Transnational Spaces

I have been exploring everyday urban spaces, particularly thoses of Paris and Limerick and how they have become so familar to me through presence, participation and interaction. Using psychogeographic elements, look at  these transnational spaces.

 

Map Paris 1860



Paris 

Some background history..

Paris is the capital of France, located on the River Seine, in the north of the country. Paris has  a population of 9.93 million.

 

Paris is no more than 2,000 years old. Gauls of the Parisii tribe settled there between 250 and 200 BC and founded a fishing village on an island in the river that is the present-day Ile de la Cité -- the center around which Paris developed. Paris was known as Lutetia (Lutece) in ancient times, The city  was conquered by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, and existed as a regional center under the Romans and in the early Middle Ages. In 987, Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, became king of France, and under his successors, the CAPETIANS, the city's position as the nation's capital became established. Often characterized as spirited and rebellious, the people of Paris first declared themselves an independent commune under the leadership of Etienne Marcel in 1355-58. The storming of the Bastille in 1789 was the first of a series of key actions by the Parisian people during the French Revolution. Paris also played a major role in the revolutions of 1830 and 1848. In 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War , the city was besieged for four months until France surrendered. After German troops withdrew, French radicals briefly established the Commune of Paris. During World War I the Germans were prevented from reaching Paris, but they occupied the city during World War II from 1940 to 1944.



Nowadays over 30 million foreign tourists visit Paris every year. The city has lots of interesting places to visit, such as Notre Dame cathedral, the Louvre museum and lots of nice outdoor cafés where you can soak up the Parisian way of life.

 

Map Limerick 1820




Limerick

Limerick city is the fifth largest city in Ireland. It was founded by the Vikings in the early 9th century.When the Anglo-Normans finally captured Limerick in 1195,their first task was to fortify it. King John's castle was completed around 1200 and work began on enclosing the city with a wall. Itw as well protected by having two gates of Thommond Bridge and Baals Bridge. By the end of the fourteenth century Limerick city became known as Englishtown. 



When the Normans first arrived in Limerick many of the original natives moved across the Abbey river to an area called Irishtown. This became an important enclave and it was also walled. The work was slow and went on through the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The Citadel complex was completed, towards the end of the 1590's the main features of which are thankfully still preserved. The gate house and inner gate can be seen in the grounds of St. John's hospital.
When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the Republic of Ireland, with an urban population of 90,757.  Limerick is the second-largest city in the province of Munster, an area which constitutes the midwest and southwest of Ireland. The city is situated on several curves and islands of the River Shannon, which spreads into an estuary shortly after Limerick.



                                                                  Both cities today





Today both cities are rich and vibrant.