State acquires Bonar Law's treasure trove of maps for UCC 

Collection includes close to 10,000 maps, some 9,000 prints, caricature prints, and ballad sheets

Dr Audrey Whitty, director of the National Library of Ireland; Tánaiste Micheál Martin; UCC president Prof John O’Halloran, and Charlotte Otway-Norwood (daughter of Andrew Bonar Law). Picture: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

The state has acquired a treasure trove of maps of Ireland described as one of the most complete visual records of the country, in map and print form, ever assembled by an expert private collector.

The remarkable Bonar Law Collection, whose acquisition was formally announced at University College Cork on Monday, comprises close to 10,000 maps, some 9,000 prints, caricature prints, and ballad sheets, many of which are unique to this collection.