Neds Point Fort facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Neds Point Fort
County Donegal Ireland
Neds Point Fort front entrance
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Site information
Owner	Local Authority
Condition	Intact
Site history
Built	1812-1813 Reconstructed 1895-1899
Materials	Stone, concrete, earth
Garrison information
Garrison	British Armed Forces

Neds Point Fort is one of several Napoleonic batteries built along the shores of Lough Swilly in county Donegal, to defend the north west of Ireland. It was part of a scheme to fortify Lough Swilly and Lough Foyle against French Invasion during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. It is situated near the once important naval town of Buncrana and its current form largely dates to works completed between 1812 and 1813. It comprised a rectangular blockhouse mounting two guns and a supporting battery mounting four guns. The fort is surrounded by a ditch.

After the end of the Napoleonic Wars the defences were neglected and not updated. In 1874 the fort was armed with two 5.5-inch Howitzers in the tower and four 24 Pounder smooth bore guns in the main battery.

It was remodeled in the 1890s as a battery with two 6-inch guns on hydropneumatic mountings. This included a central underground magazine complex and the height of the tower or blockhouse was also reduced. In addition two practice batteries were constructed for six 64 Pounder guns and four 5-inch Breech Loading (BL) guns. In 1905 it was recommended by the Owen Committee that the fort be disarmed. This was completed by 1907, and no armament was listed at the fort in a report dated to 1913.

The fort remains substantially intact, along with the practice batteries. As of 2012, the site was subject to some restoration and intended to be open to the public as a wildlife observation centre in spring of 2013.