Inch Fort, Lough Swilly, Inishowen, County Donegal was built between 1812 and 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. It had positions for nine guns, six in an open battery and a further three in a blockhouse.[1] Following the peace in 1815, the defences of Lough Swilly were neglected.
| Inch Fort | |
|---|---|
| County Donegal Ireland | |
 Gun emplacement overlooking Lough Swilly | |
| Coordinates | 55°05′03″N 7°30′55″W / 55.0842°N 7.5153°W |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Intact, part demolished |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1812-1813 Reconstructed 1895-1899 |
| Materials | Stone Concrete Earth |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | British Armed Forces |
During the 1880s a scheme to strengthen the defences in Lough Swilly was put into effect. By 1893 Inch Fort had been rearmed with two 6-inch guns on hydropneumatic carriages.[2] A small barrack complex was added at the same time. Following recommendations of the Owen Committee in 1905, the guns were deemed surplus and the fort was disarmed and abandoned.[3][4]
Today the site includes the two 6-inch gun positions and associated magazines, but the Napoleonic blockhouse was mostly demolished during the 1890s remodelling.[citation needed]
Further reading
edit- Col. K. W. Maurice-Jones (1959). The History of Coast Artillery in the British Army. London: Royal Artillery Institution.
- Paul M. Kerrigan (1995). Castles and Fortifications in Ireland, 1485–1945. Cork: Collins Press. ISBN 1898256128.
References
edit
- ^ The National Archives, Plans of Neds Point Fort and Down of Inch Fort, War Office, 1862 WO78/4747/1
- ^ Stevenson, Ian (1995). "Two Irish Loughs". The Redan: Journal of the Palmerston Forts Society, p. 17.
- ^ Owen, J. F. (1905). Report of the Committee on the Armaments of Home Ports. London: HMSO.
- ^ Stevenson, pp. 11–28