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  • Fort Shannon

    According to the book "Step Together" by mccarron, fort shannon down by tarbert in co. kerry was the only fort built by the irish government. is there any of it still there, and can one get a proper tour of the site? i know the guns are in donegal now btw.
    "Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here...this is the War Room!"

  • #2
    Interesting. Were there not any British fortifications on the estuary? Certainly they never seem to be discussed.
    Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead

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    • #3
      Last summer I visited the fortification at the Shannon estuary. “Fort” Shannon is an area surrounded by a stone wall - not much higher than 4 ft. Tree pillboxes protect this wall and can even fire into the fort. Two gun-emplacements have a concrete roof, but this sure not bomb proof.
      There are underground galleries that connect each emplacement with is own magazine. Two searchlight buildings and a “technical building” are the other constructions on the area. It is hard to get an idea of the fort due the vegetation; it is practically impossible to get more than two buildings on the same picture. A wooden barrack, in the centre was complete destroyed. In Fort, the newsletter of the Fortress Study Group, there was an article about this. I can post some pictures if you would like that.

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      • #4
        http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coc...ifications.htm

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        • #5
          Not quite on post, but interesting to see that there were guns on the Shannon at Athlone well in the 20th Century. The guns used to shell Dublin during the 1916 Rising were taken from Athlone to Dublin, where they were reassembled. Apparently they only managed to get two functioning out of the six or so they brought up, which says a lot about the state of the river artillery at the time!

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          • #6
            Pictures of Fort Shannon - 1

            Here are some pictures of Fort Shannon. This drawning is no perfect but gives an idea of the "Fort"
            FtShannon.jpg is the result of GPS-coordinates.
            fts001 = pillbox 3
            fts002 = interior of a pillbox
            fts003 = the gun-emplacement
            fts004 = exterior of casemat 1
            Attached Files

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            • #7
              fts005 = searchlight
              fts006 = in the searchlight building
              fts007 = "electrical powerhouse" (technical building)
              fts008 = entrance to one of the casemats
              fts009 = view from gate 1 to the powerhouse

              I have no pictures of the destroyed wooden hut that served as crew accommodation.
              I couldn't find the Fire Control Post.
              Attached Files

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              • #8
                Excellent photos Hugo, when was this fort abandoned ?
                'History is a vast early warning system'. Norman Cousins

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                • #9
                  Bill Clements who wrote the article in FORT (Fortress Study Group) says that the fort was evacuated on 31 May 1946. After that there was still a caretaker party of five soldiers and a civilian for five years.

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                  • #10
                    Hugo very nice pictures.
                    Lifes a bitch, so be her pimp!

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                    • #11
                      Cool. I didn't know it even existed. Savage pics Hugo
                      Trouble, Trouble, I tried to chase trouble but its chasing me.
                      Trouble, trouble, trouble with a capitol T
                      do do do do do do do da do do do. etc etc......

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                      • #12
                        The gun emplacement on The western end of Carrig Island still has its blockhouse and ston gun traverse things. The line of the dry moat can be made out in places also.
                        I can't make you do anything but i can make you wish you had.

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                        • #13
                          I visited most of the Napoleonic batteries. I am preparing an article for our newsletter "Vesting". I shall make a brief summary in English for IMO.

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                          • #14
                            Very interesting - I am looking up info for a friend whose father was stationed in Fort Shannon and this is the first lead.
                            Thanks

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                            • #15
                              Hugo, great pics! All the times I passed by over the years, I had no idea that a fort existed here. Thanks again.

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