Martello tower

The National Monuments Service's description

Howth Martello Tower No. 2 (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., 174) 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'. Howth tower stands on a natural spur above Balscadden Bay, east of Howth Village off Abbey Street in view of the tower on Ireland's Eye on the W side of the island. Entrance in the SW side with machicolation present above the doorway. The interior is lit by small square opes. Exterior is rendered. A chimney has been inserted on the N side (Kerrigan 1995, 174).The tower was armed with a 24-pounder cannon. The Preventive Water Guard was granted the right to occupy the tower in 1825 when it formed part of their anti-struggling network of towers and stations. It was also used as a signalling station and was occupied by HM Postmaster General following the nationalisation of the telegraph companies in 1870 (Bolton et al 2012,151). Now the Hurdy Gurdy Museum of vintage radio.
Described by Kerrigan (1995, 714) as; 'Tower no. 2 is on high ground overlooking Howth Harbour and Balscadden Bay and in sight of tower no. 3, on the western side of Ireland's Eye, one-and-a-half miles to the north. Tower no, 4 at Portmarnock, Carrick Hill' in contemporary lists, is three miles north-west of the tower on Ireland's Eye'.

See attached plan of Howth Martello Tower No. 2 courtesy of the Irish Military Archives - Archival Reference Code: IE/MA/MPD/AD119457-005

Photo © Christine Matthews (cc-by-sa/2.0)

DU016-002002-_03 Patrick Healy Collection, https://hdl.handle.net/10599/3222, © South Dublin Libraries, Local Studies Collection, County Library, Town Centre, Tallaght, Dublin 24

See attached Taylor's 1816 Map showing the location of the Martello Tower.

Taylor, J. 1816 Taylor's map of the environs of Dublin: extending 10 to 14 miles from the castle, by actual survey, on a scale of 2 inches to one mile.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by; Christine Baker

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 23 January 2023

References

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.

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