Castlebar Military Barracks, sometimes referred to as Mitchell Barracks,[1][2][3][4] was a military installation at Rock Square in Castlebar, County Mayo in Ireland. The barracks was closed in 2012 and sold to Mayo County Council with an agreement to lease a portion of the barracks back to the Defence Forces for the use of a reserve unit.[5]
History
The infantry barracks at Castlebar, which were built on the site of an old castle, were completed in 1834.[6] The barracks became the home of the 3rd Battalion, the Connaught Rangers in the late 19th century and it was at Castlebar that the battalion was disbanded in 1901.[7]
A part of barracks was burnt down by the Irish Republican Army in spring 1922.[8] Blocks E/F and J/K/L and the hospital were completely destroyed[9] before the site was secured by the forces of the Irish Free State in summer 1922.[6]
On the night of 28 February 1957 the St. Patricks Boys National School building was burnt down, on 3 April 1957 the school was temporally relocated to blocks G and H of the barracks. A replacement school building was opened on 9 November 1961.[10][11]
The barracks, which latterly were used as a training camp by the Reserve Defence Forces, closed in March 2012 and the site has since been acquired by Mayo County Council.[12]
On 29 January 2016 when workers were probing the ceiling of block A they discovered a human skull.[13]
Although the barracks has sometimes been referred to as "Mitchell Barracks",[14] local media simply refers to it as "Castlebar Military Barracks".[15][16][17]
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Irish Army