Document
Officially certified copy of the registered title plan
Certified Map for Tuam Property
Quick Answer
A Certified Map is an officially certified copy of the registered title plan for a property, issued under seal and showing the registered extent of the land. It is the version a planning authority, a lender or a court will accept where an ordinary copy will not. It is supplied with the Certified Folio as one order. For a Tuam property it proves what the register maps - not where the boundary legally falls, because Ireland registers general boundaries.
Every folio carries a plan reference, and the parcel identified by that reference is the ground the folio describes in words. The Certified Map is that plan, certified as a true copy of the register – the version required for Tuam planning applications, transfers of part and formal applications.
Supply the Tuam address or folio number. The certified title plan and the Certified Folio are issued together under seal and posted to you within 15 working days.
Buy Certified MapKey Facts
Supplied with
The Certified Folio - certified register entry included in the same order
Shows
The registered extent of the property, identified by plan reference
Delivery
By post within 15 working days
Format
Sealed physical document - no electronic version
Needed for
Planning applications, transfers of part, lending and court use
Boundaries
General boundaries - approximate, not conclusive
County register
County Galway
Faster option
Folio Search delivered electronically within 24 hours
What Is This Document
A Certified Map is an officially certified copy of the registered title plan for a property, issued under seal. Every folio carries a plan reference, and the parcel identified by that reference is the ground the folio describes in words. The certified version of that plan is what carries evidential weight where an ordinary copy will not be accepted.
The certificate speaks to one thing, and it is worth being precise about what. It states that this is a true copy of the registered map as at the date of issue – nothing more and nothing less. That is what allows a reader who did not obtain the document to act on it.
That distinction matters more than usual on Tuam ground, where the local complication is turlough and seasonally flooded limestone ground on the surrounding plain. A line drawn against water records where that water reached when the survey was made, and where the feature has since moved, the plan and the ground describe different lines. No ordinary dealing corrects the plan for it.
A Certified Map is the document a planning authority, a solicitor, a lender or a court office will expect when a registered extent has to be proved, and for that purpose it does the job completely. What it does not do is settle an argument about precisely where a boundary lies, which is resolved through the registered instruments, the physical evidence and, where it comes to it, the courts.
It is worth being blunt about what the certificate does not do. It does not make the mapped line conclusive. Registration in Ireland operates on general boundaries: the line shows approximately where the division between two properties runs, and certifying the copy does not change that. A certified plan proves what the register maps. It does not prove where a Tuam boundary legally falls.
In practice that means the plan will tell you which parcel is registered and roughly what it covers. It will not tell you whether the wall sits on your side of the line, whether a fence was moved, or how much ground a disputed access strip amounts to. Those questions are answered by the registered instruments, the physical evidence, agreement between the parties, or ultimately the courts.
A boundary can be conclusively fixed, but that is a separate application requiring precise mapping and the agreement or notification of everyone affected, and it is uncommon. Almost every plan in use is a general boundaries plan. Knowing that before you order saves a good deal of misplaced confidence in a printed line.
Which Document Do I Need
Start with what has been asked of you, because the wording usually gives it away. “Certified copy of the map”, “certified site extent” and “certified copy of the folio” all point to this order – the certified plan and the certified register entry are supplied together, so a request for either is covered. “Who owns it” and “what is registered against it” are folio search questions, answered electronically within 24 hours and at a fraction of the wait. Where nothing formal is being submitted and you simply want to see the shape of the Tuam parcel, the ordinary title map is enough.
| Need | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| You need certified evidence of the extent for a planning or formal application | Certified Map | €149.99 |
| You want to know who owns it and what burdens are registered | Folio Search, within 24 hours | €32.99 |
| You need the register entry itself in certified form | Included - the Certified Folio comes with this order | €149.99 |
| You need the wording of a burden or a past transfer | Instrument Copy | €349.99 |
| You just want to see the extent for your own information | Ordinary title map | — |
| No folio exists for the Tuam address | The title is unregistered - start with a folio search | €32.99 |
What Information Is Included
- A sealed certificate stating that the copy is true to the register at its date of issue
- The registered Tuam parcel, outlined and identified by plan reference
- The folio number and county the plan belongs to (County Galway)
- Adjoining registered parcels, shown so the holding can be placed in context
- Any burden capable of graphical representation, such as a defined right of way
- The scale at which the plan is held, which governs how much detail it can carry
- The date of issue, which is what a planning officer or solicitor will check first
- The Certified Folio, supplied together with the map – the certified register entry covering owner, class of title and every registered burden
What Is Not Included
There are three situations where the certified plan will disappoint you, and it is better to know them in advance.
The first is a boundary argument. The plan shows the registered position, and that is useful, but general boundaries means it is evidence rather than proof. Where a Tuam boundary is genuinely in dispute, the answer comes from the registered instruments, the physical evidence on the ground, agreement between the parties, or the courts.
The second is the terms of a registered right. The plan shows where a right runs; it does not say what it permits. The certified folio supplied with it names the burden, but the wording lives in the registered instrument, which is a separate order.
The third is unregistered property. Where no folio has ever issued, there is no title plan to certify. A folio search against the address establishes which system the title sits in, within 24 hours.
Why People Order
Certified plans for Tuam property are ordered in a fairly narrow set of situations, and it is worth knowing which one you are in before ordering.
Ground subject to seasonal flooding is mapped at its surveyed state, not its wettest. The certified plan records the registered parcel; what happens to it in winter is a separate matter for a survey.
