Martello Tower

A Martello Tower refers to a defensive tower, built in Ireland to cope with the Napoleonic Wars. The British built more than 74 such towers on the Irish coast. Their purpose was to house 25 men and an officer, in charge of guarding the coastline. The objective: to defend against a possible arrival of the French.

Visit the Martello Towers in Ireland

A construction on the coast to defend itself from Napoleon

The Martello Towers are generally between 2 and 3 storeys high. Their round walls are 2.5 meters thick. The round structure and the solid, thick walls made them very resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform to accommodate a heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and capable of rotating 360 degrees.

These towers are usually open to visitors, and sometimes converted into a museum. Fascinating places, full of history, some of which were sometimes rehabilitated during the Second World War.

Don’t hesitate to visit them: each tower has its own History!