Magazine Fort
Magazine Fort | |
---|---|
Dún na hArmlainne Irish Defence Forces |
The Magazine Fort is a
History
Background
In the 1530s, during the
Although
Now's here's a proof of Irish sense/Here Irish wit is seen / When nothing's left that's worth defence/We build a Magazine
Construction
Unlike de Burgh's nearby star fort, which was primarily earthwork and demolished in the 1830s,[10] Corneille's bastion fort was built of brick and limestone.[15]
The main body of the fort is approximately 2 acres in area and is surrounded by a
Defences
A 1793 survey indicates that a large artillery piece was used to defend the main gateway.[15] By the 1890s, there were ten 12-pounder guns mounted at the fort.[17] In the early 20th century, the corner demi-bastions were converted to include concrete pillbox machine-gun posts.[17][18]
Raids
In use by British and Irish forces for 250 years, the fort was subject to two notable raids in the 20th century. The first occurred on 24 April 1916, during the Easter Rising, when predominantly young members of Fianna Éireann raided the fort for arms, and set explosives to blow it up, however, "after setting fires to blow up the magazine’s ordinance; but the fuses burned out before reaching the ammunition and little damage was caused."[19][20]
Some of the first shots of the Easter Rising were believed to have been fired during this raid, when an unarmed member of the garrison household and an armed sentry were shot. The latter was seriously injured but apparently survived; the former died nine hours later. These marked the first shootings of the Easter Rising.[21]
The second raid occurred on 23 December 1939 when, during the so-called "
Today
As with other military installations within Dublin, following the
See also
- Dublin gunpowder explosion – a 16th-century disaster arising from gunpowder storage/transport within the city proper
- Elizabeth Fort – a similarly sized star-plan fort in Cork city
References
- ^ "Dún na hArmlainne/Magazine Fort". Irish Placenames Commission. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Visitor Information >> Magazine Fort > Magazine Fort Opening". Phoenixpark.ie. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016.
- ^ a b c "Buildings at Risk: Ammunition fort in Phoenix Park fires up for revival". Irish Times. 3 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "Inside The Magazine Fort At Phoenix Park: It's in A Right Old State". Broadsheet.ie. 3 June 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Phoenix Park Magazine Fort opens to the public". Irish Times. 30 July 2016.
- ^ a b "Phoenix Park - Tours". phoenixpark.ie. Office of Public Works. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
Free guided tours are available [between April and October]. Tickets are limited and are issued from the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, on a first come first served basis on the day of the tour [..] Access cannot be granted except by ticket and bus provided from the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre
- ^ "Phoenix Park – Archaeology". Phoenixpark.ie. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ISBN 1860231543. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ Phoenix Park Conservation Management Plan (PDF) (Report). Office of Public Works. September 2011. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Archaeological Workshop, Phoenix Park (Workshop)" (PDF). Heritage Council of Ireland. May 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "Phoenix Park history". Phoenixparkbook.com. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "DIA Entry – Corneille, John (Capt)". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ISBN 9781107034778. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ Tom Prendeville (20 January 2012). "Secret history of the Phoenix Park". Independent News & Media. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ ISBN 0300109237. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "County Dublin, Dublin, Phoenix Park, Magazine Fort". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ ISBN 1898256128.
- ^ "Phoenix Park – Magazine Fort, Dublin – Page 4". Abandoned Ireland (Documenting our heritage). Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ a b c "Magazine Fort, Phoenix Park, Dublin City – 1735". Curious Ireland. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "The Raid on the Magazine Fort, Phoenix Park, Easter Monday 1916". Fiannaeireannhistory.wordpress.com. 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ Many contemporary accounts (e.g. Irish Times, 29 April 1916) suggested the garrison commander's adolescent son (Gerald Playfair, aged 14) was shot dead by an IRA volunteer, Garry Holohan. A later investigation (e.g. Duffy/History Ireland) purports that it was an elder son (George Alexander "Alec" Playfair, aged 23) who was killed.
- ^ "Magazine Fort | Park Life – Tales from the Phoenix Park". Phoenixparklife.wordpress.com. 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "Castleknock by Dublin Gazette". Issuu.com. 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "Phoenix Park – Magazine Fort, Dublin". Abandoned Ireland (Documenting Our Heritage). Retrieved 5 December 2015.
- ^ "Dáil Éireann – 09/Jul/2009 Written Answers – Departmental Properties". Oireachtas Hansard. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
External links
- "PhoenixPark.ie Conservation Plan – OPW publication with detail on plans for fort" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.