Gough Barracks in Armagh City, Co. Armagh is a Police Service of Northern Ireland base in Northern Ireland. In it's early days, it was home of the Royal Irish Fusiliers.
A military installation first appeared on the site in 1773. After the Cardwell Reforms of 1873, Gough Barracks in Armagh became home to the 89th (Princess Victoria’s) Regiment of Foot, and the 94th Regiment of Foot. Following the Childers Reforms in 1881, the 87th (Prince of Wales’s Irish) Regiment of Foot and the 89th (Princess Victoria’s) Regiment of Foot amalgamated. The Royal Irish Fusiliers formed from the combined regiments and set up headquarters at the barracks.
Imperial War Museum Photo: H 8539 (Part of the War Office Second World War Official Collection). The old Quartermaster Stores at Gough Barracks, Armagh, Co. Armagh on 26th March 1941. At the time, occupants included 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment, 53rd (Welsh) Division under the command of Lieutenant Colonel A.T.A. Browne M.M. Photo taken by Lieutenant J.R. Bainbridge - Official War Office Photographer.
During the Second World War, the United States Army used Gough Barracks as a base while in Northern Ireland. On the Victoria Street side of the complex, War Department marks still show in the concrete walls.
Gough Barracks in 1941
On 26th March 1941, a series of photos by Lieutenant J.R. Bainbridge noted the occupants of Gough Barracks, Armagh, Co. Armagh as 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment, 53rd (Welsh) Division under the command of Lieutenant Colonel A.T.A. Browne M.M.
American Forces
The following American forces were based in Armagh or Armagh Barracks between 1943 and 1944. If you have more information on exact bases, please get in touch.
| Start Date | End Date | Units |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | 109th Ordnance Medium Maintenance Company (V Corps) [Minnesota National Guard] | |
| 17th October 1943 | 11th May 1944 | 2nd Reconnaissance Troop, Mechanized (2nd Infantry Division) |
| 20th October 1943 | 11th April 1944 | 9th Infantry (2nd Infantry Division) |
| 9th November 1943 | 1st Platoon, 552nd Quartermaster Railhead Company | |
| October 1943 | 11th May 1944 | Military Police Platoon, 2nd Infantry Division |
Ten years after the American troops departed, an Irish Republican Army unit raided the barracks. The 1954 raid saw the I.R.A. escape with 340 rifles, 50 Sten guns, 12 Bren guns, and small arms.
On 1st April 1960, the Royal Irish Fusiliers depot at Gough Barracks closed. There was little pomp or ceremony as Corporal Michael Murphy lowered the regimental flag. The final 56 soldiers marched from the barracks. The Commanding Officer, Major Denis Ormerod, handed the keys to a civilian caretaker.
The site became headquarters for 2nd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment between 1970 and 1965. The British Army left the barracks for the last time in 1976. During the Cold War, authorities built a nuclear bunker on the site. Today, it serves as a base for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
