Frequently Asked Questions

Still Need Help?

Where is Ordnance Survey Ireland located?

Ordnance Survey Ireland’s headquarters is located in the Phoenix Park, Dublin D08 F6E4. The office is closest to the Castleknock Gate entrance of the park, near Farmleigh House. To see a map of our location please click here.

How do I get to your office by public transport?

Dublin Bus

See Dublin Bus Route 37 Here.

Take the number 37 Bus originating in Baggot Street/Wilton Terrace as far as the Castleknock, Phoenix Park Main Gate bus stop. Alight the bus and walk through the park gates and keep going until you come to a roundabout. Turn right at the roundabout, and Ordnance Survey Ireland is about 400 metres down Ordnance Survey Road.

Trains

See the Irish Rail timetable Here.

Departing from Connolly Station in Dublin City Centre, go to Ashtown Station, the nearest train station to Ordnance Survey Ireland. Exiting the station go towards the Navan Road, and cross the Navan Road at the Halfway House Roundabout. After 100m you will see the Ashtown gate of Phoenix Park. Enter the park, turn right after about 150m and continue on this road (the North Road) for about 500m. Go straight through the small roundabout and continue for about 400m; Ordnance Survey Ireland is on the right hand side.

Map of our location

How can I contact a map sales agent of OSi?

We have appointed Authorised Selling Agents in strategic locations throughout the country to provide optimal ready access to customers.

You will find a list of our agents here.

How much does a Planning Pack cost?”

For A4 Paper/PDF Planning Pack click here

For A3 Paper/PDF Planning Pack click here

For A4 1:1000 Digital Planning Pack click here

For A4 1:2500 Digital Planning Pack click here

For A3 1:1000 Digital Planning  click here

For A3 1:2500 Digital Planning Pack click here

An OSi Planning pack is a set of maps provided by Ordnance survey Ireland specifically for use in planning applications. They are available for our Map Sales Office in Phoenix Park, through our telesales team, or through any of our sales agencies around the country. Planning Packs are available in paper format, or as digital downloads in a printable format. You will find a list of our agents here.

Paper Planning Pack

The standard A4 paper planning pack includes six place maps (at the required scale) and 1 record place map (6” scale). However some local authorities request six copies of the record place map which will incur a higher cost.
We would advise all our customers to check how many OSi planning maps are required from your local planning authority prior to purchase. We also advise you to check with your sales agent for the current price for a planning pack relevant for your Local Authority area.

 

 Digital Planning Pack

The digital planning pack includes a place map in vector or raster format and a record place map. It is compatible with most CAD packages and can be e-mailed directly to you. Prices vary, depending on the specific requirements of your Local Authority. More information on Digital Planning packs available on our online store, here.

What is the most recent edition of the Dublin Street Guide?

The Dublin Street Guide, as with all of our Tourist and Leisure products, are updated regularly. The Dublin City and District Street Guide was updated in 2019. For more precise information on publication dates, prices, and ordering, see our online store Here.

Are OS maps available to purchase online?

Ordnance Survey Ireland has quite a large number of products available to purchase online.

Land Registry maps, Wind maps, Ortho Photography and Environmental Reports are available to download straight to your PC from our online store.

Historic maps, including the first edition Ordnance Survey dating from the 1830’s is available to view here.

Paper products, like the Dublin Street Guide, the Discovery Series and Adventure Series, and our extensive range of Tourism and Leisure products can be purchased from our online store.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic some products may not be available. Please check the online store.

Can I get a folio number from Ordnance Survey Ireland?

Folio numbers are only provided by Property Registration Authority Ireland (PRAI). OSi can however, provide a map which the Property Registration Authority Ireland may use to search for the required folio number.

For more information on folio numbers please click here.

Can I copy or reproduce an Ordnance Survey Ireland map?

Ordnance Survey Ireland maps, data and publications are protected under the terms of the Copyright Acts. Anyone wishing to reproduce Ordnance Survey Ireland material, or use it as a basis for their own publications, must obtain a licence from Ordnance Survey Ireland, for which a fee may be payable.

For more information on our copyright policy please see here.

How do I migrate to ITM?

The purpose of the document below is to assist users of Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) data to migrate from Irish Grid (IG) to Irish Transverse Mercator (ITM).

Please download the PDF for full details: IG to ITM Migration

Where are the highest mountains in Ireland?

