Cork County Council Library and Arts Service has acquired a rare and historically significant Ordnance Survey of Ireland map of the Lower Harbour of Cork. The map, which is based on the Ordnance Survey of 1897, was generously donated by Diarmuid Kilcullen the grandson of Cobh barrister Francis J Healy. It showcases Cobh town, the surrounding areas and Haulbowline Island and offers a unique glimpse into the strategic importance of the Lower Harbour over a century ago.
The map, marked ‘For War Department Purposes Only’, was likely housed originally on Haulbowline Island prior to the handover of the base to the Irish Government in 1923. Passed down through three generations, it was donated with the patrons’ wish that the map was preserved for future generations. With the support of Cork County Council’s Commemorations Committee, the map has been repaired and conserved and is now housed in the Local Studies Department in County Library Headquarters. A replica of the map has also been produced and is on exhibition permanently in Cobh Library.
This map has been digitised and it can be viewed on our digital archive, please visit https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/items/show/2713
