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The Glenmore Barracks [Updated]
Danny Dowling was informed by older Glenmore residents that the first police barracks in Glenmore was located in the field behind the present pub. There was no mention of any barracks of any description in Glenmore in 1798. The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) was established in 1822, but it is not known when the RIC Glenmore Barracks was established. The present barracks was built in the Village in the townland of Robinstown (on the corner of the main Village road and the Mullinahone road) on the lands of Lord Bessborough.
Today we are going to highlight that one hundred years ago on Easter Saturday 1920, Company C, the Glenmore Company, of the 6th Battalion of the Kilkenny Brigade of the old IRA burned the Glenmore RIC barracks. For a short time after the War of Independence a police barracks was located in a house in Weatherstown until the Glenmore Village barracks was rebuilt. Thereafter the Garda Siochana occupied the Glenmore barracks. By 1995 this Garda station was only opened a day or two a week and then permanently closed. The last officer to work out of the barracks was Garda Joe Quirke.
In the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage it is provided that Forristal’s (just down the hill from St. James on the same side of the road) was a RIC barracks in 1903 https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12404105/glenmore-roryal-irish-constabulary-barracks-robinstown-glenmore-co-kilkenny . Danny does not believe that this is correct. A quick review of the 1901 Census indicates that Anastatia Forristal, was a widow, age 51, and her son Martin Forristal, age 21, lived in the house. In 1911 the house was occupied by Anastatia Forristal, age 60, her son Martin Forristal, age 31, and James P. O’Donovan, age 27, the Glenmore Creamery Manager. Given the fact that the same family lived in the house in 1901 and 1911, it seems unlikely that the Forristal house was a RIC barracks in 1903.
The first two census of the 20th century provide some information concerning the RIC officers who were assigned to the Glenmore barracks at that time. The 1901 Census provides that there was a RIC Sergeant and four constables were resident in the Glenmore barracks namely: Sgt. Michael Stapleton (age 42, born Roscommon, the son of a farmer, single), Constable John Lennon (age 47, born Roscommon, the son of a farmer, single); Constable William Brazil (age 33, born Waterford, the son of a farmer, single); Constable Florence O’Donohue, age 24, born Cork, the son of a farmer, single); and Constable Patrick Grace (age 33, born Tipperary South, the son of an ex-RIC Sgt, married). The 1911 Census only provides the initials of the RIC Sergeant and two constables in the Glenmore barracks including: Sergeant M.K. (age 41, born in Limerick, the son of a farmer, single); C.P. , age 36, born in Cork, the son of a farmer, married; and W.P. (age 23, born in King’s County [Offaly], the son of a farmer, single). All but one of the officers in these two census were sons of farmers.
Notwithstanding the confusion regarding where the Glenmore RIC Barracks was located in 1903, the photos of the roofless fire damaged Barracks illustrates that in 1920 the RIC Glenmore Barracks was at the corner the main Village road and the Mullinahone road.
Thomas Treacy, of Kilkenny City, in 1951 provided a witness statement (Doc. No. 1093) to the Bureau of Military History concerning the Kilkenny Brigade of the IRA during his time as Battalion Commandant (1917) and Brigade Commandant (1918) until his last arrest and internment in November 1920. Treacy’s witness statement is available at http://www.militaryarchives.ie/collections/online-collections/bureau-of-military-history-1913-1921/reels/bmh/BMH.WS1093.pdf
In 1920 Treacy was ordered to capture a RIC barracks to secure firearms and ammunition, and after a couple of difficulties regarding other locations, he chose Huggingstown, Kilkenny RIC barracks. On the 8th of March 1920 the attack on the Hugginstown RIC barracks commenced at 10:30 p.m. IRA units from Kilkenny City, Outrath and Dunmaggin Companies were present as well as the Hugginstown Company that performed scout, and patrol work and guided men to the barracks. Ironically, the IRA mobilized near the Carrickshock Monument on the Carrickshock Road about 250 yards from the rear of the Hugginstown RIC Barracks (p. 33). After a 45 minute battle the Hugginstown RIC Barracks surrendered. The IRA suffered no losses, but a RIC Constable died from the injuries he sustained.
Treacy noted that the successful capture of the Hugginstown barracks had a demoralising effect on the RIC. A number of RIC rural barracks all over Kilkenny were quickly evacuated and the officers sent to larger barracks. Treacy received orders from Dublin to burn the vacated RIC barracks, income tax books and documents found in County Kilkenny. This was to occur on Easter Saturday night 1920 or Saturday the third of April 1920. In his witness statement Treacy lists 17 abandoned RIC barracks that were burned on Easter Saturday night. The list includes Rosbercon and Slieverue, but Glenmore is not included (p. 57).
