Cove fort: A historical overview

Today Cobh is one of the biggest tourist towns in the country, offering significant attractions such as the Cobh Heritage centre; Titanic centre; Titanic garden; St Colman’s Cathedral; Cobh museum etc. Cobh has played a huge role in the transformation of Ireland since the commencement of the 17th century.

Carrignafoy fort – or historically Cove fort – is situated on the east end of Cobh town directly in line with the mouth of Cork harbour. It is located 3km from the town centre and is situated between the east end of the Holy Ground and Cuskinny bay.

The fort is a 17th century walled area laid back against the slope of Cobh, and has a hilly profile; it was designed as a tiered structure, or enclosure, to overcome the slope that faced the engineers and workforce.

It a complete walled structure with three access points: two off the Holy Ground and the upper one from Upper East Hill. The walls are still intact today, 277 years later. These walls rise to about 3.5m-4m, with the aim of maintaining secure defence from external attacks, with the stone quarried locally.

The thinking with regard to the situation of the fort at the time was to defend Cork harbour against active French and Spanish raids that plundered towns and villages throughout England and Ireland.

The fort was built between 1743 and 1749. It is south facing and has commanding views over the entrance to Cork harbour. A walled enclosure with wall lengths of more than 800m standing 3-4m tall and 800mm thick. The inner fort is 100m north-south and 80m east-west, covering an area of 8,000m2 or 1.7 acres.

The full enclosure known as the ordnance area are 200m north-south and 170m east-west covering an area of 34,000m2 or 7.2 acres. The fort is constructed on a steep slope rising 60m (200ft) above sea level.

Registered as a national monument

It is registered as a national monument and its construction was influenced by the Royal Regiment of Engineers in 1716, which proposed Cove fort and other fortifications in Ireland at that time. This stemmed from a Scottish rebellion against the French in 1715 which highlighted the need for defence fortification in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Vice Admiral Malcolm was responsible for the building of the battery built in Cove. The fort design was influenced by the Italian military, with its star-shaped forts and was also influenced by the De Gomme design at Tilbury on the Thames in Britain in 1655. This design was replicated in the Cove fort about 80 years later. The fort bastions are similar to forts built in France and Switzerland.

The artillery of the fort was shipped to Cork harbour and placed in the fort on the three battery levels as follows: six 24-pounder cannon guns on the lower level, with 13 x 24-pounder cannon guns on the middle level and one 24-pounder cannon gun on the upper level. Cove fort has three tiers or batteries, with two bastions on the lower level leading to an elevated wall with stair access to the middle tier.

The upper level has one bastion and housed the army barracks which was converted to a military hospital. This hospital was burnt down by the IRA in 1922 as part of the War of Independence. In 1871 a record was taken of the patients of the military hospital, with a total of 41 patients, 32 male and nine female.

Cove fort came under a lot of criticism over the years – the initial cost of construction was £27,000 and it was to have a short working life span of 60 years. The critics said it was built in the wrong place too far from the mouth of the harbour and with poor-quality cannon guns. Some cannon balls recovered in Cork harbour can be seen in Cobh museum.

Cove was originally known as Ballyvoloon but was changed to Cove by Queen Victoria in 1849 when she visited Ireland.

Historical map of Cove fort.

People who promoted the fortification of Cork harbour

The planning and construction of six forts in and around Cork harbour begun with a review of the defences of the harbour in 1700 and developed from there over 120 years from 1700 to 1820. The forts proved difficult to plan and construct as the sites had poor access while also having to deal with steep slopes.

The design had to sustain both sea and land attacks. A number of people instigated the development of the fort fortifications over the 120-year period as follows:

Chief engineer of Ireland Arthur James Neville was the main instigator of the Cove fort.
General Skinner chief engineer of Britain recommended the new fortifications at Rams head (Carlisle), Dog nose (Camden), Haul bowline, Spike Island.
British prime minister William Pitt called Cork harbour a prolific nursery of privateers.
Frederick Howard fifth Earl of Carlisle Lord Lieutenant in 1780, ordered Lieutenant Cornel Charles Vallanery of the Royal Engineers to undertake a review of the defences of Cork harbour with Fort Carlisle named after him.
Charles Vallencey persuaded Lord Lieutenant John Fane 10th Earl of Westmorland to build a fort on Spike island and it was called after him Westmorland Prison.
Lord Lieutenant John Jeffery’s Platt first marques of Camden in 1796 to build a fort at Dogs nose and it was called Camden fort after him.
Cobh was made an Admiralty station with the first Admiral was Robert Kings mills.

Fortifications of Cork harbour

1602: Elizabeth Fort Cork city.
1650: Ram’s Head and Dog’s Nose
1688-1697: Nine Year War – France and Britain clash over succession of Spain.
1700: Military transformation of Cork harbour.
1705: Small fort erected on Haulbowline
1743: Cove fort commenced construction
1756-1763: Seven Year War of Britain v France.
1779: Westmorland Prison, Spike island.
1793: Cobh made an Armillary station
1799: Fort Carlisle and Fort Camden constructed
1799: Battery on Spike island
1796: Moat dug around both Carlisle and Camden
1805: Carlisle and Camden armed with 86 guns.
1805: Royal Navy established at Haulbowline
1812: Closure of Cove fort.
1813: Martello Towers in Cork harbour, Marino Point, Belvelly, Rossleague, Haulbowline, Ringaskiddy.

Conclusion

Today, Cove fort is still standing tall after 277 years in existence, with the lower tier being used for the Titanic garden (seen below) and the middle tier housing the glass memorial wall of the people who died during the Titanic disaster of 1912.

It also houses the control office for Cork harbour occupied by the port of Cork. The third tier has some private residents and ruins of the military hospital. The uppermost level had soldier accommodation, called the huts, and was home to the Irish Army (Belmont Barracks). This area now has private dwellings.

Cove fort dates back to 1700 and was the start of building well-established fortifications in Cork harbour. During the 17th century, Cork harbour was the main target when approaching Ireland as there was sheltered access.

Until the 18th century, up to when fortification was constructed at Carlisle, Camden and Spike, Cork harbour was declared 'safe' for ships, hence the port of Cork emblem 'Statio Bene Fida Caranis'.