The tower is right next to the public car park. I dont know what additional land you'd own - essentially at the moment anyone can wander around the tower itself.
The view is incredible but you'd have zero privacy
They can have a large roof window but also a small patio area to sit up at roof level. Its accesed by a stairway that follows the curve of the walls up to roof level. The patio area would allow a view but only when you are standing up.
With this tower if you look at photo no.13 there is a circular observatory room built with three window spaces cut out to take in the view. However it doesnt look original to me and if it was built after 1963 then it needs planning, which it wont get on a historical building under a preservation order. The Council will make them knock that room taking in the view.
There are a lot of buildings where windows were later put in, a lot of medieval castles were given larger windows in the Georgian period, so maybe if the window spaces are already cut out, they will let them install windows.
I agree. I'm not one of those who thinks that every old building should be turned into a museum, but I think these should be preserved as is. Maybe turned into a cafe with seating on the roof to take in those views.
Oh boy, there is zero information if the property comes with any land. Worst case, you'd pay nearly 400k for a ruin without any land, right next to the public car park. It's only a few feet from the sea and erosion has become a bit problem in that area. And lastly, no information if the "fort" has any kind of historic landmark label attached to it, which would mean any work done woupd have to be pre-approved and conducted by an approved craftsmen, certified for working on historic landmarks. In other words, this could be a fantastic opportunity to spend ridiculous amounts of money, if thats what you're looking after.
I can't see what you could really put in there considering you couldn't build on to it to make it a commercial development. Unless the hotel bought it and used it as a guest room - which they won't
I Replied to your comment saying that the council had been asked about it.
Cllr Corina Johnston asked them and I linked to a couple of replies she had from them but they were Facebook links, which I never realised were not allowed and my comment was deleted
In short, they don't seem to want to/have the funding.
In long, if you are arsed:
This was the first update:
I wrote to the Minister for OPW recently requesting that the state acquire this site. See below reply.
02nd December 2025
“Dear Cllr Johnston,
The Martello tower is not a National Monument in the care or Guardianship of the Minister. There are many of these towers along the coastline, some in private ownership and others in the care of local authorities and other bodies.
The Minister for Heritage has responsibility for policy on acquisition of heritage properties into the State portfolio and there are no plans at this time to acquire this tower.You might wish to engage with Fingal County Council Heritage Officer to see what plans the local authority may have.”
Duncan Smith TD raised this matter with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in Dáil Éireann and received the below reply:
REPLY
My Department acquires properties of architectural heritage, which are either of national or strategic importance, from time to time as resources and opportunities allow. Usually this is in the interests of the preservation, conservation and management of such properties. Possible acquisitions, including Balcarrick Martello Tower are considered within the context of available resources which includes public expenditure management considerations, as well as the ongoing maintenance of monuments carried out in State care by the Office of Public Works.
In all cases, my Department assesses potential acquisitions carefully, taking into consideration similar existing properties within the national monument portfolio, any conservation works required, and the cost of acquisition and maintenance over the short and longer term to the Exchequer. Accordingly, my Department is only ever in a position to make a very limited number of acquisitions as all related expenditure must be met from within existing voted allocations.”
We are continuing to pursue this matter and will keep you informed of developments
martellotower #donabate
This was the update from her question to the council a short while later
Question: Councillor C. Johnston
“To ask the Chief Executive if consideration can be given to acquiring the Martello Tower in Balcarrick in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local and Heritage given that it is a recorded national monument and heritage site with huge historical importance to Donabate and wider Fingal area?”
Reply:
The Council recognises the historical value and significance of the Martello Tower in Balcarrick, Donabate. The Council is consulting with internal stakeholders on the future potential of the Martello Tower, considering the site constraints, the Council’s strategic priorities as set out in the capital programme and the availability of funding whether from DHLGH or other potential funder.
The Council will continue to monitor potential funding streams from central government, as the acquisition and development of the property is contingent upon the availability of funding from a suitable source.
No one has mentioned the stairs. A feature of Martello towers is the cramped enclosed spiral stairs made of granite. There are three stories and basement has a storage area with a hole in the roof big enough for a cannonball all the way to the top. All your furniture has to either go up and down the spiral staircase or the ammunition lift. These are brilliant little forts but homes they are not.
I walk my dog down there every week came across local woman and her son filling sandbags and piling rubble up 2 weeks ago got talking to her she reckons few more storms and her house is gone😩
While this building may have potential and historical importance, €375,000 for what is essentially a pile of (old) bricks is bonkers.
