To the men and the women of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland, past and present,
“ ’cause The Survey keeps on changing & nothing stays the same.” [1]
From Limelight to Satellite is a history of the Ordnance Survey in Ireland from its nineteenth-century imperial origins to the digital landscape of the late twentieth century. Published chapter by chapter, the project explores how Ireland was measured, mapped, managed, and ultimately re-imagined from a paper landscape to a digital landscape.
This site presents the results of five years of research in an open, evolving project. Over time, the chapters published here are intended to form the basis of a book. In the meantime, readers are invited to explore Ireland’s official mapping history as it unfolds—carefully, critically, and in detail.
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Latest Posts:
- 12. The Lough Foyle Baseline
- 11. Accuracy Once Lost Cannot Be Recovered
- 10. Colby’s System
- 9. Thomas Colby
- 8. A Complete Map
Footnotes / Sources
[1] As sung by Sean O’Callaghan in Nancy Hand’s, in March 2012. Source OSi News, Summer 2012.
