincial city of Armagh, itself. The project also investigates how the institution’s unique location impacted on the science conducted there and, indeed, how the science in turn influenced the surrounding area, as well as more distant locales. These objectives have been realised through the division of this thesis into four distinct but inter-related chapters that firstly address the reasons why an observatory was chosen to be situated in Armagh and, secondly, explores what form it would take and how it would be embedded into its surrounding landscape. Thirdly, the ability of scientific instruments to transmit authority from their place of origin to a new, fledgling scientific institution is analysed. In addition to this, the impact that uniquely local issues can have on science in the making is interrogated in chapter 4. In presenting this research, this project builds upon the works of Bennett and Bailey that have explored the legacy of the Armagh Observatory, and adds to and offers new perspectives on the history of science in Ireland. In doing so, this thesis partially fills an existing lacuna in the arts and humanities associated with Armagh Observatory as a scientific space and, in turn through its unique location, broadens the field of enquiry in relation to the spatial turn in the history of science, more generally.

Date of Award	Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	AHRC Northern Bridge Consortium
Supervisor	Oliver Dunnett (Supervisor), Michael Burton (Supervisor) & Diarmid Finnegan (Supervisor)