And surely they're taking the piss advertising it as a 1 bed & 1 bath, there's absolutely nothing in it!
(I know they clarify this later in the ad but whoever places these ads has to be laughing into their sleeve).
Someone's doing a restoration of the one on the coast road at Portmarnock - interesting to see how that one goes in relation to this. My guess would be money pit, but it's a very unique place to live.
There’s one near portmarnock with people living in it years.
Terry Prone lives in one in Donabate.
Haunts it, more like...
In Portrane, Tower Bay.
Her son is Anton Savage,he must have grown up there?
Same with the one in Sutton. You can rent it out. Would be spectacular in a storm.
Sutton one is an Airbnb, lots of electrical issues but you get free gym running up n down the high stairs
The tower is right next to the public car park. I dont know what additional land you'd own - essentially at the moment anyone can wander around the tower itself.
The view is incredible but you'd have zero privacy
None, but you would get to enjoy the wonderful surrounds of the public toilet beside you.
"Near to local amenities"
I live in the village and i'm not near any
Yes. That's the aforementioned '1 bathroom' in the ad.
Close to the hotel for a pint at least.
Gloryhole potential
Might be handy to tie into for sewage if you bought the tower.....
Few archers would keep them at bay. Maybe a moat if you can get planning permission.
You would have to spend a lot of money on it to make it habitable. And it would be very difficult getting any decent light inside.
when they do them up a glass roof is needed to get light in because you cant make the existing window openings any wider due to the preservation order
True, but then there will be nowhere to take in that view.
They can have a large roof window but also a small patio area to sit up at roof level. Its accesed by a stairway that follows the curve of the walls up to roof level. The patio area would allow a view but only when you are standing up.
With this tower if you look at photo no.13 there is a circular observatory room built with three window spaces cut out to take in the view. However it doesnt look original to me and if it was built after 1963 then it needs planning, which it wont get on a historical building under a preservation order. The Council will make them knock that room taking in the view.
There are a lot of buildings where windows were later put in, a lot of medieval castles were given larger windows in the Georgian period, so maybe if the window spaces are already cut out, they will let them install windows.
I imagine a glass roof comes with many other complications though.
Planning permission would be a nightmare too. You'd have a million objections.
The real issue here is why they're up for private sale? Surely they should be owned by the government or some form of heritage society
I agree. I'm not one of those who thinks that every old building should be turned into a museum, but I think these should be preserved as is. Maybe turned into a cafe with seating on the roof to take in those views.
Bullshit, Theres a big hole in the roof that gives plenty of light!
Oh boy, there is zero information if the property comes with any land. Worst case, you'd pay nearly 400k for a ruin without any land, right next to the public car park. It's only a few feet from the sea and erosion has become a bit problem in that area. And lastly, no information if the "fort" has any kind of historic landmark label attached to it, which would mean any work done woupd have to be pre-approved and conducted by an approved craftsmen, certified for working on historic landmarks. In other words, this could be a fantastic opportunity to spend ridiculous amounts of money, if thats what you're looking after.
Of course the listing doesn’t specify that as part of owning a Martello tower you’re obliged to keep watch in case napoleon invades
Link for anyone curious - https://www.daft.ie/for-sale/detached-house-balcarrick-martello-tower-donabate-co-dublin/6348579
"Detached house" 😂
If I had the cash, I’d buy that in a heartbeat.
"Walking distance to Donabate village and transport links"...that'd be one long walk as part of commute on the train to city centre.
Would be ideal for commercial development but you'd need deep pockets to make this habitable.
About 2.5k to the train station.
I can't see what you could really put in there considering you couldn't build on to it to make it a commercial development. Unless the hotel bought it and used it as a guest room - which they won't
The council should buy it and do something with it
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I Replied to your comment saying that the council had been asked about it.
Cllr Corina Johnston asked them and I linked to a couple of replies she had from them but they were Facebook links, which I never realised were not allowed and my comment was deleted
In short, they don't seem to want to/have the funding.
In long, if you are arsed:
This was the first update:
I wrote to the Minister for OPW recently requesting that the state acquire this site. See below reply.
02nd December 2025
“Dear Cllr Johnston,
The Martello tower is not a National Monument in the care or Guardianship of the Minister. There are many of these towers along the coastline, some in private ownership and others in the care of local authorities and other bodies.
The Minister for Heritage has responsibility for policy on acquisition of heritage properties into the State portfolio and there are no plans at this time to acquire this tower.You might wish to engage with Fingal County Council Heritage Officer to see what plans the local authority may have.”
