The Shannon Estua Y Defences
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The Shannon Estua y Defences. The Shannon across the Shannon and an attack on A striking example during the Dublin would have had most chance of Navoleonic wars of the effectiveness of The British authorities in Ireland were success. fortifying natural features to improve well aware of the strategic importance of General Humbert's campaign in late their defensive potential was the the Shannon. The river barrier had been August and September, 1798, illustrated construction of the 'Lines of Torres a significant factor in the closing stages the importance of the Shannon, and its Vedras' by the British and Portuguese of the Williamite War of 1688-91. On that lakes (and particularly the strategic forces under Wellington, keeping the occasion the attack came from the east, importance of the crossing points at fords French army out of Southern Portugal the Irish defence of Connaught being and bridges) as a line of defence against a during the winter of 1810-11. Although essentially along the line of the Shannon, French expedition landing in Connaught the Portuguese mountain terrain is quite giving prominence to such fortified river- with the intention of marching on different to the comparatively, flat crossing points as Athlone and Limerick, Dublin, the natural objective of any country of the middle Shannon, it is as well-as to other locations with invasion force. The United Irishmen of interesting that the 'Lines' were temporary defences such as Lanesboro, Longford and Westmeath had assembled approximately 30 miles long, the same as Banagher and Portumna. to join Humbert, and after heading the length of the Shannon between Between 1769 and 1770, Charles towards Sligo, he turned south-east Lough Derg and Lough Ree. Vallencey, later to become Director of having crossed the Shannon north of 'A General Statement of the quantity Engineers in Ireland, worked on maps Carrick-on-Shannon, with the idea of and tenure of land required by the and plans to accompany Lord marching on Dublin. He was finally Government for the service of Towers Townsend's report on the defence of surrounded at Ballinamuck by a British and Batteries along the coast, the works Ireland. The Shannon river-crossings force vastly superior in numbers, and at Athlone, along the Shannon, Clonony were evidently included in this work. forced to surrender. and on Bear Island. Engineer Office French invasion plans in 1796 The strategic importance of Athlone Dublin, 29th January 1806', (State Paper included Galway Bay as a suitable was also demonstrated on this occasion, Office, Dublin Castle 531 No. 230/2) landing place, providing reasonably easy as was the importance of the Grand gives details of proposed and existing access across Ireland to Dublin, by CanaI as a rapid means of transporting defences along this part of the Shannon. crossing the Shannon between ~ou~htroops and equipment from Dublin Derg and Lough Ree. Direct landings at towards the Shannon. The Athlone The Estuary Belfast, Dublin or Wexford were not garrison was increased, the Castle eventually attempted, due to the British repaired and rebuilt, and during the The mouth of the Shannon was one of control of the Irish Sea. The various early years of the nineteenth century the three invasion areas included in the French expeditions between 1796 and extensive fortifications were built to the French Directory's instructions to Vice- 1798 were therefore directed at the south- west of the town. Admiral Villaret de -,loveuse in October, west, west and north-west coasts of The Shannon between Portumna and 1796, during" the 1vre~arations A of the Ireland, in order to avoid contact with Athlone, a distance along the river itself- -pedition to Ireland. The suggested units of the British Navy. Of all the of about 30 miles, was strengthened as a landing places in order to preference proposed or attemptgd landings in defensive line by works at Meelick and were given as Galway Bay, Bantry Bay Ireland at this tide, perhaps a Incherky Island to cover fords, and at and the Shannon estuary. Part of the disembarkation on the shores of Galway Banagher and Shannonbridge to form orders issued to the ship's captains of the Bay, followed by a rapid march inland bridgehead defences. French Fleet that finally arrived in Bantry The Shannon, near Tarbert. Bay in December, 1796, included a The Shannon estuary provided 1806 and 1815. No mention of these rendezvous at the mouth of the Shannon, several harbours, landing places and batteries or heir sites is made in the State in case of separation and failure to meet anchorages suitable for landing troops Paper office list of land required for off Mizen Head in West Cork. and unloading artillery and stores, a defence work the east