No more troops at Duncannon Fort

June 1988

After a year of uncertainty, a military tradition dating back to the 11th century has ended in Duncannon.

The death knell was sounded for the village’s army fort last week when Minister for Defence, Deputy Michal J. Noonan, announced that the military authorities did not propose to accommodate troops at Duncannon Fort in the future.

The Minister, in a letter to Deputy Hugh Byrne, said that the substantial expenditure which would be required at Duncannon could not be justified, having regard to ‘the limited value’ of the fort for military training purposes, and given the scarcity of financial resources available to his Department.

Deputy Noonan continued that substantial expenditure would be required in order to provide an acceptable standard of accommodation for troops, but offered some hope for the future of the former military stronghold when he said that he was having a proposal from Wexford Tourism Council to establish a military and maritime museum on the site examined, in consultation with the Office of Public Works.

There has been strong speculation since last Summer that the 900-year-old army barracks would be closed, but following intense opposition, and the compilation of a 1,000 signature petition, the then Minister for Defence, Mr. Paddy O’Toole, said that he would re-assess the situation.

While the fort has only been used in recent decades as a Summer Training Camp for army and FCA personnel, there was concern from local business people at the threatened loss of substantial revenue which was generated by the 100 soldiers usually posted in Duncannon from early June until September.

Feelings have run high amongst villagers eager to maintain the historic tradition of Duncannon Fort also, and in late February of this year, angry residents blocked the gates when army lorries tried to remove historic cannons from the barracks.

Extensive renovations and restoration work is required at Duncannon Fort, and estimates for the cost of this work have been put at anything between £250,000 and £600,000.