Birr barracks burned down 100 years ago this week

Stephen Callaghan

As dawn broke on the 15th July 1922, the ruins of Birr Barracks, Crinkill still smouldered having been set on fire the previous night. Civil War had begun in Offaly and the burning of the barracks marked one of the most significant events in the county during this period of time.

The barracks was originally built between 1809-1812 in response to the Napoleonic Wars. Around 1,100 soldiers could be housed here and they could be dispatched if there was a French invasion. The barracks was built in a H plan and there were two large parade squares. The adjoining fields, known as the Fourteen Acres, acted as a training ground.

The barracks developed over time and essentially became a mini town with its own canteen, hospital, prison and church and schools. Various regiments of the British Army would be stationed here as part of their home service. The most notable occupants of the barracks were probably the Leinster Regiment, the barracks becoming their depot upon the regiments creation in 1881. Despite the regular army battalion of the regiment only being stationed here for around two years, the barracks nonetheless is very much associated with them.

With the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty in December 1921, the British Army began its evacuation of Ireland, including the Leinster Regiment depot staff still based in Birr. The depot staff left in February 1922 and went to Colchester, to meet up with the regiment’s 2nd Battalion.

Birr Barracks was handed over to the newly created National Army, on February 13, by a detachment of the Northamptonshire Regiment. The handing over of the barracks marked the end of around 110 years of occupation of the barracks by the British Army. The barracks would now act as the headquarters of the 3rd Southern Division.

Several months into 1922, the split in the army occurred and the beginning of Civil War. The army was divided into those in favour of the Treaty and those against it. Those in favour of the Treaty left the barracks, leaving it to Anti-Treaty forces. On the 14th July, they too decided to leave the barracks, but not before setting it on fire, in a bid to stop it from being reoccupied by the Pro-Treaty forces.

Nothing was spared and the fire burned into the night, with the villagers of Crinkill looking on in horror. Despite the barracks having going into decline towards the start of the 20th century, it was still an important source of local trade.

As the fire turned night into day, it was still visible for miles around and the flames crept closer and closer to the clock in the turret. It eventually reached it at 3.30am with the hands on the clock coming to rest at this time.

When morning broke a steady stream of looters began to “liberate” any items which had not burned in the fire. This became so much of a problem that the National Army issued a warning that any people caught with items from the barracks would be prosecuted.

There was talk of the barracks being rebuilt for use by National Army troops stationed in Birr, but nothing came of it, the barracks squares, slowing being reclaimed by nature as grass covered them. The ruined buildings were eventually sold by the Commission of Public Works for rubble stone, the iconic buildings being levelled. The final buildings to be destroyed were one of the officer blocks and the iconic bell tower, which were destroyed in 1985.

Today, all that remains of this once imposing barracks are the finely built stone gateways and the boundary wall.