The Gazette 1979

GAZETTE

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1979

In the past it was considered that the publication of a map

was a once only operation not to be updated until some

suitable time in the future when a complete resurvey or

revision would again take place. In the interim no main-

tenance of the sheet was carried out. The continuous

revision system generally attempts to ensure that the pace

of map revision will keep abreast of the change taking

place.

Surveyors have been appointed to areas that have been

updated to keep the maps revised and copies of these

revisions can be purchased. The Ordnance Survey will

also, on request, carry out special revisions for customers

in areas under continuous revision. In addition, mapping

which is not yet published but is at some stage of pre-

publication can be purchásed.

Areas at present under continuous revision are the

counties of Dublin, Carlow, Kildare, Meath and Laois.

Continuous revision information and pre-publication

information is also available for Cork City and Gal way

City. Requests for such information should be sent to the

Ordnance Survey, Phoenix Park, Dublin.

The Ordnance Survey also offers a number of other

services which can be of assistance, to solicitors. They

include the supply of enlargements or reductions of

published large scale maps, continuous revision

documents and pre-publication data. These are normally

supplied on transparent plastic material with paper

copies, dyelines or photostats also available.

Composite transparencies may also be obtained. Delivery

times and quality depend on the nature of the require-

ment and on the quality of the original material. The

Surevy can undertake map mounting on board or cloth

for single or composite maps. Other services include heat-

sealing and edge-binding of maps.

Details of mapping control for both height and

planimetric positioning are available and approximate

National Grid co-ordinates for all County Series maps

and can be supplied.

No Ordnance Survey publications may be reproduced

using mechanical, electronic, photocopying or other

methods without prior permission of the Director of the

Ordnance Survey. State copyright subsists on O.S. maps,

transparencies of maps and field documents.

Speical licences to cover all forms of copying are

obtainable from the Ordnance Survey and sufficient

flexibility exists to meet the particular needs of those who

have a need to copy maps.

Unauthorised copying in many cases is due tó

innocence, but as usage in maps and copying is increasing

the Ordnance Survey is progressively taking a much more

positive approach in relation to the infringement of copy-

right. There are two reasons for the more strict attitude:-

(a) The first and most obvious is the loss in revenue;

(b) The less obvious reason is that it provides the

Ordnance Survey with information regarding map usage

and the statistical data to prove the requirement for maps

in the economy of the country.

Concern has been expressed about the cost of maps and

related documents. The Ordnance Survey is anxious to

keep these costs to a minimum but there is no short cut to

good mapping and it is not possible to produce "a bit of a

survey" on the cheap. So if adequate mapping is to be

provided it will have to be paid for by the user and the

taxpayer or by a combination of both.

The cost of older maps has also been raised. It has

been suggested that these are too expensive. The cost of

storing and particularly reproducing existing mapping is

very considerable. Reprints of older map sheets have to

be reproduced from paper manuscripts and these, due to

their age and to the material on which they are printed,

are far from ideal for reproduction. They are distorted

and the quality of the detail has deteriorated with the

result that when the need to reproduce arises, con-

siderable work has to be done on them before an adequate

printing can be achieved. The cost of reproduction and

storing of existing mapping is therefore considerable and

as the number of copies produced is small the unit cost is

high.

Ordnance Survey Agents

Large scale maps cna be obtained from the following:

Willis Bookshop, Cork, Coleraine and Derry; Collins'

Book Store, Tralee; Easons, Dublin; Day's Bazaar,

Mullingar; T. M. Griffin, Kilkenny; Hayes O'Connell,

Ennis; Hodges Figgis, Dublin 2; T. Hogan, Athlone;

Keohane's Bookshop, Ballina and Sligo; K. M. Mulcahy,

Wexford; News Bros., Cork; O'Gorman's Ltd., Galway;

Erskine Mayne, Belfast; O'Mahony & Co., Ltd.,

Limerick; Sifton Praed & Co ., Ltd., Knights-

bridge/London.

The following are firms with a licence to copy

Ordnance Survey large scale maps: J. D. Hackett & Co.,

4 Lower Baggot St., Dublin 2; Kells Art Studios, John

St., Kells, Co. Meath; Truemans Ltd., Molesworth St.,

Dublin 2.