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group of local school kids, teachers and some parents were treated to a wide and varied display of modern Defence Forces equipment. They even got to see the Defence Forces Parachute Team land on the main square in a tribute to the 1817 crossing of the Irish Sea crossing by a hot air balloon. With the official sanction given
by Brig Gen Denis Murphy (GOC 2 E Bde), work commenced on refurbishing the old guardroom (idle since 1992) in April 2010. Under the direction and supervision of Sgt Mattie Doyle (2 Fd Eng Coy) work progressed at a steady pace as Mattie was ably assisted in the task by the barracks’ civilian maintenance staff with the necessary funding supplied by the Directorate of Engineering. The restoration of the
building and its environs with the preservations of original features was carried out with great skill and in a very cost effective manner. Military Archives supplied the
majority of the artefacts on display and its staff gave expert guidance to the GOC and his project team on how to best display all exhibits in a fitting tribute to those ordinary soldiers who lived, marched, fought and died within the barrack’s walls. More importantly, this initiative
by the Defence Forces, Óglaigh na hÉireann in establishing this permanent link with our military heritage is also an appropriate commemoration to those men and women who took up arms in 1916 for our freedom. This new visitor’s centre will be vital to the education of our young soldiers and instilling in them
a sense of where they came from and what is expected of them as Ireland’s soldiers of destiny.
THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE
