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Archiver > IRL-KERRY > 2002-02 > 1012956201


From: "Coburn" <>
Subject: [KER] Ballymullen Barracks Tralee
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 16:44:10 -0800


Ballymullen Barracks., is seen as the address on some of the marriages
records that appear on Philip O'Rourke's wonderful web site, Irish Ancestral
Pages.
http://www.geocities.com/irishancestralpages/KMmain.html

Below is a history of the Barracks taken from the book Tralee's Old Stock
Reminisce, An Oral History of Tralee and its Surroundings by Mick O'Neill.
no ISBN given, but I am sure it is available in all Kerry bookstores, or a
search of the Internet sites might find a copy.
224 pages with many pictures of Tralee in the olden days. Price in old money
is 8.99 (Irish pounds)
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Ballymullen Barracks, Ballymullen, Tralee.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the idea of proper Barracks came into
vogue and the authorities launched on a campaign of building Ballymullen in
a townland outside Tralee.
Near the River Lee it was selected as the site for the new Barracks in
Kerry. Building was completed and the first troops moved in from Ross Castle
in 1815. The original cost of the barracks was twenty thousand pounds.
Accommodation was provided for 17 officers- 456 other ranks,- 6 horses and a
30 bed hospital. A double wall enclosed the barracks proper, with numerous
gates to the space between the walls, which was overlooked by bastions.

The accommodation for the troops was very basic and very cramped. Some wifes
of the soldiers were permitted to stay in the Barracks. The following is a
quotation from the Standing Orders and Regulations for Army Barracks (1794).
The Officer Commanding in each Barracks shall not upon any pretence
whatsoever permit or suffer any women or children to inhabit or be within
any of the said barracks without pervious notice being given in writing to
the Barrack Board by the Commanding Officer of the Regiment. After such
notice, (as an occasional indulgence and as rending to promote cleanliness,
and the convenience of the soldier), the Commanding Officer may, if he sees
fit, and when in no shape interferes with the accommodation of the men,
permit one or more married women to be resident within the barracks, but on
that account, no one article to be furnished to the Barracks Master.
(A relic of those days can still be seen at the inner North Eastern wall
where there is a women's toilet) This practice continued to the end of the
Crimean War.
Many well known British Regiments were posted to Tralee, and Connaught
Rangers, (the 88th) had their first Depot there. An illustration in a
regimental history of the Connaught Rangers shows the Officers Mess in
Ballymullen Barracks in 1848. The illustration depicts a Captain Maxwell's
Charger mounted, by a Bailey, cleaning the mess table, without laying an
iron on it, to prove a point. The table in question is the table currently
located in the ante room of the present Officers Mess. In 1870 Ballymullen
Barracks was designated as the Brigade Depot of the 7Oth Brigade. Also in
that year, Castle Morris House was built for the Officer Commanding
Ballymullen Barracks. (this house is still there) present-day.
This designation did not last long, as in 1880 the reorganization of the
British Army General Order NO.41 declared that the 101st and 104th Bengal
Fusiliers new name would be the Ist and 2nd Royal Master Fusiliers, with
Ballymullen Barracks as Depot and Regimental Headquarters, and the Kerry
Militia was to become the 4th Battalion R.M.F with Headquarters in
Ballymullen Barracks.
This association with Tralee was to continue up to 1921 when the depot was
relocated in Plymouth. While the regular battalions of the R.M.F. were
stationed in Tralee, all recruits were trained in Ballymullen and on
completion of training joined their regiments.


Part 2 to follow.

p.s. It does say Royal Master Fusiliers in the book. (is this Royal Munster
Fusiliers)??
http://members.tripod.com/regtwarpath/regts/r_mun_fus.htm

The above URL and any word search will tell you more about the Royal Munster
Fusiliers.


Kerry Kate


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