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GPS Datum for Ireland?
Q. I am visiting Kerry for the first time later this year and usually carry a Garmin GPS when out walking.
I understand you have to change grid reference over there.
Does anyone have experience in these matters?
James Brennan, Barrow In Furness
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A. The Ordnance Survey of Ireland divide Northern and Southern Ireland into 25 x 100 km Grid Squares - lettered A to Z (there is no I) - 5 across and 5 down.
Each of these lettered 100km Grid Squares is then subdivided into 1km squares using the familiar blue grid lines.
So a Grid Reference in Ireland - say for the trig point on Knockawaddra in the Slive Mish Mountains - would look like:
Q 853 084
Where Q is the 100km Grid Square, 853 is the easting (to the nearest 100m) and 084 is the northing.
As with England, Scotland and Wales, there are a number of Datums you can use in conjunction with a GPS device - but if you want your GPS readings to match your map - 1:50 000 Ordnance Survey of Ireland Map (Discovery Series) - you should set your GPS to:
Position Format: Irish Grid
and
Map Datum: Ireland 1965
For more information on our GPS Waypoints, download our free GPS sample walk - c136 Mabbin Crag from Huck’s Bridge