- A planning application where certified evidence of the site extent is required at validation.
- A transfer of part, where the ground being sold has to be defined against the existing registered parcel.
- A sale where the purchaser’s solicitor raises a query about the extent shown on the plan.
Not sure which was asked for? The certified plan and the certified folio come together, so both are covered.
Order Certified MapReal World Use Cases
The certified plan is ordered by a fairly consistent set of people in Tuam:
Homeowners: Extension and alteration applications, boundary queries with a neighbour, or selling part of a garden.
Solicitors and conveyancers: Transfers of part, replies to requisitions on extent, and applications requiring certified mapping.
Architects and planning consultants: Site extent evidence for planning applications, and establishing what is registered before design work.
Farmers and landowners: Multi-parcel holdings, site transfers to family, sales of individual fields and lease arrangements.
Executors and personal representatives: Establishing and proving the extent of a deceased person’s registered holding.
Developers and site assemblers: Confirming the registered extent of an acquisition target before committing to it.
Land Registry Context
Tuam is a north Galway cathedral town on the plain, at the centre of an agricultural hinterland. Demand here rests on a market and cathedral town serving north Galway farming country, which is what generates the mapping questions.
Locally, two issues recur: turlough and seasonally flooded limestone ground on the surrounding plain; and multi-parcel holdings assembled over generations, each parcel separately registered. Both are worth knowing before you read a plan.
The practical consequence for mapping is that a Tuam plan often needs reading rather than glancing at. Surrounding farmland is fully registered, with holdings commonly spread across parcels, so the first question is usually which registered parcel the plan relates to and whether the holding runs to more than one.
Common Mistakes
Confusing extent with ownership – the plan answers one and the folio answers the other
Expecting the line to settle a dispute – general boundaries makes it evidence, not a verdict
Submitting an uncertified print with a formal application – routinely rejected at validation
Assuming the plan is current – it certifies the position at its date of issue
Reading a mapped burden as if it were the full right – the wording is in the instrument
Missing a second registered parcel on the same Tuam holding
Treating the drawing as a survey – it is a register document, not a measured one
Need the wording of a burden shown on the plan? That comes from the Instrument Copy, ordered separately.
Order Certified MapHow To Order
- Tell us what you have – an address or Eircode is enough, and a folio number is faster
- We confirm the registered title and check whether the holding runs to more than one parcel
- The plan is obtained in certified form, under seal and dated
- You supply a postal address, since there is no electronic version of a sealed document
- The certified plan and the certified folio are issued together as a single order
- Posted within 15 working days, with fast track available where the timeline is tight
- Where no Tuam folio is found, we come back to you rather than proceeding
Turnaround & Delivery
The Tuam Certified Map is delivered by post within 15 working days, and the Certified Folio travels with it as part of the same order. That timeline reflects what these documents are: sealed hard copies, certified and dated. There is no emailed version, because an emailed copy would not carry the certification that makes it useful.
Where a deadline is close, plan around the 15 working days rather than against it, and run a Folio Search in parallel – that comes back electronically within 24 hours and covers ownership and burdens while the plan is in transit.
Fast track delivery is available at an additional charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Certified Map for a Tuam property?
It is an officially certified copy of the registered title plan, issued under seal, showing the extent of the registered land. Certification means a planning authority, lender or court can rely on it as a true copy of the register as at its date of issue.
Does the Certified Map prove where my boundary is?
No, and this is the most important thing to understand about it. Ireland registers general boundaries, so the mapped line shows approximately where the division runs rather than fixing its exact legal position. The certified plan proves what the register maps - not where the boundary legally falls.
How long does a Certified Map for Tuam take?
Delivered by post within 15 working days. It is a sealed physical document, so there is no electronic version. Fast track delivery is available at an additional charge if the timeline is tight.
Can I get the Certified Map by email?
No. The certification and seal are what give the document its standing, and they only exist on the physical copy. If you need information quickly, order a Folio Search alongside it - that arrives electronically within 24 hours and covers ownership and burdens.
Do I need the folio number to order?
No. The Tuam property address is normally enough for us to identify the registered title. If you already have the folio number for the County Galway register, supplying it will save a step.
The land floods in winter. Does the map show that?
No. It maps the registered parcel at its surveyed state. Seasonal flooding is a physical characteristic, not a register entry, and it is established by inspection and survey rather than from the plan.
What is the difference between the Certified Map and the Certified Folio?
The folio is the register entry in words - registered owner, class of title and burdens. The map is the plan showing the extent of the ground. They answer different questions, and both are supplied together on this order, so you do not have to work out in advance which one the request was aimed at.
Do I get the folio as well as the map?
Yes. The Certified Folio is supplied with the Certified Map as a single order, so you receive the certified register entry for the Tuam property alongside the certified plan. Both arrive under seal, by post, within 15 working days.
Will the Certified Map show a right of way?
It shows mapped burdens where they are capable of being shown graphically, so a right of way with a defined route will usually appear. What it will not show is the wording - the terms of the right come from the registered instrument, which is a separate document.
Start Your Tuam Certified Map Order
The certified title plan for a Tuam property, supplied with the Certified Folio as one order and posted within 15 working days. Fast track delivery available.
Order Certified MapProperty Records Team
Last reviewed:
Land Registry Online - Irish property records specialists processing folio, deeds and title searches nationwide
- Irish Land Register folio records
- Registry of Deeds memorial records
- Reviewed quarterly