Report - Killymeal House Army Barracks, Dungannon, Northern Ireland (April 2015)

[Ulsterman]

There isn't much history (that Ive seen) about this place, but we can assume what we need to.

1969, Northern Ireland. What has become known as "The Troubles" breaks out. Battle of the Bogside etc and the Army is called in to take over from the RUC, the Police. The Army garrisons sites across the country, often in the larger population centres, to give it bases to operate out of for what would be the next 25-30 years.

In Dungannon, a Georgian farm house on a hill on Killymeal road was chosen, probably bought out by the MoD, and turned into Killymeal Barracks, Y453. I assume the site was chosen because of the limited space at the site of the Police station in the centre of Dungannon town and the need to site accommodation for troops as well as landing areas for helicopters.

Here is google earth imagery of the site in 2001 while still active

And then in 2010, the same state it can be found in now

Many of the buildings would have been removed and dismantled in 2007 with the end of army operations in Northern Ireland. The old farm house and the concrete of the landing pads and building foundations are now all that remain.

A photo of the large rectangular helipad sometime in the 1990s

and again now in 2015.

The front facade of the house. The farm buildings which are left housed the Officers while the squaddies would have been billeted in the now demolished buildings around the base.

The basement of the house contained what was the Armoury

Weapons rack

Most of the building is in a very bad way. This is part of the basement.

Cheers for looking

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Thanks for that, funny how things change. A few things to note there still though, the armoury etc.

 

[Ulsterman]

local republican youth appear to have done some redecorating after the army moved out, but the basement seems untouched. Perhaps a bit too frightening for them, who knows?

 

[cruachan]

In 1972 I did a tour in Dungannon with A Company, 1st Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. The company base was in the small camp on Castle Hill right at the top of the hill past the police station. The grounds of Killymeal House were used for helicopter operations. I've done many a heli patrol that started and finished there. It wasn't quite as jacked up as the photo in this thread from 1990 - there were no helipad markings and none of the watchtowers and high fencing - it was literally just the garden and Wessex helicopters used to fly in and out of there quite happily. From memory, I think that Killymeal House later became an Ulster Defence Regiment Batatalion (or maybe Company) Headquarters.

 

[Ulsterman]

I had no idea the Army used Castle Hill, thats a great insight into it, thank you

 

[cruachan]

Here's a photo of yours truly in full steely eyed killer mode in Castle Hill sometime during the summer of 72. The Saracen in the background was blown up by an IRA landmine on 10 Sep 72 while carrying out a mobile patrol between Dungannon and Benburb. Three of A Coy were killed in that incident. My section - 2 Section, 3 Platoon, A Company - were next to go out in that vehicle but it never returned. I guess we had a lucky escape. I think I might have a photo somewhere of a Wessex operating out of Killymeal House - I'll post it later if I can find it.

 

[Ordnance]

Killymeal House was used by 8th (County Tyrone) Battalion , Ulster Defence Regiment between 1972 & 1992 but also as a British Army/RAF Forward Operating Base and Helipad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battalions_and_locations_of_the_Ulster_Defence_Regiment

 

[Miss Mayhem]

cool, good stuff

 

[SB59]

Here's a photo of yours truly in full steely eyed killer mode in Castle Hill sometime during the summer of 72. The Saracen in the background was blown up by an IRA landmine on 10 Sep 72 while carrying out a mobile patrol between Dungannon and Benburb. Three of A Coy were killed in that incident. My section - 2 Section, 3 Platoon, A Company - were next to go out in that vehicle but it never returned. I guess we had a lucky escape. I think I might have a photo somewhere of a Wessex operating out of Killymeal House - I'll post it later if I can find it.

What's the building in the background?

 

[strikey]

not gonna lie, may have partaken in the use of illicit chemicals in that place once or twice.