Many a military eye grew watery as time was called on an Army base after 32 years, writes Alison Healy
THE TRICOLOUR was lowered on Monaghan Military Barracks for the last time yesterday, after more than 32 years of Army service in the Border county.
Several hundred troops, retired officers and family members stood to attention as Lieut John Byrne undid the flag ties just after noon.
The troops then marched out the gates into the morning sun to the strains of Fáinne Geal an Lae, played by the Army No 1 Band.
Tears glistened in the eyes of some relatives as the music was reduced to a drumbeat and Pte Michael Molloy bolted the gates, marking the end of an era for the barracks on the outskirts of the town.
It was the first of four barracks earmarked to close in a cost-saving measure announced in the last Budget. Barracks in Lifford, Letterkenny and Longford will close next week. St Bricin’s Military Hospital in Dublin is also due to close, but a date has not yet been set for the transfer of its work to the Curragh.
The parade brought to an end more than three decades of close connections with the people of Monaghan, said Brig Gen Dennis Murphy, general officer commanding the 2 Eastern Brigade.
The barracks was opened in December 1976 by then taoiseach Liam Cosgrave as dissident activity increased along the Border. However the soldiers got off to a rocky start with some Republican supporters who believed they should not be there.
Retired Sgt Maj Tommy Daly was there at the start and remembered the hostility. “The locals resented us being there and we had a lot of hassle in the town. We couldn’t socialise for a long time, but from 1978 onwards, things began to settle down.”
To demonstrate the shift in attitudes, it is interesting to note there was just one local man recruited to the barracks’s first platoon while its last platoon contained 30 locals.
The troops found themselves drafted in to deal with everything from checkpoints and bomb disposal to supporting the Department of Agriculture during the foot and mouth, BSE and poultry disease crises.
Most troops will move to Aiken Barracks, Dundalk, but some will go to Cavan and Donegal. On Sunday, 19 personnel from the barracks will leave for a tour of duty in Chad.
“As we lower the national flag and march out the gate of this barracks for the last time, we bring with us great and enduring memories of our times here,” Brig Gen Murphy said.
Retired Company Sgt John Costin was one of the first members stationed at the barracks. “I have sad memories today because thousands of men passed through here, some great characters.”
He said civilians would never know what soldiers and gardaí had gone through on Border duty.
He was there when a British helicopter sparked a diplomatic incident by landing at the barracks in June 1977. The barracks is about 3km from the Armagh border.
“We didn’t want them to land but they were out of fuel so we had to let them,” he recalled. “There were two guys in it. They were very embarrassed. They didn’t know where to put their heads.”
Fiona Byrne was fighting back the tears as she recalled the past 17 years her husband Pte Brian Byrne had spent at the barracks.
“I feel awful sentimental about it, just walking around, seeing it all for the last time,” she said. “It’s very, very heartbreaking. I have great memories of barbecues and parties.”
Ita O’Hara’s husband, retired captain Eamon O’Hara, was stationed at the barracks when their children were small. “It’s very emotional today,” she said. “Weekend duty was Friday morning to Monday evening, so for him to get to see the children we’d come in of a Sunday afternoon. They used to be fascinated by it and loved to play games in the gym. Being part of the Army family is a very unique thing. There’s a great camaraderie.”
Pte Robert Speers (22) was shedding no tears though as the move to Dundalk will bring him closer to his Co Down home. “I’ll be sad to see the barracks go though. It was a good wee barracks and a friendly town.”