1783 Taylor & Skinner Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Dunleer, Louth, Monaghan Ireland Road Map
Published in 1783, this antique road map is Map 39 from the second revised edition of Taylor & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland, surveyed in 1777 and corrected down to 1783. The engraving contains two separate road surveys, recording the route from Carrickmacross to Castleblayney in County Monaghan and the road from Dunleer towards the Mill of Louth in County Louth.
The original headings, “From Carrickmacross to Castleblayney” and “From Dunleer to Mill of Louth,” identify the two journeys represented on the sheet. The first is recorded as 8 miles 3 furlongs, while the second is shown as 10 miles and noted as being measured from the turnpike.
The left-hand strip follows the road between Carrickmacross and Castleblayney. Carrickmacross appears as an important road junction, with connecting routes towards Monaghan, Cootehill, Shercock and Inniskeen clearly marked around the town.
Leaving Carrickmacross, the road passes through the surrounding County Monaghan countryside, where named residences, estates, churches, small lakes and minor roads are shown beside the principal route. Connections towards Dundalk and other neighbouring districts illustrate the extensive network serving this part of south County Monaghan.
Further along the route, the engraving records Braca and the residence of Henry Esq. before continuing towards Castleblayney. Several small lakes and undulating features of the landscape are depicted alongside the road.
Castleblayney occupies the upper end of the strip and is shown beside Castleblayney Lake, with roads branching towards Ballybay and Dundalk. The town's position at the meeting of several routes reflects its importance within the regional road network during the late 18th century.
The right-hand strip records a separate route beginning at Dunleer in County Louth. A number of roads converge around the town, including connections towards Drogheda and Dundalk, before the principal road continues through the surrounding countryside.
North of Dunleer the map records Clintonstown, Stabannon Church and Braganstown, together with named residences and minor roads. These details provide a particularly useful picture of the estates and settlements that lined the road during Taylor & Skinner’s survey.
The route then approaches Tallanstown, where the surrounding road network becomes increasingly complex. Nearby Louth Hall, Rosy Park and other named properties are shown, while connecting roads lead towards Ardee and Dundalk.
At the upper end of the strip, Louth and the Mill of Louth are prominently recorded. Thomasstown and the residence of Jenison Esq. also appear nearby, completing the ten-mile road survey from Dunleer.
The combination of Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Dunleer, Tallanstown and Louth makes this sheet a particularly interesting record of the historic road connections across Counties Monaghan and Louth during the late 18th century.
As throughout Taylor & Skinner’s survey, numerous named estates, country houses, churches, mills, lakes and contemporary landowners appear beside the roads, giving the engraving additional interest for Irish local history, genealogy and family-history research.
Identified as Map 39 in Taylor & Skinner’s Maps of the Roads of Ireland, it forms part of their extensive late-18th-century survey of Ireland’s principal roads.