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A LARGE crowd came to the launch of the book, ‘The History of Ballymullen Barracks’, in Tralee library on Tuesday night.

The author is Kerry County Council employee, Robert Tangney, who decided to write it in his late father Denis’s honour. Denis, who hailed from the area, had said he wanted to write a book on Ballymullen but never got around to it.

In his speech, Robert thanked all those whohelped in getting the project to fruition.

Robert’s grandfather, also named Denis, joined the Royal Munster Fusiliers in 1914 and went off to fight in World War 1. The Royal Munster Fusiliers headquarters were in the barracksat the time which was a massive economic shot in the arm for Tralee.

The book gives a full history of Ballymullen Barracks right from its very beginnings in 1810 onwards, including all the regiments that served there and the Munster Fusiliers experience of the massacre at Gallipoli in World War 1.

The barracks underw
ent a changing of the guard with the birth of the Irish Free State with the barracks’ important role in the area during the War of Independence and the Civil War also covered in the book.

Other subjects covered are historical landmarks such as the ‘Emergency’ and interesting aspects of local history with the military graveyard and Haig’s Terrace in Manor, which is where the soldiers and their families lived.

Price is €15 (with a 1912 map of Ballymullen Barracks for €3)

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