Our Shared Built Military Heritage: The online mapping, inventorying and recording of the Army Barracks of Ireland, 1690-1921 (OSBMH)
Principal investigators: Dr Charles Ivar McGrath, UCD, and Dr Suzanne Forbes, The Open University
Funded by the Government of Ireland / HEA Shared Island North-South Research Programme 2022
Ireland has the remains of about 400 army barracks built between 1690 and 1921. While a few remain in military use in the twenty-first century in both Northern Ireland and the Republic, the story of this built heritage is largely unknown or at times simply avoided because of its association with British rule. These sites can be areas of contested historical memory, with various political perspectives leading to very different understandings of these buildings and their place in Ireland’s history and culture. This project looks to uncover the story of these barracks and to help the general public learn more about these sites and develop a new understanding and appreciation for that history and its place within Ireland’s built heritage and culture. The project will facilitate this public engagement with our built heritage through the development of an online map and inventory of all these barracks and of an app that can be used to explore some of these sites both online and in person.
See also: (opens in a new window)https://barracks18c.ucd.ie/
See also The Irish Times article (opens in a new window)Cross-Border research projects to get €37m funding (Wed, Mar 2, 2022)