Finavarra Tower is a

Martello tower Martello towers are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand up to high (with two floors) and typica ...

in Finavarra,

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Built during the

Napoleonic wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

in 1812-16, and situated on Finavarra Point, the tower protected the north-eastern side of Ballyvaughan Bay and the south-western entrance of New Quay harbour from possible attack from

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. British military engineers built many such fortifications as signal towers to protect the coast against a French invasion. Most of these towers are oval or round and stand between forty and sixty feet high. Their staircases were incorporated within the walls and the doorway was usually some distance above ground level. This ovoid tower had three gun placements on the roof. The usual garrison of these towers was about ten men who would have lived in a nearby barracks. The remains of such a barracks lie north-east of the tower. However, nearby

Aughinish Tower Aughinish Tower is a Martello tower at Aughinish, County Clare, Ireland. It was built as a signal and gun tower to defend Ireland against invasion by the French during the Napoleonic Wars. History The tower's construction dates back to Mar ...

which is thought to have been of similar and contemporaneous construction, included quarters for around 40 men. At the site of Finavarra Tower, a small stone has the following: "This property including the Martello Tower and Appurtenances was bequeathed to the State for the benefit of the Nation by MRS. MAUREEN EMERSON who died on the 4th day of November 1999."

References

External links

Clare County LibraryClare County Library Photographs

{{Coord, 53, 8, 58.8, N, 9, 8, 7.76, W, scale:25000_type:landmark, display=title Towers completed in 1816 Towers in the Republic of Ireland Martello towers Napoleonic Wars Fortified towers 1816 establishments in Ireland Round towers