Thanks for those tips Geralyn. I will keep them handy when I look at the site again, cheers, Karen. ----- Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:19:49 -0800 From: Geralyn Barry <gbarry@proaxis.com> Subject: [IRL-TIP] Google maps vs. OSI maps for townlands To: irl-tipperary@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <4F4E6C45.4070600@proaxis.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed The townland outlines on Google maps are only roughly approximate. I would not rely on them for exact boundaries but would instead consult the Ordnance Survey maps at http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer, as Kevin recommended. The historic maps there are much more detailed and even show individual fields, lines of trees, named houses, etc. At the OSI website, the historic 6" maps are the older OSI maps, and the historic 25" are from the early 1900s. The default is the (modern) Street Map (beta), which does not show townland boundaries. You can toggle between the different map versions using the "Preview Map Series" box on the screen - just click on the box in front of an option. Each map can look quite different at different levels of magnification, so I suggest you try zooming in and out, either using the slider bar or by clicking on the zoom buttons in the "Menu" box, then on the point you want to magnify. Clicking on "Pan" then allows you to move around on the map. To search for a townland at the OSI website, click on "Search" (in the "Menu" box), which brings up a search box. I then recommend that you not type in the townland there, since you must get the spelling exactly as it appears - not an easy task! What I do is select to search "By County", choose the county from the pull-down menu, then choose a townland from the new pull-down menu for townlands. The official Ordnance Survey spelling of a townland might differ from the spelling you know, so look up and down the townland list until you find something close. Some place names are common throughout Ireland (e.g. Clonbeg, Clonmore), and you might find more than one townland with the same name even within the same county. So you will have to look through them to figure out which one you want. Hope this helps someone.... Geralyn Wood Barry in Oregon, USA