Ireland, Plate 59, V. III presents a poised mid-century portrait of the island, drawn in 1955 under the exacting eye of John Bartholomew for The Geographical Institute, Edinburgh. It is a political and physical synthesis: provinces and borders delineated with crisp assurance, while a sophisticated scheme of gradient tints and spot heights sculpts the uplands and plains. Depth is treated with equal finesse, coastal waters around the Atlantic, the Irish Sea, and the North Channel subtly stepped by soundings and marine tints. A finely graded road network—major routes and secondary ways alike—threads the cities and market towns from Dublin to Cork, Limerick to Galway, Waterford to Wexford, with Kilkenny, Sligo, Derry, Armagh, Antrim, and Louth also clearly set. The Greenwich prime meridian governs the longitudinal framework, signaling a work that marries global standards to local precision.

The Bartholomew name—synonymous with clarity, scientific rigor, and beautiful color—anchors this map in a distinguished Edinburgh tradition. By the 1950s, the firm had refined hypsometric coloring into a language of terrain, using delicate layer tints to reveal structure without overwhelming the eye. Under John (Ian) Bartholomew’s stewardship, lettering styles, line weights, and palette were harmonized to achieve both legibility and elegance, a hallmark of The Times Atlas program. Here, that editorial discipline yields a balanced Ireland: political boundaries readable at a glance, physical landforms articulated with quiet authority, and coastal soundings narrating the island’s maritime edge. The result feels as precise as a survey and as composed as a classic engraving.

The surface geography is rendered with particular verve. Spot heights pick out the high country—from the rugged Reeks of Kerry through the Wicklow chain and north to the Mournes—while the subdued greens and browns of the palette grade gently into the plains of the Midlands and Connacht’s quilted lowlands. Water is the map’s great connective tissue: the Shannon unfurls from the lakes to its estuary by Limerick; the Suir, Nore, and Barrow braid toward Waterford; the Liffey and the Lee anchor Dublin and Cork; and the Erne and Corrib systems are mapped with limpid care. Lough Neagh, Corrib, and the Ernes stand out in cool tones, while coastal shelves and channels are measured by soundings that guide the eye from Donegal Bay to St George’s Channel.

Mid-century Ireland’s political contours are presented with discretion and authority. The line dividing Northern Ireland from the Republic is crisply drawn yet integrated within the broader provincial framework of Ulster, Connacht, Leinster, and Munster, avoiding visual stridency while retaining absolute clarity. Cities and county towns—Dublin’s capital primacy, Cork’s mercantile heft, Limerick’s estuarial command, Galway’s Atlantic gateway—are woven together by an intricate hierarchy of trunk and secondary roads that predates the motorway age, illuminating historic corridors of trade and travel. Ports and river mouths are placed with navigational precision, while county and parish names settle into the landscape with Bartholomew’s famously disciplined typography, making dense information feel effortlessly navigable.

This sheet sits within The Times Atlas of the World, Mid-Century Edition, a five-volume achievement that gathered 122 expertly edited maps into a coherent cartographic statement about the modern world. Its companion index—over 200,000 names strong—locks seamlessly to the alphanumeric references along the margins of the plate, enabling the user to locate the smallest townland as readily as the largest city. A tasteful cartouche frames the title and publisher, a quiet flourish that underscores the map’s authority. For collectors, historians, and geography enthusiasts, it captures the aesthetic and method of 1950s cartography: empirically exact, beautifully restrained, and composed to reward both quick consultation and lingering study.

Cities and towns on this map

• Dublin
• Cork
• Limerick
• Galway
• Waterford
• Kilkenny
• Sligo
• Wexford
• Derry
• Louth
• Armagh
• Antrim

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Detailed road network showing major and minor routes.
• Various provincial borders.
• Major bodies of water including rivers and lakes.
• Geographical high points indicated by spot heights.
• Color gradient used for different elevation levels.
• Index references along the edges.
• Cartouche design indicating the title and publisher.

Historical and design context

• Title: Ireland, Plate 59, V. III
• Creator: John Bartholomew
• Year: 1955
• Publisher: The Geographical Institute, Edinburgh
• Map type: Detailed political and physical map of Ireland
• Geographical features: Relief illustrated by gradient tints and spot heights; depth depicted with gradient tints and soundings.
• Prime meridian marked at Greenwich.
• Part of a larger collection (1955–1959) of five volumes with 122 colored double-page map sheets.
• Accompanied by a comprehensive index with over 200,000 names.
• Design details: Bound in red linen with a gold-stamped label, titled “The Times Atlas of the World, Mid-Century Edition.”
• Historical significance: Reflects mid-20th-century cartographic techniques and aesthetics; valued by collectors, historians, and geography enthusiasts.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

If you are not happy with your order for any reason, contact me and I'll get it fixed ASAP, free of charge. Please see my returns and refund policy for more information.

I am very confident you will like your restored map or art print. I have been doing this since 1984. I'm a 5-star Etsy seller. I have sold tens of thousands of maps and art prints and have over 5,000 real 5-star reviews. My work has been featured in interior design magazines, on the BBC, and on the walls of dozens of 5-star hotels.

I use a unique process to restore maps and artwork that is massively time consuming and labour intensive. Hunting down the original maps and illustrations can take months. I use state of the art and eye-wateringly expensive technology to scan and restore them. As a result, I guarantee my maps and art prints are a cut above the rest. I stand by my products and will always make sure you're 100% happy with what you receive.

Almost all of my maps and art prints look amazing at large sizes (200cm, 6.5ft+) and I can frame and deliver them to you as well, via special oversized courier. Contact me to discuss your specific needs.