Rathmullan Battery
The Rathmullan Battery is a British fortification located in what is now Lough Swilly, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland.[1] The battery earned its name from the nearby village of Rathmullan. The battery is constructed out of granite blocks, and the walls are 40ft (12m) high. Despite being such a large fort, the crew was only 30 men.[1][2] The battery was constructed in 1810-12, as part of a series of defenses near Lough Swilly made to repulse a French attack, which had happened during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.[2] The battery was of the conventional type of fort for the time, having a surrounding moat and a central bastion.[3] The guns were mounted in five barbettes along the wall, the placements of which can still be seen today.[1] The battery was well kept up until the outbreak of World War I. During the war, Rathmullan protected the British fleet which lay at anchor in the harbor. The battery also operated as a balloon base during the war. The Rathmullan Battery was abandoned until the 1980s, when the Rathmullan Enterprise Group repaired the building and established a Heritage Center which opened in 1990.[2]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Maxwell, Nick (2013-03-03). "Museum Eye: Flight of the Earls/Rathmullan Heritage Centre". History Ireland. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- 1 2 3 "Local Rathmullan History". St. Joseph's Rathmullan. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
- ↑ FUSIO. "Rathmullan Fort, Kerrs Bay Road, Rathmullan and Ballyboe, Rathmullan, Donegal". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 2026-09-26.