The best witness statement concerning the activities of the Glenmore IRA Company was provided by Michael Connolly, of Dunbell, Kilkenny, who was on the date of truce in July 1921, the Battalion Vice Commandant. His witness statement (No. 1618) is dated 22 May 1957 and is available at
Connolly commenced his statement by indicating that he joined the Irish Volunteers in 1917 when he was living with his parents in Rochestown, Glenmore. He was 25 years of age and was asked to join by a neighbour James Walsh. He joined the first Glenmore Company comprised of about ten men and led by James Walsh. Eventually the company grew to between 70 and 80 men.
In 1920 Walsh and Connolly were planning how to capture the Glenmore RIC Barracks. He reports that it was the usual type of barracks where there was one Sergeant and three constables. As a rule two constables went out together, thus Walsh and Connolly were convinced that the barracks could be captured by a ruse while the barracks was manned by the Sergeant and one constable. While they were awaiting orders to proceed with their plans the “garrison was withdrawn” thus leaving the barracks empty.
“On Easter Saturday night of 1920, in accordance with the general order to demolish evacuated R.I.C. barracks, the Glenmore barracks was destroyed by the local company. “There was very little difficulty in carrying out the job a few tins of petrol and paraffin, with a liberal supply of inflammable material, were spread on the floors and woodwork and, within a few minutes of being set alight, the whole building was ablaze. The barracks at Tullogher was destroyed on the same night, and by the summer of 1920, only one enemy post, viz., the R.I.C. barracks at Mullinavat remained in the battalion area.” (p. 4)
In an article in the Waterford News and Star on August 6, 1920 it was reported that Lord Bessborough’s application for alleged criminal injury to the vacated police barracks at Robinstown [Glenmore] was heard by the Kilkenny County Court. The judge held that the damage was maliciously done and awarded £900 compensation, the amount to be levied off of the county at large. Because the Co. Surveyor’s re-evaluation was considerably in excess of the damage award the Kilkenny County Council gave no evidence in the case.
[On the 13th of September 1963 Danny Dowling interviewed Nicholas Forristal, of the Mill, Graiguenakill, Glenmore who related that Sergeant Moynihan was the last R.I.C. sergeant to be stationed in the Glenmore Barracks. There were also four constables with him. They all went to Kilmacow prior to the burning of the Barracks in 1920. Prior to Moynihan, a Sergeant Kirby was in charge of the Glenmore Barracks.]
Connolly in his witness statement reported that Company activities during the summer of 1920 were minor in character. Except for convoys that passed along the Waterford-New Ross road, men in uniform were seldom seen in Glenmore. He noted that the Glenmore IRA company lacked arms to go and seek the enemy. In August 1920 orders were received to collect any arms or shotguns held by local farmers or others. “In a country district like Glenmore, everyone knew who had, or was likely to have, a gun.” About 40 shotguns were collected. Most of the owners were friendly and when asked handed over their guns. Company members took the precaution of masking themselves when they approached persons thought to be hostile or were not well known. (p. 5) Notwithstanding precautions James Walsh was captured and interned.
On January 17, 1921 Connolly with about 20 Glenmore Company members met up with 20 men from the Tullogher Company and attacked the barracks at Mullinavat as it was the sole remaining R.I.C. barracks in the battalion area. The garrison at Mullinavat was comprised of about 10 RIC officers and 10 Black and Tan soldiers. The garrison withstood the attack.
Until the truce in July 1921 the actions of the Glenmore Company were confined to road blocking and road trenching. (p. 8) As a reprisal for the blocking of roads, the British authorities ordered the closing of the Glenmore Creamery for one month in May 1921. (p. 9)
For readers interested in the membership and activities of the Glenmore Company of the old IRA there are several online documents available in the Military Archives.
See, Military Service Archives, Pension Collection, [MA/MSPC/RO/160, pp. 36-46; lists of membership commence p.38] available at
For ease a list of the persons named as members of the Glenmore Company as found in these records will be posted on our lists page in the next few days.
See generally, Eoin Swithin Walsh (2018) Kilkenny: in Time of Revolution, 1900-1923.
Special thanks to Jacqueline Walsh for the close photo of the damaged Glenmore barracks and Pat Dowling for the photo taken from the Churns hill of the damaged barracks.
[Updated 6 June 2020, DD Notebook 5]
Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh