Martello tower

The National Monuments Service's description

Skerries Martello Tower No. 11 on Red Island (Kerrigan 1995, 174). According to Kerrigan (1995, 168) construction of the Dublin area Martello Towers and their batteries commenced in 1804 under the supervision of Colonel Benjamin Fisher of the Royal Engineers and by December 1805 all towers were armed and complete. Kerrigan (ibid.) recorded that; 'Twelve towers were constructed north of Dublin: each tower mounted one 24-pounder, apart from the tower on Ireland's Eye with two 24-pounders. No batteries were constructed with these towers'. Situated on an elevated position in a park on the S side of Red Island overlooking another martello tower on Shenick Island. It was built in the centre of the island, to protect the approaches and the landing place at Skerries. This is a well preserved, squat, cylindrical tower, built of coursed ashlar masonry. Interior is lit by rectangular openings (blocked) on all sides. S doorway above ground level is defended by machicolation. A second doorway was inserted into the N. An offset marks the upper portion. The tower remained in use by the gunners of the Royal Artillery until it was disarmed in 1874. Archibald Reid, Master Gunner, was in charge of the tower between 1848 and 1874. Disarmed in 1874, Skerries Martello was subsequently used as a home, coal depot, tearooms and eventually became the focal point of Red island holiday camp from the 1950s until the early 1970s.(Bolton et al. 2012 178-9).

See attached plans of Skerries Martello Tower No. 11 courtesy of the Irish Military Archives - Archival Reference Code: IE/MA/MPD/AD119458-004 & IE/MA/MPD/AD119458-003

Photo © sarah gallagher (cc-by-sa/2.0)
Photo © Phoenixesrose https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:County_Dublin_-_Skerries_Martello_Tower_-_20180325152224.jpg
Photo © Piers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Martello_Tower_on_Red_Island_in_Skerries,_from_The_Strand_at_low_tide.jpg
Photo © Leslie Noelle Sullivan https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_Island_Martello_Tower,_Skerries.jpg

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 24 January 2023

References

Kerrigan P.M. 1995 Castles and fortifications in Ireland 1485-1945. Cork. The Collins Press.

Bolton, J., Carey, T., Goodbody, R., and Clabby, G. 2012 The Martello Towers of Dublin. Dublin. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council.