Conservation - Martello Tower

Tender description

Waterways Ireland is one of the six North/South Implementation Bodies established under the British Irish Agreement in 1999. Waterways Ireland manages, maintains, develops and promotes over 1,000km inland navigable waterways principally for recreational purposes. The waterways under the remit of the body are the Shannon Navigation, Barrow Navigation, the Erne System, the Grand Canal, the Lower Bann, the Royal Canal and the Shannon-Erne Waterway. Our navigations have numerous examples of waterway related industrial heritage. Near Banagher in County Offaly, WI has an excellent example of a Napoleonic Fortification under their ownership: Meelick Martello Tower. The NIAH describe the Tower as a: "Freestanding cam-shaped three-gun ashlar masonry Martello tower, constructed c.1811. Hammerdressed stone walls with base plinth and tapered walls. Battered walls to tower, approximately 60 feet wide at ground level, and somewhat less at parapet level. Entrance at first level. Two large windows, one on each side of the tower, are situated at first floor level at the start of two staircases that lead up the roof level. The roof supports three artillery guns. The ground level of the tower contained stores and a powder magazine, the first floor level with its timber floor providing the living accommodation. Two staircases, symmetrically arranged in plan, are contained within the wall thickness, and lead from each side of the first floor level to the rear of the gun platform above. The gun platform is 'trefoil' in plan, providing for three guns. The structure is supported on a central stone pier, cylindrical in shape, passing down through the tower to ground level." Waterways Ireland wish to commission the following body of work: Conservation Assessment & Feasibility Study , Site Interpretation and Visitor Management Strategy, with risk Analysis, Associated Appropriate Assessment.