Donegal County Council wins Esri Storymaps accolade for the “The Hills of Donegal” 3D Map at the International User Conference, San Diego

Esri revealed the winners of its Storytelling with Maps Contest yesterday at the Esri User Conference, highlighting Donegal County Council’s Story Map – “The Hills of Donegal” by Daragh McDonagh as third place in the Best Travel, Destinations, and Recreation section. 

From the iconic quartzite peak of Errigal to the spectacular sea cliffs of Sliabh Liag, Donegal has a wealth of upland areas to explore on foot. Daragh’s map takes the viewer on a 3D tour of the main mountains, with pre-set views from different angles. He even included weather forecast data to add some interactivity to the 3D landscape. The Story Map encourages you to “pack your bags and lace up your boots after you see the hills of Donegal, Ireland from a whole new 3D perspective”. 

Storytellers from around the world submitted more than 400 entries that covered the full gamut of Esri Story Map templates. Contest judges selected the following 18 story maps as winners from across the five contest categories: 

Submissions were judged on a range of factors. Each selected story map combined design, user experience, impact, and overall creativity with an interesting and engaging story. 

All winners will receive a plaque and a certificate in honour of their award-winning story maps. 

For more information about Esri Story Maps, visit esri.com/storymaps. To view all 18 winning story maps, visit esri.com/storytellingwithmaps. 

If you’ve been inspired by Daragh’s work, remember we have our annual “Maps Make Sense for Salzburg” ongoing throughout the summer – with 5 trips up for grabs to Esri’s European User Conference in Austria this October. 

You can find out more and how to enter here: www.esri-ireland.ie/mapsmakesense

Best Travel, Destinations, and Recreation

• First Place: Elizabeth Frank for Living on the Edge: The Extremes of Human Inhabitance 
• Second Place: GIS Team, County of Simcoe (Ontario, Canada), for Matchedash Bay Loop Trail 
• Third Place: Daragh McDonough, Donegal County Council, for The Hills of Donegal, Ireland 
• Honourable Mention: Yasser Ayad, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, for Al Qahira: A Trip to the Past