Artillery gun back at Columb Barracks

Regan Kelly

An artillery gun that had been gifted to the people of Mullingar has been returned to the grounds of Columb Barracks.

The gun had been on display in Belvedere House and Gardens since 2010, courtesy of the Defence Forces then stationed in the barracks.

In recent years the gun had been taken down from display at the entrance to Belvedere and moved into storage.

Historian Jason McKevitt said: “The Defence Forces gifted the people of Mullingar with the gun, and it was placed at Belvedere House and Gardens, which at the time was significant because of both Belvedere’s and Mullingar’s associations with military history.

“Then, in recent years, it disappeared, and I later found out that it had been moved into storage, so for some time, we were at loggerheads, because as a historian, I wanted it back on display.

“Thankfully, I was contacted by Cllr Michael Dollard a few weeks back, and he said that the gun was being moved back to the front of the barracks, I would like to commend Cllr Dollard on his hard work in getting our gun back to where it belongs.”

Cllr Michael Dollard added: “As an ex-army man, I was disgusted when I saw where it had been left.

“From there I got in contact with the county manager and the director of services, and it was brought back home to the barracks, on display to the left-hand side as you go in.”

“It’s now in a perfect spot, as it’s under a canopy, which will stop it from getting damaged from weather.

“Mullingar is unique, and as far as I’m concerned, it will always be a military town.”