Phoenix Park reopens historic Magazine Fort to the public

The Magazine Fort in the Phoenix Park will be officially reopened by the Office of Public Works today.

The historic site, designed by military engineer John Corneille, was built between 1734 and 1736 as a military storage facility.

Ammunition and gunpowder, which had previously been stored in Dublin Castle, were moved to the fort after it was deemed a safer location outside the city.

The fort later played a significant role in the Easter Rising, when it was raided on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916.

Audrey Farrell, Senior Conservation Architect with the Office of Public Works (OPW), said the conservation works, which took more than two years to complete, involved extensive repairs.

"The recent conservation works have concentrated on the stabilisation and restoration of the fort's original rampart walls built in 1736 and the reinstatement of the Duke of Dorset gate, which had been dismantled in the 1970s by the Irish Army, and then also the repair of the exterior of the original magazine buildings which stored the gunpowder to ensure that they were watertight, along with the restoration of the blast wall," she said.

"There are over 430 linear metres of the original rampart walls which needed to be stabilised, along with three cavalier outposts that needed to be underpinned."

She added that the OPW is "delighted that the fort is now stable and repaired so that further phases of works can be carried out to enhance it as a visitor facility".

Making the Duke grand

The reinstatement of the Duke of Dorset gate was a key part of the conservation project.

According to Gavin Conlon, Head Stonemason with Nolans Group Conservation and Restoration Limited, it was also one of the most challenging aspects of the restoration, with only a 1969 wedding photograph to help the team piece it back together.

"When we looked at the Duke of Dorset gate, first thing we had to do was figure out what stone we had on site, where it went into the puzzle, and then see how we were going to do it," he said.

"We went through all the stone. There was debris on site, and we found a few bits and pieces that were remaining, and then working closely with Angela and the OPW, we figured out how the stone was detailed, how it was made, and then how to put it back together.

"We had a wedding picture. That's the only information we had on what the arch looked like, apart from the few little bits that we found, and we got it figured out."

Despite the challenges, Mr Conlon said this is the project he is most proud of.

"I have to say, I've done a lot of work, and this is the job I am most proud of doing. It's just every time we think about it - it's amazing and brilliant to have the opportunity to do it.

"I don't think I'll ever do anything as good again."

Training ground for traditional heritage skills

Shane Nolan, Managing Director of Nolans Group Conservation and Restoration Limited, described the sense of achievement felt by the team, adding that the project also served as a valuable training ground for traditional heritage skills.

"We have a massive sense of pride being involved in a project like the Magazine Fort. Not only is it hugely important to our built heritage, it's massively important to traditional skills in Ireland.

"Our team has learned a tremendous amount of traditional skills."

The completion of the first phase of restoration marks a new chapter for the Magazine Fort and is expected to become an important addition to Phoenix Park, with hopes that its reopening will attract more visitors who are eager to explore the unique story of the 18th-century structure.

Margaret Gormley, OPW Chief Park Superintendent, said they are "delighted" to be able to reopen the Magazine Fort.

"It's just a fabulous occasion, and we're opening it up to the public. Tours are able to come in to see the history, to see the culture, to see the significance of this site.

"Phoenix Park is the jewel in the crown, and the jewel within Phoenix Park is probably the Magazine Fort.

"It's been here from the 1700s, and it has gone through a lot of different phases over the centuries. But the Office of Public Works are delighted to now be actually opening it up after the stabilisation and conservation work."

The works were completed as part of a phased reopening of the site, with further conservation planned over the coming years.

The Magazine Fort is now open for guided public tours through the OPW Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.