Cork

Haulbowline Island was first fortified in 1602 but it was during the Napoleonic Wars that significant changes were made. The Island was handed over to the Royal Navy in 1806 and this resulted in the building of:

An Ordnance Yard was built on the western side of the island
A Martello Tower to protect the Ordnance Yard
Two Magazines on on Rocky Island for 25,000 barrels of powder
A victualling yard

In the 1860s the Island underwent major development with the building of a Royal Navy Dockyard that doubled the size of the island. The Dockyard had a coal store and dry dock.

Fortifications were built to protect the Naval Base as shown on the plan.

The site is now used by the Irish Navy.

The plan on the right shows the principal fortifications around Cork Harbour. The narrow entrance to the sound makes it ideal for defence purposes.

The principal coastal defence fortifications built or enhanced by the British between 1841 and 1914 to protect Cork Harbour were:

Cove Fort
Haulbowline Dockyard with old Martello Tower
Fort Westmorland
Fort Carlisle
Fort Camden with Submarine Mining Station and Brenan Torpedo
Fort Templebreedy

Five Martello Towers, including the one on Hauylbowline, had been built during the Napoleonic Wars to defence the anchorage.