Bastioned fort

The National Monuments Service's description

The Phoenix House (DU018-007013-) was demolished in 1734 to make way for the building of the Magazine Fort (McCullen 2009, 37) which was used as the distribution centre for powder and munitions to serve the Dublin barracks. The fort is quadrilateral in plan with four demi-bastions surrounded by a dry moat: the entrance was via a drawbridge on its east side. Later modified c. 1760 and again in 1801 when the triangle of brick buildings were erected in front of the entrance (ibid., 38), it continued in use until the mid-20th century. Described in 1818 as; 'The Powder Magazine, erected in 1738. This is a regular square fort, with demi-bastions at the angles, a dry ditch, and drawbridge, in the centre are the magazines for ammunition, well secured against accidental fire, and bomb proof, in evidence of which no casualty has happened since their construction. The fort occupies two acres and thirty-three perches of ground, and is fortified by ten twenty-four pounders: as a further security, and to contain barracks for troops, which before were drawn from Chapel-Izod, an additional triangular work was constructed in 1801' (Warburton et. al. 1818, 1309).
The fort was successfully raided at the start of the Easter Rising in 1916 as the signal for the rebellion to commence. It was raided again in 1939 when a large amount of guns and munitions were taken: these were later retrieved (ibid., 309). The fort has been immortalised by Dean Swift (1667-1745) in the following satirical verse: 'Behold a proof of Irish sense / here Irish wit is seen, / when nothings left that's worth defence / they build a magazine.' (ibid., 38)

Compiled by: Paul Walsh

Revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 25 January 2023

References

Falkiner, C.L. 1904 Illustrations of Irish history and topography mainly in the seventeenth century. London. Longmans Greene.

Warburton, J., Whitelaw, W. and Walsh, R. 1818 History of the city of Dublin. 2 vols. London.

McCullen, J.A. 2009 An illustrated history of the Phoenix Park. Landscape and management to 1880. Government publications. Dublin.