- The Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park has been officially reopened by the OPW.
- The fort was built between 1734 and 1736 as a military storage facility.
- Over 430 metres of rampart walls were stabilised.
- The Duke of Dorset gate was reinstated using a 1969 wedding photograph as reference.
- The fort is now open for guided public tours.
The Magazine Fort in Phoenix Park has been officially reopened by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The historic site, designed by military engineer John Corneille, was built between 1734 and 1736 as a military storage facility. Ammunition and gunpowder previously stored in Dublin Castle were moved to the fort after it was deemed a safer location outside the city. The fort later played a role in the Easter Rising when it was raided on 24 April 1916.
Conservation works took more than two years and involved extensive repairs. Over 430 metres of the original rampart walls were stabilised, three cavalier outposts were underpinned, and the Duke of Dorset gate was reinstated after being dismantled in the 1970s. The Duke of Dorset gate was reconstructed using a 1969 wedding photograph as the only reference, apart from the few stone fragments found on site.
Margaret Gormley, OPW Chief Park Superintendent, stated the Office of Public Works is delighted to open the fort after stabilisation and conservation work. The Magazine Fort is now open for guided public tours through the OPW Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. Further conservation phases are planned over the coming years.
Margaret Gormley, OPW Chief Park Superintendent, shared, “Phoenix Park is the jewel in the crown, and the jewel within Phoenix Park is probably the Magazine Fort.”
