Fortification

The National Monuments Service's description

Napoleonic fortification situated in a modern housing estate on the NW side of Athlone town, on an elevated site, abutting Athlone Canal to E and the River Shannon 475m to E. Annotated 'Ordnance Ground' and depicted on the 1837 OS 6-inch map as a substantial polygonal-shaped fortified complex (approx. dims. 380m WNW-ESE; max. 320m NW-SE). Monument consists of an irregular-shaped rampart which connects six batteries, including one at N, one at W, one at the SW corner, two along the S side and one at the SE corner. The batteries at the N, SW, S and SE have a triangular-shaped guard house. A series of pathways across the interior provide access routes to each of the batteries. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) in 2006 as Nos. 2 to 7 batteries consisting of the remains of an extensive series of ramparts and batteries built by the British Army, c. 1800 to defend against possible French attack during the Napoleonic Wars. Now largely built over by a local authority housing estate, constructed c. 1965. The surviving ramparts are constructed of earth and stone, although no associated buildings are extant (www.buildingsofireland.ie; NIAH Reg. No. 15001072). Oblique aerial photographs (CUCAP AHH059/060) taken 25/09/1963 show upstanding remains of this artillery fortification. Fortification is no longer visible today on Digital Globe aerial photography as the whole area is now occupied by a modern housing estate. Ranelagh battery (WM029-010----) lies c. 500m to NNE.

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

Date of upload: 07 November 2019

References

Murtagh, D. 1953 The Siege of Athlone. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 83, No. 1, 58-81.

CUCAP - Cambridge University Collection of Aerial Photographs. Unit for Landscape Modelling, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge. See:https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com