2009:357 - PIGEON HOUSE FORT, RINGSEND, Dublin

The Pigeon House Fort complex on the South Wall of the Poolbeg Peninsula in Dublin Bay represents a unique and little-known part of both civic and national heritage, spanning the critical period from the late 18th century to the early decades of the Irish State. An archaeological and architectural survey, which included a detailed inspection of the site, a digital, drawn and photographic record of the accessible portion of the standing remains, an architectural inventory, conservation assessment of degradable features, and small-scale vegetation clearance and subsurface archaeological investigations, was conducted on the site. The existing extent of the monument on the ground was defined, and its constituent features along with areas of potential subsurface archaeological material were identified.
The Pigeon House area was used as a landing place from at least the late 17th century, when it was known as the ^Green Patch’. During the 18th century, when the Great South Wall was constructed, this informal landing point was improved with the construction of a harbour. The harbour had a building (now demolished) called the blockhouse, which was used as a storehouse serving the harbour. In 1761, John Pidgeon became its resident supervisor and caretaker. Many of the people passing through here would stop for refreshments at the resting place established by Pidgeon and his family, and the blockhouse became known as the Pigeon House. A small part of this building may be visible in the existing gatehouse structure. The Pigeon House harbour was continually improved during the mid-and late 18th century, with new wharfs, harbour walls, accommodation, a revenue barracks and storehouse. These improvements culminated in the construction of the ornate and imposing Pigeon House Hotel in 1793.
As a result of the 1798 uprising, the Pigeon House precinct, which was deemed a worthy strongpoint, became occupied by the military. This phase in the area’s history witnessed the increased development of the site as buildings necessary for military occupation, such as soldiers’ quarters, stores, magazines, a hospital, a canteen, a handball alley, a prison and water tanks, were gradually added. Defensive measures such as gateways at each end of the South Wall protected by trenches and drawbridges, an armoury and guardhouse commanding the road from Ringsend and guns trained on the South Bull sands and the mouth of the River were also instituted. This site was henceforth known as Pigeon House Fort. In the late 19th century military occupation of the area was no longer deemed necessary and it was sold to Dublin Corporation.
Much of the northern end of the fort is now taken up by the large red brick Pigeon House power plant constructed in 1903. This is a huge, iconic and genuinely fantastic building of great significance for the industrial heritage of Dublin, which, alas, is in a terrible condition.
The project concluded that the western gatehouse of the fort, in particular, could be converted into a visiting and orientation space for the fort complex as a whole with relatively little further work or expense. Small measures, such as the erection of signage and historical information outside and within the small guard-hut, the replacement of the stolen granite paving and balustrade capping using the granite owned by DCC and stored near the site, and the relocation of the cannons to the gatehouse, could transform this area from a rundown ruin into a historic monument marking the old entrance to the artillery fort providing information to visitors on the fort and its components.