An Cosantóir

6 HISTORY OF BEGGARS BUSH BARRACKS HISTORY OF BEGGARS BUSH BARRACKS By Pte (AR) Lukasz Gancarz Photos provided by Pte (AR) Lukasz Gancarz Beggars Bush Barracks is often missed by members of the general public, walking past it on a daily basis, unaware of its historical value. Located at Haddington Road in South Dublin, it houses a few important State agencies and museums; Labour Relations Commission, Geological Survey of Ireland, the Irish Labour Society Museum, and the National Print Museum. However, its history starts in 1827, when the barracks were commissioned as a training and recruitment camp for the British Army. At the beginning of the XIX century, they were home for the Combined Irish Regiment, South Irish Horse, A Squadron. It was a Special Reserve Cavalry Regiment, which was formed on the 2nd of January 1902. It was known as the South of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry before being renamed the South Irish Horse on the 7th of July and transferred to the Special Reserve. Not many people know that this unit took part in World War 1. After a Declaration of War against Germany, the South and North Irish Horse were formed into a composite Regiment of the British Expeditionary Force in France, B Squadron. In September 1917, soldiers of both Regiments were retrained as infantry units and formed 7th South Irish Horse Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment and were posted to 49th Infantry Brigade in 16th Irish Division. The 21st of March 1918 marked the beginning of the German Spring Offensive, with the Irish soldiers being posted to the forward combat zones, suffering huge casualties. 77 officers of the Royal Irish Regiment, 42 of the South Irish Horse died in action on that day. By the end of the month, over 90 men of the battalion were lost in battle. With the Easter Rising of 1916, the area had seen one of the first armed operations, when men of the British Notts & Derby Regiment (Sherwood Foresters) stopped for a tea break at Northumberland Road, enroute to Dublin Castle. Volunteer Lieutenant Michael Malone and one of his section leaders, James Grace, opened fire on the massed ranks of troops in the street below from the upper stories of Number 25. Enemy troops, mainly untrained and unprepared for street fighting, launched a few desperate attempts to break away, focusing on a one particular address, while the rebels opened up from several other locations, such as Mount Street Bridge. Volunteers, barricaded at Number 25, managed to hold off waves of British attacks, only to be defeated when a machine gun was brought to the location with the reinforcements. Lt Michael Malone died in combat and a commemorative sign can be seen at the address today. In 1920, an infamous Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary was formed in response to a rising number of revolutionary operations in Ireland. Their first headquarters were located in the Curragh, however a few months later, they were moved to Beggars Bush Barracks. The Civil War also made its mark on the location. Robert Erskine Childers, who had been secretary to the Capt O'Daly IRA with the colours presented to him by Richard Mulcahy Minister for Defence Enroute to Beggars Bush Barracks handover January 1922

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