What does the term ‘Martello’ mean to you? It sounds exotic, doesn’t it? Does it make you think of Ireland at all, or do you instead picture warm, sunny Mediterranean beaches? Probably the latter, and for good reason. Martello Towers, as their sunny-sounding name suggests, emerged in the Mediterranean region. More specifically, the tower which served as their model, Torra di Martella, is in Corsica and was built on a coastal promontory called Punta Martella – hence their English name. In the nineteenth century, they became a hugely popular design, replicated throughout Europe and beyond to distant shores in the likes of America and Australia. They exist in Ireland, too. But what are they, how did they function, and why were they so popular?
Martello Towers are circular, defensive towers which were very commonly built and employed during the Napoleonic Wars. But they existed long before that and were used long after as well. The Torra di Martella in Corsica was built in the sixteenth century by the Genoese. When British engineers came across it in the late eighteenth century, they were amazed by the simplicity, and efficiency, of the tower’s design. It was completely round and extremely thick, which made it particularly resistant to artillery fire. Indeed, circular walls were much favoured by military engineers: corners are structurally weaker, and yet, whenever employed, the whole structure relies on them. By avoiding corners altogether, the towers were thus automatically sturdier than their square and rectangular counterparts. A platform on top allowed soldiers to fire at 360 degrees.
Martello towers share similarities with medieval castles. For example, their entrance door was normally located several meters up, and was only accessible via a ladder which would be pulled up to avoid the enemy being able to barge in. Many also had machicolation right above the doorway so that soldiers standing on the firing platform could fire at the enemy below (or throw down rocks, oil, or whatever else they had available). Some also had their own moat, effectively making them look like mini castles. A very simple design, really, but very effective. From Corsica, the design was transported back to the British Isles and spread throughout the empire where it was refined throughout the years.
While not strictly barracks, the towers did house soldiers – rarely more than a dozen or so, and very few pieces of artillery – often just one. The whole point of the design was that it allowed a small number of men to literally ‘hold the fort’ without compromising on efficiency and durability. They were usually laid out over three or four levels: the firing platform, an accommodation level, and cellars which served as a stockroom for food, weapons, ammunition and other such things. Some advanced examples had their own water tanks or fresh water supply, usually built underground. In official army lists, towers are generally recorded separately from barracks, although in some cases towers housed more soldiers than some small barracks dotted around the countryside.
The reason for the distinction between barracks and towers is because Martello towers were primarily a type of fortification – their purpose was to defend an area. The ‘accommodation’ they provided was therefore extremely basic – without even a bathroom. Instead, soldiers were regularly rotated, and sent back to their barracks after a certain amount of time. Permanent barracks, on the other hand, were rarely fortified, and instead primarily served as living accommodation with ancillary buildings such as on-site shops and workshops, hospitals, recreational facilities, schools, and could provide soldiers and their families with numerous services. In terms of strategic importance, budget, maintenance, and administration required, barracks and towers were thus very different. It is nevertheless useful to know that some soldiers did spend a considerable amount of their time holed-up in these tiny fortresses.
There are many towers across Ireland which are still standing. Possibly the most famous is the James Joyce Museum Tower in Sandycove in Dublin, while the best surviving example in Northern Ireland is by far the tower at Magilligan Point (County Derry) which remains in pristine condition. It is publicly accessible and can be visited, while others were converted into hotels, restaurants, and even private accommodation.
by Caroline Wilhelmsson
Further Reading
Clements, William H., Towers of Strength: Martello Towers Worldwide (Barnsley, 1999).
A list of Martello Towers in the UK and Ireland can be found at: <https://www.geograph.org.uk/article/Martello-Towers> [accessed 24 April 2023].
A virtual tour of the Magiligan Tower is available at: https://www.virtualvisittours.com/martello-tower-magilligan/ [accessed 24 April 2023].
More information about visiting the Magiligan Tower can be found here: <https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/magilligan-martello-tower-p675681> [accessed 24 April 2023].
Army Barracks of Ireland 