An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 9 C o r k H a r b o u r BY CPL LEE COYLE PHOTOS ARMN JAMIE BARRETT C amden Fort Meagher is one of two coastal artillery forts that sit as protectors at the mouth of Cork Har- bour; its sister fort is Fort Davis, a place familiar to many Defence Forces personnel through training exercises. With the forts having such a close relationship, Norma O'Connor, who is a volunteer at Camden Fort Meagher, invited An Cosantóir to take a tour of the magnificent build- ings, tunnels and fortifications of the lesser known of the two siblings that sit like giants watching over the bay and protecting Cork Harbour. As we approached the fort from its west side, the sheer impact of its immense external wall would make most stop and gasp. Rising from a dry moat 40 feet into the air, any would-be assailant would surely be intimidated simply by its enormity. Norma, our tour guide for the day, met us as we entered the fort by way of a bridge linking the external road to the fort, spanning the 28-foot-wide moat. It didn't take long for the details of the fort to intrigue us, as our host told us that the bridge we had just crossed was erected by the Defence Forces, sometime in the last 40 years. (Originally there would have been a Guthrie rolling bridge that would be withdrawn inside the fort to prevent would-be attackers from crossing.) The first fortifications were built in 1550, with most of what can be seen today being constructed by British forces in the mid-1860s. The fort remained in British hands until 1938, when it was handed over to the Defence Forces, which used it as a training base for the next 50 years. During its time as a mili- tary base the fort's inhabitants would have ranged from between 20-40 during peacetime to as high as 500-600 during the Emergency. In 1989 the fort was handed over to Cork County Council, but no use could be found for it and it sat idle for the next 20 years, slowly falling into disrepair. In 2010 two enthusiasts, Irish musician, Skully, and local man, Vince Farr, approached the Council with a plan to restore the fort and were given the go-ahead. Over the next few months and years they completely transformed the site, removing overgrown vegetation and rubbish, with help from volunteers and FÁS schemes. The fort is now a listed building. The fort's internal layout has much that would be familiar to military personnel, with a guardroom and prisoner cells located at the main gate. All the rooms have been given different themes, each offering visitors a different aspect of the fort's history. One is furnished like an old billet, with beds and authentic bed blocks. Others include an Irish military history room, British military history room, WWI memorial room, and a Naval Service room. One of many interesting facts about the fort is that it employed the Brennan torpedo, and a room dedicated to the torpedo and its inventor, Louis Brennan, shows how inventive and ahead of its time this technology was. The bunker where the Brennan torpedoes would have been launched was built in 1900 but is inaccessible today due to safety concerns. However, a 3D scan of the bunker can be viewed on www.normaoconnor.com/cms/torpedo. Camden Fort Meagher truly is a great historical site that holds many marvellous military history displays. It is a great family day out with lots to see and visitors can also take in the scenery while relaxing in the fort's café if they want a break. Even now this fort's story has not yet been fully told, with many tunnels and areas waiting to be discovered and restored. I would like to thank Norma O'Connor and all the staff at Camden Fort Meagher for a great experience. You can con- tact Camden Fort Meagher on: 085 850 1483 or visit their website www.camdenfortmeagher.ie.

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