Martello Towers and Batteries
Killiney Bay
Sheila Sutcliffe's Descriptions Examined
| Number | Sutcliffe's description | Facts on the ground |
| 1 | The first tower was at Bray, Co Wicklow. It has been converted into a house and is in good condition | The tower was near the bandstand on the esplanade. It was demolished in 1884 and the stone used for building the sea wall. |
| 2 | This was the second tower in the parish of Bray, at Mountpark. It is the first of five towers following one another that have disappeared | This tower was near the harbour and is still there. It was owned/inhabited for a time by Bono of U2. |
| 3 | In the parish of Old Connaught, a tower was build at Cork Abbey. It was marked on a map dated 1836, and either fell into the sea or was demolished when the Dublin to Bray railway was built. | Correct |
| 4 and 5 | Two towers were build in Rathmichael parish, one of them at Maghera Point, but neither exists now. | No. 4 was a tower with 2 batteries. The batteries fell into the sea and the tower was demolished. |
| 4 and 5 | Two towers were build in Rathmichael parish, one of them at Maghera Point, but neither exists now. | No. 5 was purely a battery the ruins of which are still there. |
| 6 | This was the first of three towers built in Killiney parish. It was known locally as Shanganagh and disappeared many years ago. | This was actually the tower she describes under No.8 below. Victor Enoch bought it and added two panoramic storeys which made the original tower look ridiculous. It is still very much standing. Interestingly, Sutcliffe lists Miss Tombe as one of her informants. That lady was a friend of my mother and lived in Tower No. 6. |
| 7 | The second tower in Killiney is at the junction of Killiney Avenue and Killiney Hill Road; it is in good repair and is used as a store. | Correct. It has now been magnificently restored by Niall O'Donoghue |
| 8 | The third Killiney tower has been used as a house for about forty years, and an extension has been build on top; it has recently been on the market. | This was purely a battery and is no longer there. The site was occupied by what was the original Killiney station (c. 1856-82) and is now a residence. |
| 9 | Built on the rocky Dalkey Island, this tower was in a very important position and was one of the range of towers armed with two guns. It is in good condition externally, but inside the wooden floor has collapsed. | Correct . There is also the remains of a battery on the island. |