Fort Davis: Difference between revisions

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'''Fort Davis''' is located in Whitegate, County Cork and is currently property of the Irish Defence Forces. Prior to Ireland becoming a Republic it was named Fort Carlisle. It was renamed after Thomas Davis.
'''Fort Davis''' is located in Whitegate, County Cork and is currently property of the Irish Defence Forces. Prior to Ireland becoming a Republic it was named Fort Carlisle. It was renamed after Thomas Davis.


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[http://www.fsgfort.com/Fort/27/Art4/Fort27-4.htm| Defence of Cork Harbour]
[http://www.fsgfort.com/Fort/27/Art4/Fort27-4.htm| Defence of Cork Harbour]
 
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[[Category:Irish military bases]]
[[Category:Irish military bases]]
[[Category:Forts]]
[[Category:Forts]]
[[Category:Cork Harbour Fortifications]]
[[Category:Cork Harbour Fortifications]]

Revision as of 19:18, 15 January 2008

Template:AdWords Fort Davis is located in Whitegate, County Cork and is currently property of the Irish Defence Forces. Prior to Ireland becoming a Republic it was named Fort Carlisle. It was renamed after Thomas Davis.

It was one of four fortifications that were built in the late 1800's and early 1900's to protect Cork Harbour. By virtue of Cork Harbour being a Treaty Port, it remained occupied by British Forces until July 1938 when control was handed over to the Irish Defence Forces.

At present, the fort is still in use by the Irish Defence Forces as a training facility.

Layout

Satellite Image of Fort Davis from Google Earth

A ditch some thirty feet deep and forty feet wide along the headland cuts the fort off on the landward side. The ditch is covered by three single storey musketry caponiers built of concrete. These are plain and utilitarian compared with the caponier at Fort Camden and those at contemporary English forts. The terreplein is simple in construction, even though overgrown, and could easily accommodate the movable armament allotted to the fort. Fort Carlisle is in essence an enclosed position for eight separate gun batteries. The only core is the Napoleonic fort at the northern end just inside the entrance. The Napoleonic work is of triangular shape with one full bastion, two demi-bastions and a semi-circular one, which originally contained the main seaward firing battery, and is now a saluting battery with three 12-pdr QF guns.

Beside the southern demi-bastion of the old fort a zig-zag traverse leads down to the lower level of the fort with the majority of the Victorian batteries. The first battery is No 1 originally armed with four 7-inch RML guns on Moncrieff mountings. Later, the battery was reconstructed to take three 12-pdr QF guns and the shield for one of them still survives. The battery was covered with a layer of concrete over the top of each open pit with the gun positioned on top. The old magazines were utilised for the QF guns. On leaving the battery there is a short vaulted tunnel with a flight of stairs that leads to No 2 Battery which is a casemated one for two 10-inch RML guns firing through armoured shields. On passing through the tunnel is No 3 Battery for four 7-inch RMLs on Moncrieff mountings. The Battery was never altered and the emplacements remain open and can be entered. There are short side tunnels connecting the emplacements with each other with the usual magazines leading off.

On leaving No 3 Battery and, through another vaulted tunnel. No 4 Battery is reached. Originally casemated for four 10-inch RML guns firing through armoured shields, the battery was later converted to an oil store. From behind No 3 Battery a long flight of steps leads to the upper level of the fort, where the breech loading batteries were built. This is also the level on which the Napoleonic fort was constructed.

To the south of the old fort is North Battery for two 6-inch guns. The emplacements are clearly visible but the underground magazine stores and shelters are buried. Continuing south- wards is Rupert's Tower Battery, built originally for two 12-inch RML guns and later remodelled for two 6-inch mark VII guns, which still remain in position with the DRF and fire command positions built on the bank overlooking the battery. Adjacent to Rupert's Tower Battery, the fort is divided internally by a ditch that reaches to the shoreline. The ditch is covered by a flanking gallery where it changes direction to the shoreline to prevent an assault directly from the water. On the south side of the ditch lies South Battery for two 9.2-inch guns, complete with underground shelters and magazine, whilst on the bank behind the Battery are the command post and position finding cell. At the southern end of the promontory the external ditch culminates in another flanking gallery.

See Also

External Links

Defence of Cork Harbour Template:AdWords2