There are around half a dozen articles online about Francis Morton’s fencing, mainly identifying the distinctive winding pillars. What is remarkable is the age of many of these posts; still standing firm in the twenty-first century, some could have been erected as early as 1860. My interest in these pillars… Read More »Francis Morton & Co. Patent Fencing
Late at night on Saturday 11 September 1920, a daring raid was carried out on the Coastguard Station at Torr Head, County Antrim. It was reported that between 40-50 armed and masked Sinn Feiners arrived by motor vehicle at the remote station, forcibly entering each of the billets of the… Read More »The razing of Torr Head Coastguard Station
A site visit and photographic report on the history and current condition of Kilroot Battery, a 1910 coastal artillery battery on the western coast of Belfast Lough. The fort was in use until 1956 when the coastal artillery units were disbanded, and during the Second World War, it saw expansion… Read More »Kilroot Coastal Artillery Battery
Ballykinlar (also Ballykinler) Camp started life as a firing range for the 5th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles as they trained for the war in South Africa, fighting the Boers. At the time they were garrisoned in Downpatrick, 8 miles away, and the coastal land at Ballykinlar offered good real estate… Read More »Postcards from Ballykinlar
The origins of a camp at Magilligan are difficult to ascertain, as I haven’t discovered any definitive records relating to the initial construction of the camp. A number of clues exist in the early Ordnance Survey maps of the area and in the local landscape that helps in charting the… Read More »Site Visit – Magilligan Point
The barracks and army ordnance buildings of Clancy Barracks are located on the south side of the River Liffy in Dublin. Constructed in around 1798 and originally known as Islandbridge (Island Bridge) Barracks, the site was renamed in 1942 after Peader Clancy killed during the War of Independence in 1920.… Read More »Site Visit – Clancy Barracks, Dublin
A collection of photographs that were taken on a tour by the Land Trust in 2007.
Slough Fort (so named due to its proximity to Slough hamlet to the north west) was built between 1861 and 1867 to combat a ever growing threat from the French who were bolstering their coastal defences and naval fleets. One of many stone built forts built along the Kent coastline,… Read More »Site Visit – Slough Fort, Allhallows
Grain Tower Battery was constructed between 1879 and 1855 of granite in an Martello tower style. Unique by virtue that it was constructed off shore on a mud-spit in the River Medway, and only accessible by foot along a (muddy) brick causeway at low tide. The fort was initially armed… Read More »Site Visit – Grain Tower Battery
[huge_it_maps id=”4″] Meaning ‘Fort of the Heather,’ Dunree Fort is now a national museum in Donegal. Originally a fort was erected on the cliffs in 1798 to guard against French invasion. The much expanded site today consists of 4 distinct areas of interest; the original fort which is now a museum… Read More »Site Visit – Dunree Fort, County Donegal