Overview
Lonehort Battery is the largest of seven gun batteries the British Admiralty built on Bere Island, and the only one ringed by a mile-long dry moat you cross on an iron footbridge. It sits on the eastern tip, guarding the entrance to Berehaven Harbour, the deep-water anchorage that once sheltered the Royal Navy’s dreadnought fleet. Built between 1898 and 1902, its northern sector – two 6-inch QF guns and a 28-ton 9.2-inch Mark X gun still on its original mounting – has been restored by the Bere Island Projects Group and is open for guided tours. The catch is access: it takes a ferry and a drive or walk to reach, and tours run only three days a week in summer, so it pays to plan the day around the 1pm start.
History
Bere Island has been a defensive site since the early 17th century, when Sir George Carew landed troops during the Siege of Dunboy. After a failed French invasion in 1796, four Martello towers went up. The major fortification began in March 1898, when the Royal Engineers oversaw the digging of a mile-long, 15-ft dry moat and a network of tunnels for ammunition, engine rooms and a parade ground.
The moat was finished by 1899. The two 6-inch guns were in place by 1903 and the larger 9.2-inch gun followed in 1910. Together they could throw a shell up to 26 km, covering the water from the Sheep’s Head peninsula to east of Shot Head at Adrigole. During the First World War the battery formed part of the ring defending the fleet in Berehaven, and the US Navy used the harbour as a convoy base.
After the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1922 the island stayed a British Treaty Port until 1938, when the guns passed to the Irish state. The battery then sat idle for decades. In 2003 the Bere Island Projects Group secured a licence from the Department of Defence and, with funding from the Heritage Council and Cork County Council, began the conservation work that reopened Lonehort as a visitor site.
What to see and do
A tour starts at the iron bridge over the 10-metre-deep dry moat, the only battery on the island to keep one. Inside, licensed guides Barry Hanley and Teresa Hall lead the way through the underground stores, the original ammunition racks, the three engine rooms that powered the defences, and the caponiers that were planned but never built.
The guns are the centrepiece. The 9.2-inch Mark X gun, weighing 28.4 tons, still sits on its original mounting with its barrel out to sea. Beside it are the two 6-inch QF guns. Guides cover the loading procedures, the firing arc of roughly 200° and the strategy that had contemporary papers calling Berehaven a ‘second Gibraltar’.
Beyond the guns there are views over Bantry Bay, the Beara Peninsula and Sheep’s Head, all part of the Wild Atlantic Way. The Lonehort Loops trail (1.6 km, easy) starts at the battery gate and circles the eastern tip past the moat, the gun emplacements and the open sea.
Events and seasonal highlights
- Heritage Week (late August) – children’s tours with hands-on activities and storytelling about the battery in the First World War.
- Summer art exhibitions – local artists sometimes show work in the restored northern sector in July and August.
- Firing demonstrations – on select dates, usually the last Saturday of July, a recorded firing sound illustrates the gun’s power. No live ammunition is used.
All of these run only in the June–September window. Check the schedule on the official site or with the Bere Island Projects Group.
Practical information
| Service | Details |
|---|---|
| Tour days | Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays (June–September) |
| Tour time | 1pm (13:00) |
| Duration | About 1 hour |
| Cost | €10 per adult (guided tour) |
| Booking | Advised – call +353 86 884 5709 or +353 86 198 1541, or email bipginfo@gmail.com |
| Meeting point | Battery gates, Ardaragh (signposted from Rerrin village) |
| Accessibility | The moat bridge is level, but the underground tunnels have uneven stone steps and are not wheelchair accessible |
| Facilities | No café on site; toilets at the Rerrin visitor centre, a 5-minute walk |
| Parking | Free, near the battery gates |
The battery is owned by the Irish Department of Defence, with day-to-day visitor operations run by the Bere Island Projects Group. Group tours outside the regular schedule can be arranged on the same numbers. The site is in the Record of Protected Structures (ID 01230).
Getting there
Bere Island is reached by ferry from the mainland, with two car-ferry options:
- Murphy’s Ferry Service: sails from ‘The Pontoon’ (4 km east of Castletownbere) straight to Rerrin village on the east end, the side closest to Lonehort. Call +353 (0)87 238 6095.
- Bere Island Ferries: sails from the slipway in Castletownbere town centre to the West End of the island. Call +353 (0)27 75009.
On the island, follow the signs to Rerrin and the battery. On foot it is about 5 km from the West End pier, or a short walk from Rerrin village.
Nearby attractions
- Ardaragh Wedge Tomb – a Bronze-Age burial monument a short walk inland from the battery, on a marked trail. (Ardaragh Wedge Tomb)
- Rerrin Visitor Centre – island history, a small café and toilets, open year-round.
- Bere Island Walking Trail – runs on past Lonehort to the western Martello towers and other walking routes.
Always check the latest ferry times with the operators before leaving Castletownbere, as sailings are seasonal and weather-dependent.