There was serious concern in the Border town of Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, last night at the proposed closure of the base at Camp Muckno. According to local councillors the Castleblayney barracks, with 70 personnel, is worth more than £1 million annually to the town's economy.
Castleblayney UDC chairman Mr Michael McHugh said the Minister's proposal was most regrettable and had serious implications for the town, even if it was not totally unexpected .
He said the gradual scaling down of personnel from 100 to 7O in recent times was an indication of what was now happening in this part of the State. "Personnel attached to the base are an integral part of the local population and have played a major role in the socio-economic life of the area. I am hopeful the Army families will continue to reside in the area irrespective of the closure."
He said he was optimistic they might still be able to persuade the Minister to change his mind because of the strategic location of the base close to the south Armagh Border .
Monaghan county councillor Mr Brendan Hughes said that unfortunately the economic yardstick used by the Minister had militated against the retention of the base at Castleblayney, given the proximity of other barracks. The men of the 27th Battalion are accommodated 17 miles away at Dundalk and the 29th Battalion is in Monaghan, 10 miles away.
The base was opened in 1969 at the Sluagh Hall. It was initially set up to cater for refugees from the North after the riots there in which Catholic homes were burned. The base was established as a support unit for the 27th Battalion in Dundalk.