‘That's a powerful map’– shared authority, public engagement, and the archives of the first Ordnance Survey of Ireland

This article examines the extent to which the archives of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland (begun in 1824) can be explored through the lens of worldmaking. First of all, the archival materials produced as part of the processes of the Survey are described and considered, with an emphasis on the name books, the memoirs, and the letters. These are critically examined as being shaped by an inherently colonial and imperial worldmaking enterprise. The continuing association between the Survey archives and the cultural and linguistic loss is outlined. Secondly, the article examines the public engagement residency that took place at Enniskillen Castle Museums in Co. Fermanagh in September 2023. It traces the variety of engagements that took place between the authors of the article and diverse members of the community, and the potential that emerged from this process to use the OS archives as a space for new narratives of place. It outlines the role of public engagement as a research process, and reflects on the knowledge and insights that were gathered through public engagement on the limitations of current digital infrastructure for archives.