Machiolations
Seapoint Martello tower - entrance
Seapoint Martello tower was one of the 74 towers built along the coastline of Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century to guard against a possible French invasion. Many had a battery or fort attached. Entrances to the towers were located at a height for security purposes. Overhanging the entrance, machicolations with holes in the floor to shoot or dro things on unwanted callers, can clearly be seen in this image. Behind the machicolation was a "murder hole", a square opening in the floor above the entrance, likely to have been used for hoisting ammunition or equipment up to the gun platform.
© Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Public Library ServiceSeapoint Martello tower - entrance
© Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Public Library Service
© Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Public Library Service
Seapoint Martello tower - entrance
Seapoint Martello tower was one of the 74 towers built along the coastline of Ireland at the beginning of the 19th century to guard against a possible French invasion. Many had a battery or fort attached. Entrances to the towers were located at a height for security purposes. Overhanging the entrance, machicolations with holes in the floor to shoot or dro things on unwanted callers, can clearly be seen in this image. Behind the machicolation was a "murder hole", a square opening in the floor above the entrance, likely to have been used for hoisting ammunition or equipment up to the gun platform.
© Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Public Library ServiceOverhanging the entrances to the towers are 'machicolations', as shown in the photograph below. They are structures which protrude from the sides of a building. These are common features in old castles and towers.
There are holes in the floor of the machicolation for the purpose of dropping ammunition on unwelcome visitors. Behind the machicolation was a 'murder hole', a square opening in the floor above the entrance. This was likely to have been used for hoisting ammunition or equipment up to the gun platform.
Battery
In the vicinity of, or attached to, many of the towers was a building known as the 'battery'. This was the name for a fortified structure containing a group of guns operated together as a defence.
Three Floors
Each tower contained three floors. On the lower floor, food and ammunition were stored. The first floor provided living accommodation for the garrison of six to eight men.
The third floor was the gun platform. A narrow stone staircase was built into the walls, connecting the three floors.
The Roof
On top of the tower was a parapet and a central pivot on which rested a heavy timber beam, which supported a cannon, either an 18 pounder or a 24 pounder. The towers were generally built within a mile of one another, as this was the cannon range.
A furnace was built into the wall of the gun platforms, so that the cast iron cannons could be heated red hot and inflict great damage on the enemy in their wooden sailing ships.
A furnace was built into the wall of the gun platforms, so that the cast iron cannons could be heated red hot and inflict great damage on the enemy in their wooden sailing ships.
Regional Variations
The martello towers around Dublin are round in shape and generally narrower at the top than at the bottom.
Some towers built in the West of Ireland are mostly oval in shape. Martello towers around Cork have a different shape - they were built with straight sides.