Camden Fort Meagher on Cork Harbour is set to reopen to the public in the coming weeks after extensive remediation works.

As RTÉ News reports, the fort is “one of the finest remaining examples of a classical coastal artillery fort” and played a crucial role in coastal defence for nearly 400 years after it was first established in the 16th century.

The fort was one of the Treaty Port installations handed over to the Irish Defence Forces in 1938, and has been in Cork County Council hands since 1989.

Volunteers led a campaign since 2010 to rescue the fort from potential dereliction but as volunteer Daniel Maverley says: “We could only take it so far. The Council came in…and they are taking it to the next stage.”

Some €480,000 in investment — including funding of €160,000 from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage — included restoration on the casemate block which houses the fort’s primary exhibitions.

A full review of the potential of the fort was carried out late last year, the council says, with “future phases of development identified to preserve Camden Fort Meagher’s historical significance, as well as contributing significantly to the local community and economy”.

The council has also committed to recruiting 10 seasonal guides and will soon appoint a contractor to run the fort’s cafe, with a view to having the fort open up to five days a week — while €750,000 of accessibility measures are in the planning stages.

RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.