Brought to you by Inanna Rare Books.

It’s a controversial little piece of Cork history.

One of the earliest, precise maps of the city has been carefully reproduced by a rare bookshop, the owners of which enlisted the help of Cork Printmakers to complete the fascinating project.

The 18th-century illustration, which features the layout of the streets and important spaces, was included by Philip Luckombe in The Compleat Irish Traveller in 1788.

However, experts now understand that the engraving was originally created by Charles Smith and later printed without permission in London by the publisher and Mr Luckombe.

Now, in an effort to make the beautiful rare map available to more history fans for generations to come, Inanna Rare Books has worked with Cork Printmakers to create a luxury fine art giclée reprint of the engraving, which can be purchased from the Skibbereen shop.

Another bestselling reproduction is Smith’s Large Map of County Cork in the 18th Century, an early map of the county featuring the coats of arms of local families and some wonderful detail of West Cork and the coast from Cork Harbour all the way to Cape Clear.

Both would make excellent gifts for a local history fan or a striking detailed piece to hang on the wall.

A separate reproduction of Smith’s ‘Large Illustration [Panoramic Engraving] of Cork City with Shandon in the 18th Century’ is also now available to purchase from Inanna Rare Books.

The sweeping vista takes in many local landmarks and is guaranteed to be a treat for any fan of local art and history.

The Compleat Irish Traveller has also been reproduced and Inanna Rare Books co-owner Holger Smyth says its engravings of Cork City, Kinsale, Youghal, Dungarvan and Waterford are “possibly the finest and some of the earliest Illustrations of these Irish cities and Irish towns in the 18th century.”

Smyth believes they should be present in every serious Irish history collection.

“The maps of County Cork, County Kerry and County Waterford show not only the clarity of 18th-century map-making but also give wonderful historical detail of the families who ruled and lived on the land by the placing of these families’ coats of arms on the maps,” Smyth told us.

“The Compleat Irish Traveller is the pinnacle of pirated travel writing in Ireland and proof of its enduring success for the English audience of the 18th century.”

The luxury prints start at €145 on the Inanna Rare Books website. The shop is located in The Masonic Hall in the West Cork town of Skibbereen, a building that has been under lock and key for decades. With near 7ft ceilings, it’s been fitted with more than a kilometre of custom shelving; heaven for a bookworm with a free hour or so to browse.