The Battery is an iconic Georgian military building steeped in history, it was built circa 1800 in preparation to defend against Napoleon’s French Fleet. At this time there were 74 towers built around Ireland, mainly concentrated in the south and east and many such as the tower at Sandycove were attached to a battery or fort. The property stands on approximately 0.4 acre of immensely private grounds and offers breath-taking panoramic 270 ֯ views to Dun Laoghaire Pier, Howth, the Forty Foot and beyond. It has been in the same ownership since 1955 and now offers the discerning purchaser a unique opportunity to acquire a landmark property in the heart of Sandycove, one of South County Dublin’s most popular coastal suburbs.
There is dual access to the house with vehicular gates to the Forty Foot side and a pedestrian gate to the Sandycove Beach end. To the front, there is off-street parking for a few cars and a pathway leads up to the front door from the pedestrian gate, the garden is filled with mature planting and echiums, making it very private. Internally, the accommodation extends to approximately 175 sq.m. (1,884 sq.ft.) and briefly comprises of a covered courtyard entrance area which opens out to a secluded raised patio which faces due south. Steps lead down to further ancillary buildings at a lower level, including the Guard Room and Master Gunner’s Store.
On entering the house, you are welcomed by a living/dining room, off which there is a dual aspect drawing room with a conservatory that was added at a later stage. There is access from the living/dining room out into the semi-circular lookout area which is laid out in grass with a large granite outcrop to the centre. High granite walls hug the perimeter, granting complete privacy, while still retaining unrivalled panoramic 270 ֯ views to Dun Laoghaire Pier, Howth, the Forty Foot and beyond. There is a raised platform area to The Forty Foot side, an ideal spot for an evening drink. Off the living/dining room, there is a hallway where there are three bedrooms, one of which has a mezzanine level and en suite shower room. The main bathroom is in the original vaulted, Napoleonic era gunpowder room. Finally, there is a functional galley style kitchen/breakfast room and off this there is a second dining or family room, completing the internal accommodation.

In Peter Pearson’s book documenting the architectural history of the area: Between the Mountains and the Sea , he says “It is safe to say that the Martello Tower at Sandycove Point is the most famous of all such towers because of the brief residence there of James Joyce and the battery or fort which forms the massive cut stone bulwark between the once-sacred ‘men only’ territory of the Forty Foot and the general public, was erected shortly after the construction of the Martello Tower. It occupies much of the rocky outcrop which comprises Sandycove Point and in fact the granite bedrock rises up through the fort to form its highest point. The Kirkwood engraving shows a tall flag staff or mast with stays rising from the centre of the battery. During the second world war an anti-aircraft gun and a search light were installed at the Sandycove Battery, and the gun was used towards the end of the emergency in 1945. The buildings at the property included a guard room, the master gunners store, a vaulted powder room and the soldier’s quarters which form the main part of the old house ... All these structures, including the semi-circular walls of the battery itself were built of the finest hewn granite and maintain a quality of complete timelessness. The main function of the Martello Tower and The Battery was to resist a naval attack; as it happened the tower and batteries had an uneventful history and never saw any military action.”