Atlas of Cavan was produced as a bespoke, hand-bound book presenting the results of Orla Murphy and Dermot McCabe’s research as Architects in Residence for Cavan town. 

Cavan County Council appointed Orla Murphy and Dermot McCabe as architects-in-residence with a purposely open brief to facilitate an opportunity for young architects to think and work as artists within the theme of Cavan Re-Imagined.

An exhibition of the work by the architects-in-residence took place in Johnston Library and Farnham Centre, Cavan from 7-29 November 2008. The exhibition included a special hand-made reference book, Atlas of Cavan. The book and the focus of their project revealed a latent potential for civic space within the existing fabric of Cavan town by uncovering 17 laneways which threa between, but do not quite connect, Farnham Street to the Main Street.

Happenings is the title of a series of art projects that were initiated in response to the architect-in-residence programme, the outcomes of which were showcased during November in Cavan Town. The work of the resident architects, Orla Murphy and Dermot McCabe, focused on revealing the future potential of urban spaces in Cavan Town. Students at St. Patrick's College Cavan, under the guidance of the architects and art teacher Leon Lynch, have been involved with Cavan Re-Imagined as part of the community consultation process. The art projects in response to Cavan Re-Imagined, titled Happenings, included Patricia McKenna'sCurious Sound Garden located in a laneway off the Market Square; AlterNations, a performance work by sound-artist Robbie Perry and mime-artist Rowan Tolley created with local young people; a screening of John Byrne's commissioned video work Cavan Summer and a range of works by the artist group White Rabbit Productions explored the potential of future relationships between artists and audiences in non-arts spaces within the urban environment.

An exhibition of the work by the architects-in-residence took place in Johnston Library and Farnham Centre, Cavan from 7-29 November 2008. The exhibition included a special hand-made reference book, Atlas of Cavan. The book and the focus of their project revealed a latent potential for civic space within the existing fabric of Cavan town by uncovering 17 laneways which thread between, but do not quite connect, Farnham Street to the Main Street.

Happenings is the title of a series of art projects that were initiated in response to the architect-in-residence programme, the outcomes of which were showcased during November in Cavan Town. The work of the resident architects, Orla Murphy and Dermot McCabe, focused on revealing the future potential of urban spaces in Cavan Town. Students at St. Patrick's College Cavan, under the guidance of the architects and art teacher Leon Lynch, have been involved with Cavan Re-Imagined as part of the community consultation process. The art projects in response to Cavan Re-Imagined, titled Happenings, included Patricia McKenna'sCurious Sound Garden located in a laneway off the Market Square; AlterNations, a performance work by sound-artist Robbie Perry and mime-artist Rowan Tolley created with local young people; a screening of John Byrne's commissioned video work Cavan Summer and a range of works by the artist group White Rabbit Productions explored the potential of future relationships between artists and audiences in non-arts spaces within the urban environment.

 

To accompany the exhibition, a paperback mini-Atlas was published, featuring new texts by Sean O Laoire, Emmett Scanlon, Dominic Stevens, Orla Murphy and Dermot McCabe.

The Atlas of Cavan bespoke, hand-crafted edition is under the guardianship of Cavan Library Services, and available on request. The paperback edition of the Atlas of Cavan is available through Cavan Library Services and at the RIAI bookshop.