Peak Height Range County Highest In
CARRAUNTOOHIL 1,038 Mts. MACGILLYCUDDY REEKS KERRY HIGHEST IN COUNTRY
BEENKERAGH 1,010 Mts. MACGILLYCUDDY REEKS KERRY
CAHER 1,001 Mts. MACGILLYCUDDY REEKS KERRY
MOUNT BRANDON 951 Mts. BRANDON MOUNTAINS KERRY
LUGNAQUILLA 924 Mts. WICKLOW MOUNTAINS WICKLOW HIGHEST IN LEINSTER
GALTYMORE 917 Mts. GALTY MOUNTAINS TIPPERARY
DONARD 850 Mts. MOURNE MOUNTAINS DOWN HIGHEST IN ULSTER & N.I
MWEELREA 814 Mts. MWEELREA MOUNTAINS MAYO HIGHEST IN CONNACHT
ERRIGAL 749 Mts. DERRYVEAGH MOUNTAINS DONEGAL 2nd HIGHEST IN ULSTER

Historic Maps – Missing Sections

The historic map layers in GeoHive (6” and 25”) were scanned from the original series of County Maps, geo-referenced, put into one National Historic Dataset and is now publicly accessible in GeoHive. In part due to the original scanning process there may be some gaps in the overall coverage of the maps. If you find such a gap you may inform our Customer Service Team at [email protected].   The gap will be repaired by our team as soon as possible, and the update will appear in GeoHive when that service receives its regular update.

Historic maps – Poor Quality in some areas

The historic map layers (6” and 25”) in GeoHive were scanned from the original series of County Maps, geo-referenced and put into one National Historic Dataset. The quality of the outputted product is dependent on the quality of the original map. The scanning of the map does not improve the quality of the original. If you have purchased a map and are not happy with the quality please contact us on [email protected]. However, there may be times when the output quality of the historic map cannot be improved upon.

There is a mistake in one of your publications

Please contact us via the Data Quality Submission Form Here. Your observation will be forwarded for the attention of the production team in our mapping department where it will be investigated thoroughly. Should a correction or addition be required it will be applied to our mapping database. However, as this is a printed product, it is OSi policy to apply the change or correction to the next published edition of the map. We appreciate your comments and interest in Ordnance Survey Ireland and our products.

What if my House Number is not shown or is incorrect on large scale mapping?

On our current mapping not all house numbers are shown. The process of correcting any omissions usually involves the deployment of field staff to survey the road or area in question. This work may fall under our normal update schedule and hence may take up to a year to appear in our mapping. If the matter is urgent please state the reason for the urgency and we will deal with the matter appropriately.

What if my Street Name is not correct on a map?

The naming of streets is the responsibility of the Local Authority in that area. The naming of streets is not the responsibility of Ordnance Survey Ireland. If the name of a street is incorrect on one of our maps we will correct it as quickly as possible. However, the process of correcting any omissions or errors usually involves the deployment of field staff to survey the road or area in question. It may also involve correspondence with the relevant local authority to confirm the particular name in question. For this reason the process of updating street names can be lengthy. Also if the street name is incorrect on a printed map it will be corrected in the next edition. If the matter is urgent please state the reason for the urgency and we will deal with the matter appropriately.

 What if a Building is omitted or incorrectly placed?

Should you identify a building that has been omitted or misplaced on an OSi Map please report it Here.

The process of correcting any omissions or errors usually involves the deployment of field staff to survey the road or area in question. In some cases this work may fall under our normal update schedule for that area and hence may take up to a year to appear in our mapping. If the matter is urgent please state the reason for the urgency and we will deal with the matter appropriately

My building is not correctly shaped?

The depiction of a building is a cartographic representation of what is on the ground. The actual shape of the building may not be depicted on our map as it seems on the ground.   However, as buildings are now usually plotted from aerial imagery, particularly in rural areas, and our aerial imagery is regularly improving in quality, the detail on new buildings will become more accurate.

Can an Ordnance Survey Ireland map indicate where my legal boundary is?

No. Ordnance Survey Ireland mapping does not depict legal property boundaries nor do we show property ownership on our mapping.

OSi only show the existence of physical features on the ground at the time of survey, which are surveyed to Ordnance Survey Ireland specifications and accuracy standards. Although some property boundaries may be coincident with surveyed map features, no assumptions should be made in these instances.

Physical features on the ground change over time, and for this reason, Ordnance Survey Ireland has a continuous mapping revision programme. In the event that there are changes to the physical features on the ground, this may involve our surveyors visiting your property so that the mapping can be updated and amended. However, such revision will not affect legal land ownership and title deeds of a property and registered title will not change unless authorised by Property Registration Authority Ireland.

What feature does the line on the OSI map represent?

Ordnance Survey Ireland maps use the same line symbol for a wall, fence, hedge, bank, ditch and stream. Where many features are represented in close proximity it may not be possible to represent them all at the scale of the mapping and it may not be obvious from the map which feature the line represents.

Accurate analysis of the OSi map can usually only be achieved by taking the map onto the site and comparing it with the features on the ground. This can help decide what has been shown, and what has been omitted for the sake of clarity or because the map scale does not allow multiple features in close proximity to be shown.

