Any regular Google Earth Ireland users for the past few years will have noticed that there are very few ongoing high-resolution updates.

There is an alternative though, which is the Ordnance Survey site. It’s poorly laid out as the map viewer in the shop section, in order to try to convince you to buy aerial photographs I guess, beloved of Irish farmers.

Unlike Google Earth, it’s not satellite photos, but aerial flyover photographs, last complete flyover was 2005. Here’s the link.

The initial street map level is very good for Townsland identification. Once you get to your location select Ortho 2005 on the right hand panel. Unlike GE you can actually choose between 3 different overlays, 1995 (poor, B&W), 2000 & 2005, and there should be a new 2010 appearing this year.