Finavarra Tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Finavarra Martello Tower |
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Finvarra Tower and barracks
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| General information | |
| Status | In ruins |
| Type | Martello tower and barracks |
| Town or city | New Quay, County Clare |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°8′58.8″N 9°8′7.76″W / 53.149667°N 9.1354889°W |
| Construction started | 1812 |
| Completed | 1816 |
Finavarra Tower is a special old building called a Martello tower. You can find it in Finavarra, in County Clare, Ireland. This tower was built a long time ago, between 1812 and 1816. This was during the Napoleonic Wars, which was a big war involving France and many other countries.
The tower stands on Finavarra Point. Its main job was to protect the coast from possible attacks. It guarded the north-eastern part of Ballyvaughan Bay and the entrance to New Quay harbour. The people who built it wanted to keep the area safe from French ships.
What is a Martello Tower?
British military engineers built many Martello towers. They were like small forts along the coast. Their main purpose was to act as signal towers. They also helped protect the country from invaders. Most of these towers are round or oval in shape. They usually stand between 40 and 60 feet tall. That's about as tall as a four- or five-story building!
Inside the Tower
The stairs inside a Martello tower were built right into the thick walls. This made them very strong and hard to attack. The main doorway was usually high up off the ground. This meant you needed a ladder or rope to get in. This made it harder for enemies to break in quickly.
Finavarra Tower is oval-shaped. It had three spots on its roof where cannons could be placed. These cannons would have been used to defend the coast.
Life at the Tower
A Martello tower usually had a small group of soldiers living there. This group, called a garrison, was often about ten men. These soldiers would have lived in a building nearby called a barracks. You can still see the remains of the barracks north-east of Finavarra Tower.
Another tower, called Aughinish Tower, was built around the same time. It was probably similar in design. However, Aughinish Tower was big enough to house about 40 soldiers. This shows that some towers were larger than others.
A Special Gift
At the site of Finavarra Tower, there is a small stone. It has a special message carved into it. The stone says that Mrs. Maureen Emerson gave this property to the country. This gift included the Martello Tower and everything that came with it. Mrs. Emerson passed away on November 4, 1999. She wanted the tower to benefit the whole nation.
