The barracks were built by Bernard Mullins at the instigation of
Lawrence Parsons, 2nd Earl of Rosse, who had supported the need to build some barracks within a few hours’ march of the
River Shannon, and were completed between 1809 and 1812. In 1873 a system of recruiting areas based on counties was instituted under the
Cardwell Reforms, and the barracks became the
depot for the
100th (Prince of Wales's Royal Canadian) Regiment of Foot and the
109th Regiment of Foot (Bombay Infantry). Following the
Childers Reforms, the 100th and 109th regiments amalgamated to form the
Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians) with its depot in the barracks in 1881. The barracks were taken over by the
Irish Army at that time, but a small group of
Irish Republican Army irregulars took control of the barracks and burnt them to the ground on 14 July 1922. The remaining ruins were demolished in 1985. ==References==