Curragh Camp - The Curragh Camp and Irish Independence

The Curragh Camp and Irish Independence

At the time of the passage of the Home Rule Act in 1914, the Camp became the scene of the Curragh Incident, where a number of officers proposed to resign rather than enforce Home Rule against the will of the Unionists.

After the Irish War of Independence (21 January 1919 – 11 July 1921) the British Army handed over the Curragh Camp to the Irish National Army. The handover took place at 10 o’clock on Tuesday, May 16, 1922 when the camp was handed over to a party of Irish troops commanded by Lt Gen O’Connell. On Monday evening the Union Flag was lowered for the last time. At 12 o’clock, noon, on the Tuesday, Lt Gen O’Connell climbed the Water Tower and hoisted the first Tricolour to fly over the Curragh Camp. By tradition the British army had cut down the flagpole requiring the Irish officers to physically hold the Flagpole while the Tricolour was raised. During the period since 1922 the Union Flag was cared for by the Stokes family who presented the flag to the GOC Curragh in 1997. Both the Union Flag and the Tricolour, which measures 10’ x 18’ are now preserved in the DFTC.

In 1928 the seven barracks were renamed after the executed leaders of the 1916 Rising, as follows:

• Ponsonby Barracks is now Plunkett Barracks.
• Stewart Barracks is now Connolly Barracks.
• Beresford Barracks is now Ceannt Barracks.
• A.S.C. Barracks is now Clarke Barracks.
• Engineer Barracks is now MacDermott Barracks.
• Gough Barracks is now MacDonagh Barracks.
• Keane Barracks is now Pearse Barracks