Martello Tower No. 16 on Strand Road, Sandymount, Dublin 4, a 617 sq m protected coastal heritage structure built in 1804 as part of a chain of Napoleonic-era coastal defences around Dublin Bay, has been placed on the market with a guide price of €1.5m through Colliers, presenting a rare opportunity for heritage hospitality and conservation investors.

The Irish Independent reported that the three-level circular tower occupies a prime coastal position at the junction of Strand Road and St John's Road, with uninterrupted views across Dublin Bay and direct frontage onto Sandymount Strand.

The tower is one of 28 structures built along Dublin Bay between 1804 and 1806 as part of a broader chain of up to 50 Martello towers erected around the Irish coastline during the Napoleonic Wars. A 2008 study commissioned by Fingal County Council and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council found that Dublin Bay's Martello towers represent the most complete collection in the world.

The property has undergone several phases of adaptation over its history. After its military use ended, it was leased to the Dublin Tramway Company in the 1850s, repurposed as a newsagent in the 1950s and 1960s, and later converted into a restaurant. A planning application for a café was lodged approximately 25 years ago but was not progressed.

The sale has prompted calls for state acquisition. Fine Gael TD James Geoghegan has written to the minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works requesting that the tower be purchased and brought into public use as a cultural or heritage space, and described it as a national monument.

Access the full report on the Sandymount Martello Tower sale and its heritage significance.