Old Map of Leinster

Historical Background

John Speed’s map places Dublin within the wider landscape of Leinster, combining a provincial survey with a detailed plan of the city. Its engraved date of 1610 belongs to the original design. The names of Richard Chiswell and Thomas Bassett on this example identify a later publishing state, associated with their 1676 edition of Speed’s atlas.

Map Details

• Original title: The Countie of Leinster with the Citie Dublin Described
• Cartographer: John Speed
• Publisher of this state: Thomas Bassett and Richard Chiswell, London
• Date: 1610 design; later Chiswell and Bassett state, associated with the 1676 edition
• Source publication: The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine
• Area shown: Leinster, with an inset plan of Dublin
• Orientation: North towards the top

Dublin within its walls

The city plan occupies the upper right of the sheet. Its compact street pattern and river crossing show how different Dublin was before its later expansion. The surrounding walls give the city a clear outline, while the key beside the plan invites the reader to identify individual buildings and places. This close view of Dublin is an important part of the map’s appeal: it makes the provincial sheet a city print as well as a map of eastern Ireland.

Counties under earlier names

King’s County and Queen’s County appear among the divisions of Leinster. These are the names used before the modern Offaly and Laois, and belong to the history of English plantation and administration in Ireland. Their presence helps explain why an old map can look familiar geographically while describing the country in a very different political language. Dublin, Wicklow, Wexford and Kilkenny can be followed across the sheet, with rivers and hill symbols connecting settlements to their surroundings.

A map made for an atlas

Speed’s Theatre brought regional geography together with town plans and decorative engraving. Here, the neat lines of the Dublin inset contrast with the hills and woodland symbols of the provincial map. The Irish Sea provides room for a large compass rose and maritime decoration, giving the design a pleasing balance without losing the wealth of place names on land. The later publisher’s imprint is a useful reminder that a seventeenth-century map could remain in circulation long after the date engraved on its original plate.