The Irish village of Howth (Co. Dublin) has a major historical monument in its history. It is a Martello Tower (Martello Tower in English) whose origins date back to 1805. Built to watch over the port of the village, the island of Ireland’s Eye and the open sea, it is a remnant of the conflict between Great Britain and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Howth’s Martello Tower – landhere – cc
The Howth Martello Tower is located a short walk from the village harbour, near St Mary’s church. It is in the form of a wide round tower, and was once used by the British to post guards to watch over the surrounding area. At that time, the British feared a possible Napoleonic invasion of Ireland: this is why the Irish island has many similar Martello towers, scattered all over its coasts. It should be noted that the Dublin region has 21 such towers, but some of them are in a pitiful state of disrepair, left abandoned).
This is not the case of the Howth Martello Tower, which has been carefully preserved. Very imposing, it is in perfect condition, and enjoys an excellent quality of construction.
The tower was indeed built from local stones. Its gate is said to have been built 3 metres above the ground: a decision taken to make access to the tower difficult for possible attackers (the defenders would then simply have to remove the ladder to make their tower impregnable).
It offers a breathtaking view of the sea and Ireland’s Eye, an island opposite Howth, which itself has another Martello tower.
The tower today has been converted into a museum dedicated to the history of radio. The place offers a beautiful display of radio stations from the 1900s to the present day. An exciting museum for lovers of Irish history and technology!