About
GIS, public data, and place-based digital work
I'm Dónal O'Tiarnaigh, based in the south of Ireland. This portfolio brings together GIS analysis, mapping, local-history research, and small technical tools built to make complex records easier to explore and explain.
My background combines spatial analysis with software-oriented problem-solving. I hold a postgraduate qualification in Geographical Information Systems from University College Cork, and I also work full-time in developer-facing technical work, which has shaped how I approach debugging, documentation, and product thinking in my own projects.
The newer work on the site is the clearest picture of where the portfolio is heading: place-first projects that combine geography, structured data, and usable presentation. Some older posts began as postgraduate work and remain here because they still show the GIS methods and cartographic thinking that shaped that foundation.
What This Site Covers
Three strands that run through the portfolio
Place-based research
Projects rooted in one town, landscape, archive, or public dataset, where the goal is to make a place easier to understand rather than simply to publish a map.
Public data and technical workflows
Work that involves cleaning, structuring, validating, and presenting fragmented data so it becomes usable for analysis, monitoring, or public exploration.
Spatial communication
An emphasis on clear write-ups, defensible methods, and interfaces that help people interpret technical material without flattening the complexity behind it.
How I Work
Method first, presentation second, both taken seriously
Start with the underlying record
I tend to begin with the shape and quality of the data itself: boundaries, classifications, missing values, OCR noise, or uneven upstream sources.
Build for interpretation
Maps, dashboards, and summaries are most useful when they help a reader move from raw material to understanding quickly and honestly.
Keep the work explainable
I prefer workflows that can be documented clearly, revisited later, and defended in terms of both method and practical usefulness.
Next Step
If you want to discuss a project or compare notes, the contact page is the best route.
I'm happy to hear from people interested in GIS, local-history research, public-data work, or technical approaches to making records more accessible.
Go to contact