An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 27 BY PAUL MAGUIRE R ockhill House was my second home for almost 23 years after I joined the Army in January 1981, apart from two overseas trips to Lebanon with 54 and 58 Inf Bns. In 2008, five years after I had retired, many of us who had been stationed at Rockhill were shocked to learn that the barracks was to close along with Lifford, both of which had played an integral part in border security during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. On 28th January 2009, B Coy, 28 Inf Bn, stood down for the last time in Rockhill, a house that had centuries of history. Built in the 17th century as a manor house and surround by 250 acres of land, it was first occupied by Captain Thomas Chambers in 1660 and then by other members of the Chambers family, many of whom served in the British Army. The Chambers family continued living in Rockhill until the Stewart family moved into the house in 1824. Much of the sur- rounding land was used to grow flax, which was a big industry in Ulster, so Rockhill was a big employer. The Stewart family also had its connections with the military. The last private owner of Rockhill was Sir Charles J Stewart whose two sons served and were killed in World War One. At the beginning of the 1920s revolutionary Ireland was in a process of change and the large houses of the gentry were at risk. In one incident Rockhill was taken over by 30 local anti-Treaty insurgents who held the house for a short time before regular troops from Letterkenny managed to regain control. After the Civil War, education and the revival of the Irish language were priorities for the country's new government, and Rockhill House was chosen as a location for a training college. However, it was only used as a college for a few years, and lay idle for a few years until 1930 when it was taken over for use by the newly formed Free State Army, which set up a local Letterkenny unit and a training camp in Rockhill. In 1940, the regular 17 Infantry Battalion moved into Rockhill until the end of the Emergency. In 1946 a large proportion of members of 17 Inf Bn were stood down and the remainder was absorbed into 20 Inf Bn, and when the Local Defence Force (LDF) was set up, Rockhill House became its battalion area HQ. Rockhill continued to be used by the army throughout the 1960s as a training base for the newly formed FCÁ. In 1973, during the Troubles, 28 Inf Bn was established in Finner Camp, with companies in Lifford (A Coy) and Rockhill House (B Coy). As well as the regular troops, Rockhill also housed HQ 24 Inf Bn FCÁ. Many years of border duties followed for the troops based in Rockhill, with long nights and days spent on patrol, on checkpoint duty, or supporting An Garda Síochána in aid-to-the-civil-power (ATCP) operations. In 1998 a new peace agreement in the North brought and end to the permanent Kilclean checkpoint on the Castlefinn to Castlederg road. However regimental guard duty and ATCP operations continued. Over the years many men have passed through Rockhill's gates, arriving from the likes of Athlone, Longford, and Galway to make Letterkenny their home. Local recruitment also grew over the years, particular in B Coy in Rockhill. Many Rockhill soldiers got involved in sport, both with the army and local clubs, and one of Rockhill's greatest achievements was the setting up of the Rockhill 10K road race by soldiers who served in the barracks; a race that opened up to the public and eventually became known as the Northwest 10K. After the Defence Forces left Rockhill in January 2009, the building lay derelict for a number of years, until it was bought at public auction by a local businessman in 2014. It is now open as an events venue and an elegant country manor house and estate. Memories of Rockhill House Soldiers from Rockhill serving overseas in Lebanon. Photo: Aidan Redican Rockhill House, circa 1900s. Rockhill House now as an elegant Country Manor House & Estate. © www.rockhillhouse.ie

• Cover