Work is set to begin onsite in 2023.

Dublin City Council (DCC) has given planning permission for the Magazine Fort at Phoenix Park to be restored. OPW sought approval back in December 2021, hoping to turn the spot into a visitor attraction. According to The Journal:

“The fort, which was built in 1737, was used by the British forces to store both gunpowder and ammunition. There were several occasions where the fort was raided, including on Easter Monday 1916 during the Easter Rising.”

They report that Irish Defence Forces took it over in 1922 after the Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed, and that it was then demilitarised in 1980. Since then, it’s effectively been abandoned and left in disuse.

OPW were excited to receive planning permission, and work is expected to begin on the fort in early 2023. They said this of their plans to The Journal:

“The Office of Public Works (OPW) has extensive plans for the restoration and re-development of the Magazine Fort, Phoenix Park, and was delighted to receive the necessary planning permission from Dublin City Council.”

“The OPW is currently tendering for the Structural Stabilisation and Repair Works to the rampart walls, and some other buildings which have been prioritised for conservation attention.”

Plans

Restoration will include re-roofing, repair of brickwork, refurbishment of the courtyard, as well as conservation of the Johnston Ravelin building. This is where the sergeant and officers quarters used to be.

Following the restoration there will be a tearoom, lockers, and a visitor reception onsite. According to The Journal:

“A metal walkway within the fort is also being planned to allow visitors to walk along both the ground level and along the ramparts, looking out towards Phoenix Park.”

The Magazine vaults are also set to become an exhibition space, with the possibility of “immersive audio-visual installations” in the future.

Header image via Instagram/thephoenixpark

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