Maps of Inishowen

The Inishowen Peninsula, the northernmost place in Ireland, was the homeland of Clann Ó Dochartaigh. Through many early maps there are references to the Ó Dochartaighs, drawings of castles and fortifications, and other interesting details which shed light on the geography and history of our homeland. As Ulster was one of the last places in Ireland to be conquered, it was also one of the last to be accurately represented in historic maps. Maps below are used for research purposes only and are courtesy of their various curators.

Map from an unknown cartographer dated circa 1530. It's highly disproportionate, but it mentions Lough Foyle ("Logh Foyll") and Lough Swilly ("Lough Swylly") along with some kind of church/monastery or fortification in the vicinity (which would be where O'Dochartaigh's Land was). If you follow the river shown in this small portion of the map in-land (up is south) you'll see "o donyll" (but I can't make out any reference to O'Doherty). If you look at the whole map (by following the link) you can see that cartographer was more familiar with the English "pale" (near Dublin and to the South) (note that north is down and south is up in this map). There's mention of Dundalk and the County of Louth near the bottom left of the map so there's a lot of coastline missing, but then it shows the Inishowen area much larger, which is interesting at this point in time.

Map of Ireland c. 1558 (MPF 1/72) © Crown Copyright Images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England

Mercator’s map of Ireland dated 1564. © The British Library Board. Notice the name 'O:Doghyrdy'. Map west-oriented

Map - 1567 Ireland by John Goghe (MPF 1/68) © Crown Copyright Images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England

'Hiberniae Britannicae Insulae Nova Descriptio' dated 1574, by Abraham Ortelius, Antwerp (Based on Mercator's 1564 map).

Map of Ulster c.1580 (MPF 1/90) © Crown Copyright Images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England

The provence of Ulster, Francis Jobson (1590), TCD MS 1209/15. Courtesy of the Board of Trinity College Dublin.

Docwra's map of 'The Iland and forte of the derry' dated 1600. Courtesy of The National Archives, London

Robert Ashby’s sketch map of Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle, 1601. Courtesy of The National Archives, London; MPF 1/335/1 (1). Map east-oriented. Notice 'The county of Enishone or Adogherties Land'

'A Generalle Description of Ulster' 1603 (MPF 1/35) © Crown Copyright Images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England

Baptista Boazio's Irlandiæ c. 1606 - Irlandiæ accvrata descriptio.' Courtesy of Library of Congress.

1608 Map of Ireland by John Norden. Courtesy of Trinity College, Dublin, MS 1209/1.

1608 Map of Ireland by John Norden. Courtesy of Public Record Office, London, MPF 1/67.

Jaonnem Janssonius’ map Provincia Ultoniae, from 1645.

Down Survey Map of Ireland, prepared from Sir William Petty's Survey c. 1653. Courtesy of Trinity College Dublin.

Down Survey Map of County Donegal, prepared from Sir William Petty's Survey c. 1653. Courtesy of the Bibliotheque National de France.

O'Doherty
Heritage

Maps of Inishowen

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