Doonaha - Home to Cloudforest Three And A Napoleonic Battery

Situated on the banks of the Shannon River, on the Loop Head Peninsula in County Clare; the village of Doonaha is a true hidden gem on the famous Wild Atlantic Way.

It is also where our incredible Cool Partners will gather on the 22nd of February 2022, for our Super Twosday Planting Day @ Clouforest 3. This will be a chance for our community of business leaders to come together and take real, direct action in the fight against climate change, and promises to be a special experience for everyone involved.

But, what about Doonaha (or Dún Átha in Irish)? What does this picturesque village have to offer for our CoolPartners, or for anyone else who finds themselves in it? 

Well, there’s only one place to begin; The Doonaha Battery.  This 200 feet wide defense barrier has historical roots dating all the way back to the 18th Century. It began when Theobald Wolfe Tone and his fellow revolutionaries sought the backing of French Forces in the 1790s. This combined with the rising of the notorious Napoleon Bonaparte to power, forced British forces to act. 

This action took the form of the British constructing a system of 51 Signal Stations across the country, mainly in places seen as potential invasion areas for the French. These stations were complimented with 50 Martello towers, each maintaining a garrison of troops, officers, and heavy artillery, as well as 10 quadrangular towers protecting the batteries. 

These towers were found closing the gorge of a detached battery and were designed to protect from landward side attacks. They contained 24 pounder guns as cover for the batteries. It housed both gunners and ordinary troopers. The entrance was usually across a draw bridge over a dry moat. These batteries were all built between 1809 and 1817 on the coast in places that were particularly vulnerable to invasion, like the River Shannon (where 7 Towers were built).

One of these 7 Battery Protecting Towers on the Shannon, was located in Doonaha,  three miles northeast of Kilcredaun Point, on the northside of the estuary. This battery was built upon by 600 men, within 18 months, between 1813-1814.

Nowadays, the dry moat is badly eroded and the bombproof barrack is half demolished. However, it is more intact than its counterpart Corran Point batter, which is located on the opposite side shore. Despite the damage, it is still obvious to see how strongly built these structures were, with a massive barrel vault supporting the gun platform.

Like many heritage sites, it was partially blown up to recover the masonry for building around 1947, however, the destruction was halted when it was discovered that the stone was not suitable. Luckily, the current owners have restored and maintained the remains.

Apart from this incredible structure, Doonaha has plenty more to offer. Such as the Church of the Holy Spirit, which is one of the oldest churches in the Killaloe diocese, having been built in 1808. It also offers natural beauty, like The Doonaha River, which crosses the village before it enters the Shannon River. Finally, it is home to Cloudforest 3, This is our second forest site on the Loop Head Peninsula joining Carrigaholt (C2) and is a wonderful part of the world to visit.