Aiken Barracks

Aiken Barracks is an army barracks located in Dundalk, County Louth, Ireland. The barracks was originally known as Dundalk Barracks and was renamed after Frank Aiken, a commander of the Irish Republican Army and an Irish politician. It is the current Headquarters of the 27 Infantry Battalion of the Irish Army.HistoryBritish armyThe barracks were established following the Irish Rebellion as Dundalk barracks in 1798. The oldest building dates back to 1810.Arthur Samuel Richardson a British army surgeon died in 1816 aged 38 from a wound he received in the Officers' Mess in Dundalk Barracks. His fatal wound was the result of a duel he had with a fellow officer who, allegedly, made a disparaging remark about a young woman of Richardson's acquaintance. Richardson's remains were buried in St. Nicholas Green Church graveyard in Dundalk. He had the grim distinction of being the last man to die as a result of a duel in Ireland. Reports suggest that the incident was more of a barrack room brawl that a formal duel but his ghost reputedly haunted the Mess afterwards.Irish Civil WarIn April 1922 the 4th Northern Division commanded by Frank Aiken occupied Dundalk barracks as the British forces evacuated Free State territory under the terms of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The Irish Civil War began in June 1922 and on 16 July 1922 the pro-treaty 5th Northern Division led by Dan Hogan occupied Dundalk taking Aiken and his men prisoner. Just eleven days later on 27 July, some of Aiken’s IRA command under Padraig Quinn blew a hole in the wall of Dundalk prison and in fifteen minutes the operation resulted in the freeing of Republican prisoners, including Aiken himself. Aiken now prepared to free the remaining republican prisoners held in Dundalk barracks. Aiken’s troops were armed with small arms and explosives because they had been supplied up until a month before by the very Army they were now going to attack. Aiken organised boats to ferry his 300 strong force across the Castletown river into Dundalk and equipped two storming parties of ten men with submachine guns and explosives.