Marking the centenary of the departure of British soldiers from Dundalk military barracks

The 27th Infantry Battalion will officially mark the centenary of the departure of British soldiers from Dundalk Army Barracks (Aiken) and subsequent takeover by Irish soldiers on Wednesday 13 April 2022.

The ceremony will commemorate the troops of the Fourth Division North, under the command of Major General Frank Aiken, who took control of Dundalk Army Barracks on behalf of the Free State Army Headquarters at 2 p.m. on the 13th April 1922. The commemoration will begin at 1:45 p.m. with soldiers from the 27th Infantry Battalion accompanied by the No. 1 Army Band marching out of the barracks from the Point Road Gate, marching through St. Gerard’s Square and returning into the barracks through the old Barrack Street gate. The general public is invited to attend this parade.

At 2:30 p.m. Mr. Frank Aiken Jr will unveil a plaque at the Barrack Street gate commemorating the takeover of the barracks by the Fourth Division North. The 27th Infantry Battalion will also host a series of historical lectures. These historical lectures are open to everyone and will cover the main events of the 1922 period, starting with “The Story of Aiken Barracks and the Handover” on Wednesday April 13 at 7:00 p.m. in the County Museum Dundalk auditorium. This lecture will be given by Lieutenant Pádraic Agnew and Sergeant Riccardo Lucchesi.