Bastioned fort

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated in dense woodland and vegetation, on Dysart Island, on the western shores of Lough Ennel. Along with Great Island, this small ‘island’ now forms a promontory which is connected to the mainland by a wet boggy land bridge, having previously been much further into the Lough, prior to 20th century drainage works in the vicinity, as depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map. Collectively these two islands are now known as Dysart Island, as shown on the revised 1913 ed. OS 25-inch map.
In 1682 Sir Henry Piers of Tristernagh wrote that in 'this lake is an island belonging to the land of Disert, which was in some sort fortified by the Irish in the latter end of the late wars, and held as a garrison by them, and made one of the chief repositories of their wealth, yet notwithstanding it was taken on composition by the English, who held it, until by the treachery of one Ryling of Mullingar, whom the governor of it trusted with his cots, for exportation of goods; he delivered the cots unto some of the Irish captains, who by this means in a dark night landed their men, and set on the governor unawares, and surprised him and his garrison' (Vallancey 1786, 42-3).
Woods (1907, 2), refers to this as ‘Fort Island’ and describes it as the largest island in Lough Ennell, which was garrisoned and used as a magazine by the Irish in 1641. It was seized by the Parliamentary forces on two occasions until held by them until the restoration (ibid). Monument described in 1982 as no surface remains visible. The small area of Dysart Island, as distinct from Great Island to which it is now joined appears to have angular banks close to the shoreline on the lough-side, but it is difficult to determine whether these banks are due to water-scarps or to later fortifications. The interior of the site is densely covered by trees and thickets and is not accessible. Star-shaped Fort listed in Iris Ofigiuil 11/11/1983.

Compiled by Alison McQueen, Vera Rahilly and Caimin O’Brien.

Date of upload: 24 September 2019

References

Vallancey, C. (ed.) 1786 Collectanea de rebus hibernicis, Volume 1. Dublin. Luke White.

Woods, J. (ed.) 1907 Annals of Westmeath ancient and modern. Dublin. Sealy, Bryers & Walker.