An Cosantóir Dec 2016 / Jan 2017 www.dfmagazine.ie
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By BTY SGT MARTIN KELLY (RETD)
PhotoS By CIARAN O'NEILL
O
n 24th September 1998 the national flag was
lowered for the last time at Magee Bks in Kildare
town. I remember the sun shining that morning,
with not a cloud in the sky, as gunners of all ranks formed
up on the square in ceremonial order for the last time:
Depot and School of Artillery, 1 AD Regt and 6 Fd Arty
Regt. honours were rendered as the flag was lowered
and at the end of the ceremony the gunners marched out
through the gates, with their guns in tow, and redeployed
to the Curragh Camp.
Fast-forward to February 2016, 18 years later, when the
barracks was eventually sold at auction. It was then that an
idea that I had been harbouring for nearly two years began
to come to the fore. During my service I had seen many a
course of cadets/recruits/three-stars/potential NCOs march-
ing back from the Glen of Imaal to their respective bases on
completion of their field exercises. Maybe it was time to go
the other way. I started to do some training walks and made
the decision that if I could manage to complete a 20km walk
by the end of May I would publicise my intention to carry out
a walk from Magee Barracks to the Seskin field gun position
in the Glen of Imaal.
