| Description | Geological colouring, probably by Richard Griffith, with handwritten key and some notes by George Bellas Greenough, [?1814], on base map 'A New Map of Ireland', by Alexander Taylor, published by William Faden, 1793. Greenough no.532. Scale-1:700,000, 82cm x 64cm. |
| Administrative History | According to Gordon Herries Davies' book 'Sheets of many colours: the mapping of Ireland's rocks 1750-1890' (1983), Greenough was in Ireland with Richard Griffith in 1813. Griffith wished to compile a geological map of the country for his forthcoming lectures but complained that the Taylor map was too small, instead requesting Greenough send him Arrowsmith's much larger map.
A letter from Griffith to Greenough, which was once held by Cambridge University Library and now held by UCL, dated 8 January 1814 states that the former had a copy of Taylor's map which belongs to Greenough and once he receives the larger Arrowsmith's map instead he will colour it and send it back to him. In a letter dated 7 February 1814 Greenough sends Griffith a Taylor map which he has annotated and requests that it be sent back coloured.
There are only nine different colours on the key, referring to rather simplistic delineations of rock types such as granite, mountain limestone, coal, mica slate and quartz. |
| CustodialHistory | The map appears in Thomas Sheppard's map list as no.160 and is identified as being by Griffith but gives a date of c.1830. |