Did you know that Cork city started as a walled settlement surrounded by marshy islands? No? Neither did we until we visited an old stone fort near Barrack Street in the city recently.
One of the star-shaped forts built to defend the harbour and city is Elisabeth Fort. It was built in 1601 and named after Queen Elisabeth who reigned at the time.
We explored the walls of the fort, inside and out. We learned about the Siege of Cork in the 1690s, the early monastery, the Viking invaders and how people were imprisoned here before being transported to Australia. The fort was also a police barracks, a food shelter for people during the famine and an air raid shelter.
The highlight of our tour were the canons, which point towards the city. We would definitely recommend you visit Elisabeth Fort.
by Jamie and Aygil, Ms O’Connor’s 4th Class
Togher Boys' National School 