Inch Fort
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Reconstructed 1895-1899
| Inch Fort | |
|---|---|
| County Donegal Ireland | |
Gun emplacement overlooking Lough Swilly | |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public | No |
| Condition | Intact, part demolished |
| Location | |
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| Coordinates | 55°05′03″N 7°30′55″W / 55.0842°N 7.5153°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1812-1813 Reconstructed 1895-1899 |
| Materials | Stone Concrete Earth |
| Garrison information | |
| Garrison | British Armed Forces |
Inch Fort, Lough Swilly, Inishowen, County Donegal was built between 1812 and 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. It had positions for nine guns, six in an open battery and a further three in a blockhouse.[1] Following the peace in 1815, the defences of Lough Swilly were neglected.
During the 1880s a scheme to strengthen the defences in Lough Swilly was put into effect. By 1893 Inch Fort had been rearmed with two 6-inch guns on hydropneumatic carriages.[2] A small barrack complex was added at the same time. Following recommendations of the Owen Committee in 1905, the guns were deemed surplus and the fort was disarmed and abandoned.[3][4]
Today the site includes the two 6-inch gun positions and associated magazines, but the Napoleonic blockhouse was mostly demolished during the 1890s remodelling.[citation needed]
