MARRIAGE HAS NEVER been easy – and that was as true 200 years ago as it is today.
At least, that’s the only conclusion you can draw from this early-nineteenth-century ‘matrimonial map’, produced in Cork for newlyweds wondering what to look out for.
Recently acquired by the National Library of Ireland, the chart shows all the sights of a typical marriage – from the Bay of Delight and the, er, Temple of Hymen (not far from Cradle Point) to the Rocks of Jealousy, the Lake of Indifference and even the much-feared Divorce Island.
It also includes a handy explainer to the various landmarks. So go on, have a wander around. But if you end up at the Fort of Repentance, don’t say we didn’t warn you.
