Aughinish Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aughinish Martello Tower |
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Aughinish Tower
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| General information | |
| Status | Inhabited |
| Type | Martello tower |
| Town or city | Aughinish, County Clare |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°10′6.63″N 9°4′0.43″W / 53.1685083°N 9.0667861°W |
| Construction started | c. 1812 |
| Completed | c. 1816 |
Aughinish Tower is a special old building called a Martello tower. You can find it in Aughinish, County Clare, in Ireland. This tower was built a long time ago, around 1812. Its main purpose was to act as a signal and gun tower. It helped defend Ireland from a possible invasion by the French during the Napoleonic Wars.
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Building the Tower
Work on Aughinish Tower began in March 1811. That's when the land for the tower was bought. About 6 acres of land were purchased from a Major Lynch.
Tower Design and Features
Aughinish Tower has a similar design to another tower called Finavarra Tower. However, the small building that once stored weapons near Aughinish Tower is no longer there. This storage building used to be just west of the main tower.
Inside the tower, the first floor had rooms for one officer and thirty-nine soldiers. Downstairs, on the ground level, there was a water tank in the basement. There was also a special room for gunpowder, a cellar, and a storage area. A large 24-pound cannon was still at the tower until 1992.
Fun Times at the Tower
In the 1950s, people from Aughinish used the tower for dancing! They held parties and traditional Irish dance gatherings called Ceilidhs. These fun events happened on special days like Christmas and Easter. They also celebrated local weddings there. People from a nearby place called New Quay would often row their boats across the water to join the parties.
Who Owns the Tower Now?
In 1960, a man named Duffy from Limerick bought Aughinish Tower. He purchased it from the Land Commission. Later, in 1987, he sold the property. The exact price he sold it for is not known. The current owner is from Galway. They have fixed up the tower to make it a home. A new steel staircase has been added to the outside of the tower.