Duncan Smith TD raised this matter with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage in Dáil Éireann and received the below reply:
REPLY
My Department acquires properties of architectural heritage, which are either of national or strategic importance, from time to time as resources and opportunities allow. Usually this is in the interests of the preservation, conservation and management of such properties. Possible acquisitions, including Balcarrick Martello Tower are considered within the context of available resources which includes public expenditure management considerations, as well as the ongoing maintenance of monuments carried out in State care by the Office of Public Works.
In all cases, my Department assesses potential acquisitions carefully, taking into consideration similar existing properties within the national monument portfolio, any conservation works required, and the cost of acquisition and maintenance over the short and longer term to the Exchequer. Accordingly, my Department is only ever in a position to make a very limited number of acquisitions as all related expenditure must be met from within existing voted allocations.”
We are continuing to pursue this matter and will keep you informed of developments
martellotower #donabate
This was the update from her question to the council a short while later
Question: Councillor C. Johnston “To ask the Chief Executive if consideration can be given to acquiring the Martello Tower in Balcarrick in conjunction with the Department of Housing, Local and Heritage given that it is a recorded national monument and heritage site with huge historical importance to Donabate and wider Fingal area?”
Reply: The Council recognises the historical value and significance of the Martello Tower in Balcarrick, Donabate. The Council is consulting with internal stakeholders on the future potential of the Martello Tower, considering the site constraints, the Council’s strategic priorities as set out in the capital programme and the availability of funding whether from DHLGH or other potential funder.
The Council will continue to monitor potential funding streams from central government, as the acquisition and development of the property is contingent upon the availability of funding from a suitable source.
martellotower #donabate
Fair play, you're on it. Will be interested to see what happens long term.
No one has mentioned the stairs. A feature of Martello towers is the cramped enclosed spiral stairs made of granite. There are three stories and basement has a storage area with a hole in the roof big enough for a cannonball all the way to the top. All your furniture has to either go up and down the spiral staircase or the ammunition lift. These are brilliant little forts but homes they are not.
It'll make a good episode of Room to Improve
How long before it disappears into the sea? Portrane and donabate have a lot of issues with erosion I believe
I don't think Balcarrick is affected by coastal erosion at the moment. Give it time, I'm sure.
I walk my dog down there every week came across local woman and her son filling sandbags and piling rubble up 2 weeks ago got talking to her she reckons few more storms and her house is gone😩
The erosion issue is a couple of kilometers up the coast. The tower's built on a rock base above high tide too, so it's not in any immediate danger.
Are you still liable for coastal defence if you buy that?
The one in Sutton is restored and you can rent it: https://martellotowersutton.com/acommodations/#gallery
That's fairly impressive.
Gorgeous.
It looks much bigger, but perhaps it's the fish eye
Who would buy this and for what reason? What could realistically be done with this?
Could be you for the low low prices of 375k euros
Why is the Bath detached? Will it be re-attached when sold?
Nice idea but the practicality of it isn’t there plus it’d cost a fortune to make it a comfortable home.
With no garden or private area around it, probably would be best as a cafe or viewing area.
You would need an endless supply of money to do anything with it
"Stately, plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead"
[deleted]
loads of them around the country, no point in the state owning them all
Bit of a fixer-upper, wha!?!
20% deposit for a 1 bed!
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While this building may have potential and historical importance, €375,000 for what is essentially a pile of (old) bricks is bonkers.
And surely they're taking the piss advertising it as a 1 bed & 1 bath, there's absolutely nothing in it! (I know they clarify this later in the ad but whoever places these ads has to be laughing into their sleeve).
This is criminal. Ikea furniture arrives better built than this
Someone's doing a restoration of the one on the coast road at Portmarnock - interesting to see how that one goes in relation to this. My guess would be money pit, but it's a very unique place to live.
There's one on Howth that's used as an AirBnB
https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/8003265?source_impression_id=p3_1768218042_P3_z-TYsjRvqhqZ5
The neighbouring hotel should buy it and convert into a suite
It would be pretty nice when done up. Lovely thick fortified walls on it would get so cosy in winter.
My house has 4ft stone walls. Cozy it is not! Fucking things are like sponges, soaking up the damp.
Where the fuck do you live?
In a 200 year old stone cottage :)
Have been in another one that was done up, it was damp and cold.
It would not be cosy at all
I'd love it. Seems very very cheap.
Are you kidding me cheap? Sure it is only bare bones