| Elizabeth Fort | |
|---|---|
| Cork, Ireland | |
Elizabeth Fort circa 1866 |
|
| Type | star fort |
| Built | 1601 |
| Open to the public |
Yes |
| Controlled by | Garda (police) |
Elizabeth Fort is a 17th century star fort off Barrack Street in Cork, Ireland.[1] Originally built as a defensive fortification outside the city walls, the city eventually grew around the fort, and it took on various other roles - including use as a military barracks, prison, and police station.[2]
Elizabeth Fort was first built in 1601 on a hill to the south and outside the medieval walls of Cork. This position was chosen because, while the city had relied on Shandon Castle and the city walls for defence since Anglo-Norman times, the development of artillery and the possibility of its deployment on the hills surrounding the city, diminished the potential effectiveness of these defences.[3] The fort was built by Sir George Carew and named after Queen Elizabeth I.[2]
This original fort was built of timber and earth, and within a few short years was pulled down by the citizens of Cork.[4] Fearing that the fort might be used against them by James I during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, the mayor and people of Cork demolished the fort in 1603. Cork was retaken however by Lord Mountjoy and the fort was rebuilt.[5]
The basic structure of the current fort has its basis in reconstructions dating from 1624[1] to 1626,[4] and in works reputedly carried out under Cromwell in 1649.[2]
In 1690, during the Williamite War in Ireland, Cork was a Jacobite stronghold, and while Elizabeth Fort held out for some time during the siege of Cork, artillery was brought to bear on the eastern walls of the city from a vantage point at Red Abbey. The walls were breached and the city capitulated within four days.[6]
In the decades following the siege, the fort ceased to operate as a defensive structure for the city, and in 1719 was put to use as a barracks. In 1835, it was re-purposed again - this time as a female prison.[2][3]
It reverted however to military use and became a station of the Cork City Artillery. During the Irish War of Independence, Elizabeth Fort was used as a base by the "Black and Tans", but was relinquished by the British following the Anglo-Irish Treaty. During the succeeding Irish Civil War the fort was burned by anti-treaty forces in August 1922.[7]
The current interior structures of the fort date from a rebuild following this fire. Several of these buildings within the fort are now in use as a Garda (police) station, with the remainder and ramparts partly accessible by tourists.[8] Seasonal markets and festivals are occasionally held in the fort.[9]