The world's first survey of a whole country using modern techniques was carried out in Ireland in 1829-1842, by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland (established 1824) with a map at 6 inches to the mile appearing in 1842. This was supplemented in 1867.
A number of additional surveys were carried out in the 20th century, mapping the changes in the Irish landscape, the development of roads and the expansion of towns. This work is ongoing, with satellite images now the main source of data for Ordnance Survey Ireland, the national agency with responsibility for mapping. Click on the image and try and find your town on an OSI map of Ireland.
The Ordnance Survey's website is at www.osi.ie.
Where to Find Other Maps
Modern maps can be found in libraries, bookshops, specialist map shops, etc. Maps remain important to travellers, so you can find them in tourist offices and petrol stations, too.
On the Internet, Google Maps provides maps of the whole world, but at varying scales - maps of the USA tend to be more detailed than maps of Ireland. Why do you think that is ? Various other mapping websites can also be found.
Historic maps can be found on the Internet too. However, a good place to find historic maps of your area is in your local library. To get details of your local library branch, click here.