1783 Taylor & Skinner Castleblayney, Monaghan, Castleshane, Tyholland, Clontibret Ireland Road Map
Published in 1783, this antique road map is Map 34 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 records the historic road network around Castleblayney and Monaghan, together with routes through Castleshane, Tyholland and Clontibret in County Monaghan.
The original heading, “From DUBLIN,” identifies this sheet as a continuation of one of Taylor & Skinner’s principal routes from the capital. The map concentrates on the network of roads connecting the principal towns and settlements of County Monaghan rather than reproducing the complete journey on a single page.
The engraving is arranged as two adjoining strip sections. One records Castleblayney and the surrounding countryside, while the other centres on Monaghan and the roads through Castleshane, Tyholland and neighbouring districts.
Castleblayney is prominently shown beside the lake and the estate of Lord Blayney. Several roads converge around the town, including connections towards Ballybay, Armagh, Newry, Dundalk and Carrickmacross, illustrating Castleblayney’s importance within the regional road network.
The surrounding countryside includes numerous named residences and estates, together with smaller lakes, wooded areas and minor roads. Braca, Rahans and other contemporary properties are identified beside the route, providing additional detail about the late-18th-century landscape.
The adjoining section features Monaghan as a major junction, with several roads branching from the town. Connections towards Ballybay, Cootehill, Glaslough and neighbouring settlements are marked, together with named houses and estates close to the town.
Castleshane appears farther along the route, with roads towards Ballybay and Middletown branching nearby. Rackwallace Church Ruins are also recorded, adding an important historic landmark to the sheet.
Tyholland Church and Glebe House are clearly identified close to the Monaghan road network, while the route continues past further estates and smaller settlements through the surrounding County Monaghan countryside.
Clontibret Church appears beside the road towards Keady and Ballybay, together with a nearby Glebe House and several small lakes. These local features give the engraving considerable value beyond the principal roads themselves.
The upper part of the sheet records further crossroads and routes towards places including Tydavnet and Caledon, along with estates such as Lagacory and Falkland, showing the dense network of local connections surrounding Monaghan.
The combination of Castleblayney, Monaghan, Castleshane, Tyholland and Clontibret makes this map an especially useful record of historic roads and settlements in County Monaghan during the late 18th century.
As throughout Taylor & Skinner’s survey, numerous named estates, country houses, churches, lakes and contemporary landowners appear beside the roads, giving the engraving additional interest for Irish local history, genealogy and family-history research.
The lower margin retains the engraved publication line dated 29 July 1778, reflecting the original history of the plate before its appearance in Taylor & Skinner’s revised 1783 edition.
Identified as Map 34 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.