The Cut Benchmarks at Armagh Observatory: Marking Two Hundred Years of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland

Authors

  • Mark Edward Bailey Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
  • C. John Butler Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
  • James A. Finnegan Richhill, Co. Armagh
  • Shane T. Kelly Armagh Observatory and Planetarium

Abstract

We present images and GPS coordinates for the three surviving Ordnance Survey (OS) benchmarks (OSBMs) in the grounds of the Armagh Observatory.  One, inscribed near the base of the south-east face of the Troughton dome has become difficult to find owing to spalling of the stonework on which it is formed.  Unless efforts are made to secure its preservation there is a risk that it may soon be lost entirely.  The second is found near the base of the western of the two gate posts at the main entrance to the Observatory demesne close to the Gate Lodge.  The third, which until recently had lain unseen for at least a generation, is shown on OS maps dating from approximately 1860.  It was rediscovered by us in November 2021 close to the foot of the surviving western gate pillar of the entrance to the Observatory’s original coach house and stables, near the footpath leading downhill from the Observatory to what is now the Planetarium.  A fourth OSBM, originally near the main entrance to what is now the Planetarium was lost during construction of the Planetarium in the mid-1960s.

Author Biography

Mark Edward Bailey, Armagh Observatory and Planetarium

Emeritus Director of Armagh Observatory

Downloads

Published

2024-11-04

How to Cite

Bailey, M. E., Butler, C. J., Finnegan, J., & Kelly, S. T. (2024). The Cut Benchmarks at Armagh Observatory: Marking Two Hundred Years of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland. Irish Geography, 56(2). Retrieved from https://irishgeography.ie/index.php/irishgeography/article/view/1496

Issue

Vol. 56 No. 2 (2023): Issue 2

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

    1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

    1. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  1. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).