Ordnance Survey of Ireland was Ireland's official mapping agency. It was established in 1824 and became a state body under the Ordnance Survey of Ireland act 2001. The OSI's mapping activity covered almost two centuries, beginning with the 6" (inch) maps sheets produced from 1837 - 1842.
Since March 2023, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSi) has amalgamated with the Property Registration Authority (PRA), and the Valuation Office (VO) to become a new state agency called Tailte Éireann (TE).
National Mapping Agreement (NMA)
This is a licence agreement which provides unrestricted access to most ordnance survey data held with Tailte Eireann National Mapping Division (TE). It is part of the National Geospatial and Public Service ICT Strategy, funded by central Government to provide public sector bodies, educational institutions and government departments more access to geospatial information for policy development, research and implementation.
It includes access to geospatial information including small to large scale map data including "archived aerial imagery, small and medium scale data, boundary data, and historic mapping” (OSi’s National Mapping Agreement: Do more with maps article from Eolas Magazine, https://www.eolasmagazine.ie/osis-national-mapping-agreement-do-moreith-maps/)
The NMA allows ATU students, staff and researchers to apply for geospatial data including free vector map data along with historical and aerial maps in PDF format. Requests can be submitted for the following data:
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Digital Data |
PDF Maps |
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The National Mapping Agreement allows educational institutions to access Ordnance Survey of Ireland mapping data not normally made available to the general public.
One of the main features is the use of the premium basemaps which display a high level of detail at a large scale.
Access to maps available under the National Mapping Agreement is at: https://geohive.ie/nmaviewer/
(Note: NMA mapping may not work correctly in all browsers. If the default browser on your PC won't open the correct basemap, copy the link above and paste it into the address line of an alternative up to date browser)
The link will bring you to a login page.
At the top of the screen choose the link Make Your Map. This will open the map viewer for the National Mapping Agreement. When you are finished using the Mapviewer, Click the NMA Viewer logo at the top left of the screen. This will return you to the Introducing Geohive page.
Click Logout at the top right of the screen. Otherwise you may not be able to access the National Mapping Agreement Viewer again until the system times you out.
To request TE ordnance survey digital data and PDF maps, please complete and submit this form:
You will be contacted by a staff member regarding your request once it has been processed. It is important to be aware of the terms and conditions and copyright regulations associated with the use of ordnance survey map data outlined below.
Restrictions on the use of ordnance survey data from Tailte Éireann include:
The complete terms and conditions are outlined in the National Mapping Agreement Terms and Conditions for academic purposes.
According to Appendix 1 of the NMA Licence, any material from all published data whether digital, paper or on the Internet must be accompanied by the following Copyright Acknowledgement:-
“Includes The National Mapping Division of Tailte Éireann data reproduced under Copyright Licence No. XXXX. Unauthorised reproduction infringes The National Mapping Division of Tailte Éireann Government of Ireland copyright.© The National Mapping Division of Tailte Éireann, year.
The following abbreviated version may be used where space is limited:-
© The National Mapping Division of Tailte Éireann. All rights reserved. Licence No. XXXX”
Please contact the Library for the Licence Number. The date of publication is used as the year.
This free-to-use digital map viewer service is accessible from the Geohive Hub at https://www.geohive.ie or directly at Map Viewer https://webapps.geohive.ie/mapviewer/index.html
The map viewer opens with a map of Ireland and message displaying a tick box for agreement on Terms of Use. Use the information icon to learn more about the options available when using map viewer, such as :
Image: Map of Ireland showing data layer of Special Areas of Conservation from GeoHive Map Viewer.
The Historic Maps and Townland Map Viewer provides base maps of townlands showing historical features.