There is a fence and a wall next to each other and only one line is shown on the map, why is this?

Where a fence, hedge or wall runs approximately parallel to another feature and so close that they cannot both be plotted correctly at the scale of survey, then only one feature is shown.

I feel that a feature is incorrectly shown on the OSI map; can you tell me why it is represented this way?

Ordnance Survey Ireland does not keep records or surveyors’ notes of site visits. The map becomes the only record kept.

I believe Ordnance Survey Ireland’s mapping of my property is incorrect, can I arrange for a surveyor to come out and amend the mapping?

Ordnance Survey Ireland welcomes all customer feedback about the content and accuracy of our mapping. We understand that there may be a delay between changes taking place on the ground and when we are able to capture them within our continuous mapping revision programme. Any issues relating to the content or accuracy of our mapping that fall within our specification will normally be investigated at the next revision of the mapping for the area. If the matter is urgent please state the reason for the urgency and we will deal with the matter appropriately.

Please contact us via the Data Quality Submission Form Here

I require an Expert Witness to comment on the mapping, does Ordnance Survey Ireland offer this service?

In property disputes i.e. land which both parties claim ownership, the courts look to Ordnance Survey Ireland to help. In all cases the signed 6” Boundary Sheet is accepted in court as a legal map. OSi has been subpoenaed to court on numerous occasions to comment on OSi mapping.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) provides a searchable database of Land Surveyors who can act as Expert Witnesses and prepare evidence for court. More information available here

Can I measure my boundary precisely from the map?

OSI maps are subject to accuracy limitations; they are only as accurate as the scale permits. This means that scaled measurements between features shown on the map may not exactly match the actual distance measured between the same features on the ground. Different levels of accuracy apply depending upon the scale of the map and the original method used to create it.

Paper maps (particularly copy maps included in deeds) can be subject to distortions and inaccuracies, as any copying processes (such as photocopying, scanning) and printing processes can lead to the distortions in the map image.

Can I get a folio number from OSi?

No, that is the responsibility of the PRAI.

Can I get the ownership boundary on OSi maps?

No.

When were the Historic maps surveyed?

PRE 1824

One of the earliest known maps of Ireland was produced by Baptista Boazio in 1599. This predates the establishment of the Ordnance Survey by more than 200 years. At the end of the Cromwellian Wars in Ireland, the victorious soldiers had to be paid, so it was decided to pay them with the land confiscated from the native Irish. William Petty undertook a survey of the forfeited land; this became known as the “Down Survey” because it was plotted down and reproduced on paper.

Grand Juries, who were the forerunners of today’s County Councils, also commissioned maps of their areas. So, it can be seen that Ireland was very well mapped before the establishment of the Ordnance Survey.

Historic 6” (1:10,560) 1824 – 1846

Early in the nineteenth century it became obvious that the local taxes which were based on townland units in Ireland were inequitable. On the recommendation of the Spring Rice Committee, a survey of all Ireland at a scale of six inches to one mile was authorised by Parliament in 1824.

Historic 25” (1:2,500) 1888 – 1913

After the Great Famine 1845-49, many Irish landlords were forced by economic pressure to sell their properties and an “Encumbered Estates Court” was established in 1849 to deal with the flood of land transactions. The Judges found the six inch map too small for the precise area calculations required and eventually the Ordnance Survey was asked to supply estate maps which were replotted at 1:2,500 from the six inch field books and then field revised.

Post Independence

With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, and the uprising in 1916 followed by the War of Independence, little mapping was carried out until the 1960’s, due to limited financial and human resources. Advances in technology from 1960’s on allowed OSi to engage with confidence in countrywide remapping programs again.

1:1,000 mapping was started in the early 1960’s. Statutory and administrative boundaries were transferred on to it from the 25” county series.

Rural areas were remapped by photogrammetry at 1:5,000, starting in the early 1990’s. Statutory and administrative boundaries were transferred on to it from the 25” county series.

For users particularly interested in OSi Historic Mapping, please visit our Historic Maps and Townland Viewer here.

We have also developed two new interactive dashboards which allow users to explore how the Irish landscape has changed over time.

The National Historic Maps dashboard shows our historic mapping services in a single view, and allows users to pan and zoom to their area of interest.

The National Aerial Imagery Dashboard shows our national imagery in a single view, and allows users to pan and zoom to their area of interest.

How often are maps updated?

OSi’s single mapping database that feeds into The National Map and to all our digital and paper products is updated by theme; currently, the development of houses and buildings trigger localised and regional updates. Also, queries from customers are often resolved by updating the mapping in any particular area.

Ask On Support

If you have any questions and can’t find an answer in our FAQ’s, you can email our Customer Service team who will be very happy to help you.