coast, the Upper After several days waiting and good anchorage being provided by Shannon and in Bantry Bay, dated 29 indecision in Bantry Bay, Wolfe Tone on Tarbert roads, the part of the river partly January, 1806, (S.P.0 531 No. 230/2) board the ship-of-the-line Indomptable sheltered by Tarbert Island to the west General Dumouriez, in his Military was in favour of the ships that still and north-west. Memoir on the Defence of Ireland, 2 January, remained in the bay on 27th December The Topographical Dictionary of Ireland 1808, advocated siting batteries at the (seven sail of the line and one frigate) by Lewis, published some twenty years narrow mouth (about two miles wide) of attempting a landing at the mouth of the after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the river. A battery was subsequently Shannon. As the ships-of-the-line were describes this anchorage: built on the northern shore here - on each carrying between 500 and 600 Tarbert: Affording a safe and Kilcredaun Point. He also suggested a hundred soldiers, and the frigates commodious roadstead for about 150 battery on Carrig Island anda fort on evidently had on board about 250 to 300, vessels of the largest class, may be Scattery Island; batteries were in fact a total of perhaps 4,000 men could have considered an asylum harbour. Sheltered built in these two locations later. Also been landed. on N.W. by the Island of Tarbert- proposed were a fort on 'Killahin' It is possible that if even this force had connected by a narrow causeway for foot promontory (this is presumably Kilkerin been put ashore somewhere in the passengers and cut off by high water Point where a battery was built) and a Shannon estuary it would have had a springs. battery on Foynes Island. Dumouriez chance of capturing Limerick, and have The Ordnance Survey Maps of 1840-42 does not mention Tarbert Island, been at least as effective as Humbert's show a total of six coastal batteries presumably because of the seven gun expedition in August, 1798, which located in the Shannon estuary, together battery already in existence at the time of consisted of only 1,019 French troops. with the site of a battery on Foynes his report. Small detachments of the government Island further upstream. These batteries Included in his proposal for the forces regular, fencible and militia, in were: on the north or Clare shore from defence of the estuary were the use of Kerry, Limerick and Cork had been sent the west, at Kilcredaun Point, Doonaha, gunboats (useful in restricted and on forced marches down towards Bantry, and ~ilkerinPoint (opposite Tarbert shallow water, and in calm weather and were assembling at positions Island): on the south or County Kerry against much larger vessels), bomb- between Bantry and Cork, in such towns shore at Corran Point on Carrig Island, ketches and fireships. These were to be as Bandon and Mallow. and on Tarbert Island; and in the centre moored or anchored in various locations, Consequently, a French landing at the of the estuary on the southern point of below Kilrush, in Tarbert Roads and lower Shannon would certainly have met Scattery Island. further upstream. Presumably, some of with little opposition by land forces, the The battery or fort at Tarbert Island these vessels would have been manned Limerick garrison being at least two days was of a different plan to the other by the 'Sea Fencibles', the naval reserve march from Tarbert. The Irish Militia by Shannon batteries, and dates from the of the period made up of merchant Sir Henry McAnally describes how the mid 1790s.. It is not shown on Cowan's seamen and fishermen, and commanded Londonderry militia company stationed chart of the Shannon, dating from after by naval officers. at Tarbert marched to Mallow, joining the 1794, but is indicated on a military map "TheShannon estuary batteries are all other companies of the Londonderry, and in the National Library (ref. 16L 181, of similar layout with the exception of the Louth and Westmeath qilitia, which which dates from between 1793 and 1798, the earlier battery at Tarbert which had all been marched frdin Limerick forming part of a military survey of resembled an obtuse pointed bastion in during the first days of the French Fleet Ireland by Vallencey. The remaining plan. being in Bantry. batteries were presumably built between The battery in each case is semi- the removal of the stonework causing th counterscarp and rampart to gradua collapse. The blockhouse remains; t I doorway having been altered a extended in recent years to form an opening at ground level. The roof level gun-platform, with its positions for the two howitzers, is approached from #irst floor level by a staircase built within fhe wall thickness. Some loose masonry Was fallen from the inner part of the massive surrounding parapet.