Countie of Leinster – The Oldest Map of Dublin – Speed, John

With inset of Dublin. So far as can be discovered, the mapping of Irish Towns began in the 16th Century with King Henry VIII’s attempt to fill the power vacuum left by the Gaelic resurgence of the later middle ages. Dublin appeared to have been almost ignored by topographers throughout the early phase of the 1560’s. Although there are several contemporary references to Elizabethan and early Jacobean maps of Dublin, the earliest surviving large-scale cartographic representation of the city is the inset of Dublin in this map. Wide margins. Two small tape repairs to the verso. Text to the verso. Framed in double-sided glass.

Publisher: Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell
Date Published: 1610
Publication Place: London
First Edition: Yes

Condition: Very good.

Dimensions: Plate mark 520mm x 385mm