The Martello Towers of Ireland-a photographic exhibition

Ireland's Eye, Howth by Tricia O'Neill
The Irish Workhouse Centre is delighted to be hosting a photographic exhibition, The Martello Towers of Ireland, by Tricia O'Neill. The exhibition will launch on the 18th April with a talk by historian James Scully, an expert on Napoleonic fortifications. I managed to catch up with Tricia prior to the exhibition.
After 20 minutes on the phone with photographer Tricia O'Neill, I realise that we should be talking about the history of Martello towers. Instead the stories come thick and fast. Did she tell me about the time an army officer had to back her car onto a small ferry because the ramp was too precarious? Or that it takes two seasoned historians to row out to Meelick Island? Or that in Boston an exhibition visitor doubted her photographs because of the beautiful light and he believed it rained in Ireland, constantly?

Ireland's Eye, Howth from afar by Tricia O'Neill

I soon realise that The Martello Towers of Ireland is not the result of a jaunt around Ireland on the holidays. Nor is it just about architectural history. These images are the hard won reward of a quest, complete with bushwhacked paths (Meelick Island again), outdated location guides, bad weather and owners who were less than delighted with a photographer on their doorstep. So what on earth led Tricia to capture these relics of the early 19th century? Her reply is forthright. She had planned to photograph round towers but her Dublin cousin, Ann O'Laoghaire, suggested a different kind of tower. After all, Martello towers come in a myriad of designs and are dotted along the coast in spectacular locations. Tricia has a special affinity with the sea and the idea got under her skin. The seed was sown for an adventure which would span 4 years and still has several towers to go.

James Joyce Museum, Sandymount in Dublin by Tricia O'Neill
Martello towers are structures people pass everyday without really seeing. Their simple shape could be mistaken for a grain store or some other farming structure. In reality they have more in common with Ireland's fortified tower houses than with agriculture. The towers were built to fend off Napoleon Bonaparte during the francophobic year of 1804. The 37 towers which remain have stunning locations due to the logistics of war, not a beautiful view. As the 19th century moved forward, the Martellos were overshadowed by darker events than fear of French invasion. This may be why today they are largely forgotten and not widely written about.
One exception is The Martello Towers of Ireland by Victor Enoch from the 1970s. Victor was a Martello enthusiast and owned a tower in Killiney, Dublin. Though it must be noted he somewhat overshadowed the original structure with his own additions, his passion for these relics of the Napoleonic crisis is clear. Decades later, and the legacy of Martello ownership is picked up by Irish popstar Bono. Sadly, the twin efforts of Enoch's book and pop royalty ownership, were not enough to cement the Martellos into popular culture. Even among historians they are a specialized topic. In fact, there is still no national documentation for these structures. This omission does not faze Tricia who is just as enthusiastic about the present as the past, and it shows in her photographs.



The Martello Towers of Ireland capture how something from Ireland’s past can still be so imbeded in our landscape today. These images are not a nostalgic journey down memory lane but a record of how lucky we are in Ireland to live cheek by jowl with historic structures. I look at a snap that Tricia took of her relatives in front of the Martello Tower in Banagher. The sight is familiar to me and I am reminded of all the walks I’ve taken past that same spot. Tricia tells me that the Dun Laoghaire Martello has showers installed at its rear for the benefit of sea swimmers, and I recall a recent magazine spread featuring an architect who had turned a Martello into a chic residence.

Bernie and Stan infront of Banagher Martello Tower (private collection of Tricia O'Neill)
Just as our chat finishes, Tricia shares one last tidbit. Did she mention that there is interest in the
photographs being published as a book? I’m far from surprised. Tricia's images have that wonderful, absorbing quality that would perfectly suit a coffee table browse. Besides, it is high time for Enoch’s book to have a bit of competition. 
The Martello Towers of Ireland Exhibition will be at The Irish Workhouse Centre from the 18th of April 2019 onwards.
Grab a unique opportunity to see these photographs in Ireland before their return to the USA.

For more info on Tricia O’Neill check out: https://triciaoneill.com

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