Camp, Birr, Co. Offaly

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Where: Offaly, Ireland

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And faithfully following French's journey in the Faithful County we have a military camp with serried lines of "bell tents" inside/outside a military base. This was either when the army were on a war footing or when manoeuvres were underway. Is it at the extreme end of the Lawrence range or earlier, perhaps during the Boer War?

Various contributors (including swordscookie and beachcomberaustralia) confirm that this is Crinkill Barracks in Birr. Niall McAuley suggests that it may have been captured from "upon high" nearby. Flickr user Stephen Callaghan captured some similar photos of the barracks very recently, and has since confirmed that this was the main gate, and likely captured from atop the barrack block. Stephen tells us that the camp-area was known as the "Fourteen Acres", and "was used for parades, training and sports"....

Photographer: Robert French

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914. Possibly before c.1908

NLI Ref: L_ROY_09952

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

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Owner: National Library of Ireland on The Commons
Source: Flickr Commons
Views: 21118

robertfrench williamlawrence lawrencecollection lawrencephotographicstudio glassnegative nationallibraryofireland birr parsonstown cooffaly kingscounty militarybarracks belltents war manoeuvres gathering sentryboxes wicketgates soldiers crinkle crinkill princeofwales leinsterregiment royalcanadians countyoffaly barracks camp militia birrbarracks fourteenacres lawrencephotographcollection

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John Spooner
- 21/Jul/2017 07:25:54
A local photographer who documented Birr at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries was George Morrison of Cumberland Square, Birr. 21 photos of his are held at the UK National Archives in Kew, including ones with such intriguing and tantalising descriptions as "Photograph of John's Place, Birr. Bread cart opposite Mrs Boner's", "Photograph of John's Place, Birr. Two boys on roadway near Dr Stoneys, No 7 Johns Place, Birr", "Photograph of the coffee bar Leinster depot, Birr barracks" (although the copyright for this one belongs to Edward Morrison). I haven't got a visit to Kew planned, but I'll put them on the list of things to see next time I'm there.
CASSIDY PHOTOGRAPHY
- 21/Jul/2017 08:47:10
Is this photo scanned backwards? The original handwriting on the glass plate image is reversed, -or so it seems.
John Spooner
- 21/Jul/2017 08:56:19
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cassidyphotography It looks the right way round judging from the buttons on the tunic of the soldier scratching his chin near the sentry box.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
- 21/Jul/2017 09:08:47
Which was first? catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000317389 - this one, or catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000330910 - another one.
CASSIDY PHOTOGRAPHY
- 21/Jul/2017 09:48:24
Is it possible the tents were temporary until barracks and administration building were constructed?
Foxglove
- 21/Jul/2017 11:03:47
the two guards by the little door have missed the cart going through the big gate ☺
mcginley2012
- 21/Jul/2017 11:18:32
I have a postcard of Finner Camp that looks remarkably like this camp. It's stamp is dated 1914.
Niall McAuley
- 21/Jul/2017 11:28:00
Associated with the Barracks at Crinkill? GeoHive 25 " link Not the gate on Barrack Street...
Niall McAuley
- 21/Jul/2017 11:41:28
Is the bushy tree at right this one on Cemetery road? The photographer is at a height - is he up on this church looking West, and the camp is in the field west of the barracks from the pumphouse or gasworks at left to the cemetery at right?
Swordscookie
- 21/Jul/2017 12:06:29
The Barracks was out on the Roscrea side of Birr on the Military Road, in a pace called "Crinkle". It was burned down after the Treaty and when I was there about 20 years ago there was a lot more of the barracks on view! Looking along in Streetview this is the only part I can find! I suspect that the field with the tents is outside the barracks as the two wicket gates either side of the main gate have the supports on the inside which would be normal. Also the sentries would have been inside to control entry and exit from the barracks. The story in the area was that when the barracks in Birr was burned down the people involved decided to do likewise to that in Templemore but a local man, Kinnane from Upperchurch recognising the value of the place in the future put a stop to that. In 1964 the Templemore Barracks became the home of the Garda Training Centre and has the value of a good sized industry to the local economy. It could have been Birr which would have led to a few interesting headlines down the years!
Swordscookie
- 21/Jul/2017 12:18:57
Looking at the shot in zoom the young lad appeared to me to have scaled the wall of the barracks beside the gate but in fact my eyes deceived me! He is climbing over a stone stile from the camp field onto the road and the angle of view creates the illusion. I was trying to decipher the flag flying in the middle of the camp but have not been able to get the detail. Those appear to be two small field artillery pieces covered by tarpaulins either side of the flagpole!
Swordscookie
- 21/Jul/2017 12:22:48
https://www.flickr.com/photos/foxglove No, those men are leaving the barracks so he will be okay with the Sergt.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
- 21/Jul/2017 13:29:34
Flickr is sometimes amazing! ... I think this is the same bit of wall (from the inside looking out, but lower down and to the left). In July 2017, a few days ago - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28847952@N06/35129803214/Via https://www.flickr.com/photos/28847952@N06/ whose photostream has several recent views of the place.
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
- 21/Jul/2017 13:32:45
Basic wiki history of 'Crinkle' - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinkill_Barracks And the flag may well belong to this regiment - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Wales%27s_Leinster_Regiment_(Royal_Canadians)
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
- 21/Jul/2017 13:53:34
I think I see the Prince of Wales' three white ostrich feathers badge on that flag. Or am I megazoomably dreaming?!
ɹǝqɯoɔɥɔɐǝq
- 21/Jul/2017 14:08:59
Mr French was also 'high' on these photos probably at the same time as above due to the WW1 era uniforms. The barracks looks slightly scruffy - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000323420 catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000330911 This photo below is earlier (imho) see uniforms and smarter looking barracks, and no trees near the chapel - evidently www.flickr.com/photos/lizinitaly/'s great-grandfather on the tricycle! - catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000323419 [https://www.flickr.com/photos/lizinitaly/3384767538/]
Stephen Callaghan
- 23/Jul/2017 22:25:58
This images shows the main entrance of Birr Barracks and would have been taken from one of the barrack blocks and not from the church as suggested in the comments as that would be located off camera to the left. The area the tents are on was known as the Fourteen Acres which was used for parades, training and sports. The image itself depicts what I suspect is the annual camp of the 3rd Battalion, Leinster Regiment which was the local militia battalion. The title gives us the hint with 'The Camp'. These Camps were held annually by the permanent staff of the battalion on the Fourteen Acres and were used for training the members of the militia. When we zoom in on the flag we can see maple leaves which the Leinster Regiment used, so I suspect the flag is some kind of camp flag. As for the date its likely pre 1908. EDIT: I've uploaded a photo I'd taken of this exact entrance. www.flickr.com/photos/28847952@N06/35727615080/in/datepos...
National Library of Ireland on The Commons
- 24/Jul/2017 12:46:58
Brilliant - Thanks https://www.flickr.com/photos/28847952@N06. I've updated the description to reflect. GRMA!