An Cosantóir

27 THE HISTORY OF CUSTUME BARRACKS Custume Barracks by Commandant General Séan Mac Eoin and it is uniquely the only barracks in Ireland named after an NCO. Sergeant Custume, who served with Maxwell's Dragoons during the Siege of Athlone in 1691, gave his life defending the town bridge from the Williamite Army. According to written accounts from the time, "One stepped from the ranks of Maxwell's Regiment, a Sergeant of Dragoons, Custume by name, 'Are there ten men here who will die with me for Ireland?', Ay shouted a hundred eager voices, 'then we will save Athlone. The bridge must go down". Dashing across the newly laid beams on the river which had been laid by King William's men in response to the Jacobite's destroying the first bridge, Sgt Custume and his ten men cut and tore down the beams with axes and crowbars under sustained fire. While they managed to destroy the bridge, Sgt Custume and his men were killed in the process. Since independence, Custume Barracks has remained an important part of life in Athlone and the Midlands, including during the Emergency when Custume Barracks held German POWs. Since the first Defence Forces missions to the UN in 1958, Custume Barracks personnel have deployed on a wide range of missions, both at home and overseas. The missions included the deployment of A Coy 35 Inf Bn to the Congo in 1961, these soldiers drawn mainly from Custume Barracks, were subsequently besieged by Katangese forces in Jadotville. The battle became known as the Siege of Jadotville, with a Netflix film being made about the conflict. During the Troubles Custume Barracks was also heavily involved in all areas of counterinsurgency and border activity as the headquarters of the Brigade, with responsibility for the border between North Donegal and Aghalane Bridge in Cavan. During this time, Don Tidey was kidnapped by the IRA and during the subsequent rescue attempt, Pte Patrick Kelly of 6 Inf Bn was tragically killed. A square within Custume Barracks, in which two manoeuvre companies of the 6 Inf Bn are based, was renamed Kelly Square in honour of Pte Kelly's sacrifice. The National Army marching across the Town Bridge The National Army marching into Victoria Barracks (Custume Barracks)

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