National Library of Ireland, Ireland from Maps. Dublin: National Library of Ireland, 1980. ISBN 0-907328-00-8. 20 pp. pamphlet, 16 loose sheets of reproductions, all in a folder. (Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland, price not stated)

Collectors with green corpuscles in their bloodstream will appreciate this item coming, as it does, from the Old Sod.  There are 16 folding reproductions, ranging from a hypothetical reconstruction of Ptolemy's original map of Ireland, through Waldseemuller's "modern" map and maps by Mercator and Speed, up to an interesting 1954 map showing "Irish cultural influence in Europe VIth century to XIth century." The accompanying booklet gives information about the maps and constitutes a brief history of the mapping of Ireland.  I recently loaned a 19th-century atlas for use as a prop in a play about the English mapping of Ireland.  I believe the point of the play was that this foreign mapping resulted in the loss of many native place names.  I could not find mention of this in the pamphlet, and the whole matter may just be latter-day propaganda.  As a word of caution, the reproductions are folded, and should not be regarded as suitable for framing.  This production is largely educational and, as such, represents a fine introduction to the mapping of Ireland.

David C.Jolly, 1985