Aughinish Tower is a Martello tower

Martello tower

Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....

 at Aughinish, County Clare

County Clare

-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...

, Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 dating back to March 1811 when 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) of land for the site was purchased from a Major Lynch.

While the Aughinish Tower is the same design as the Finavarra Tower

Finavarra Tower

Finavarra Tower is a Martello tower in Finavarra, County Clare, Ireland dating back to 1816. Built during the Napoleanic wars, and situated on Finavarra Point, the tower protected the north-eastern side of Ballyvaughan Bay and the south-western entrance of New Quay harbour from possible attack...

, its small ordnance storage building no longer exists. This structure was previously recorded as being located just west of the tower. The tower itself had accommodation for one officer and thirty-nine men on the first floor. It also contained a basement water tank, a magazine, cellar and store at ground level. An original twenty four pound cannon was still in place until 1992.

In the 1950s, townspeople from Aughinish used the tower for dancing and Ceilidh

Céilidh

In modern usage, a céilidh or ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic social gathering, which usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing. It originated in Ireland, but is now common throughout the Irish and Scottish diasporas...

. The parties were held on special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, and for local weddings. People from New Quay

New Quay

New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...

 often rowed across the inlet to attend the gatherings.

In 1960 a man named Duffy from Limerick

Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

 purchased the tower from the Land Commission and sold the property in 1987 for an undisclosed amount of money. The current owner is from Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

and he has refurbished the tower as a residence. A steel stairway has been erected and secured to the outside of the tower.