Although the 1:50,000 maps published both by OS of Ireland and OS
of Northern Ireland are now distributed in Britain by OSGB, what
seems available generally from OSGB seems to lag some months
behind what has actually been published, and is to be obtained from
specialist map shops. Accordingly, subscribers to this list may be
interested in the following:
(1) The 1:50,000 of the Republic of Ireland is now COMPLETE! This
includes the replacement of the Preliminary Edition of Sheet 54
(which was one of the first three issues, very computer-looking) by a
First Edition, with layers. 54 reached me today, so presumably it
was the last to roll off the presses.
(2) Perhaps of greater interest to those concerned with map design
and map production is the apperance of an all-digital 1:50,000 sheet
from OSNI, viz sheet 8, Ballymoney. Content is very similar to the
analogue version (first published 1978-85), but the new sheet 8 now
sports a separate hinged card cover, and has two notable similarities
with the OSI sheets: woods are by open green tree symbols (instead
of flat green, omitting the layers), and individual buildings are shown
by standard black blocks, and groups by synthetic grey. Unique, so
far, to sheet 8, is showing public buildings in red, which is striking!
Apparently the Map Shop at Upon-on-Severn has a stock.
It gives me no pleasure to say that the new OSNI map makes the
present OSGB 1:50,000 look distinctly second-rate and stale - !
(3) OSNI 1:100,000. It may be remembered that this was advertised
in the OSNI catalogue some years ago, but that no copies were
actually placed on sale: the OSNI web-site -
http://www.doeni.gov.uk/ordnance/catalog/small.htm - refers to the
half-inch 2nd Series [1968-70] as `being replaced by the new
1:100,000 scale series', but I can find no further reference!
A sales stock of 1:100,000 Sheet 4 was printed, dated 1993 (and
derived, I believe, from earlier mapping prepared for the British
military), and a description appeared in *Sheetlines* 49 (1997). That
was based on an inspection of an intact copy, but there has been a
most curious development. The stock has been cut up as
Geo-Stationary, as 10 cm square pads!! This must be a unique -
well, one can hardly say distinction...
Finally: does the OS of Ireland (Dublin) have a web-site?
Richard Oliver
Dept of Geography
University of Exeter
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