St Lucia Barracks is one of the finest – if not the finest example of a Victorian Barracks within the British Commonwealth and former Empire. There is no doubt that over recent years the buildings have been well maintained and deserve their listed status. The Barracks has been a major feature in Omagh since its original commissioning in the 1880's and has provided a major source of employment for the area for well over 100 years. It opened originally as a depot for the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers – the 27th Regiment of Foot – a regimental number that would indicate its seniority within the British Army.
Soldiers who enlisted into the 'Skins were sent to the Regimental Depot in Omagh for initial training and many a young man would have made his way from Donegal, Fermanagh, Londonderry, Tyrone and other counties to begin their military service in Omagh.
With the Two World Wars St Lucia would have been a hub of activity with many soldiers passing through its gates on their way to battlefields in far off destinations. The memorial to the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers encased in the walls of the Barracks remembers those who 'lost their lives during their tour of foreign service 1888- 1908'. Many local names still are proudly remembered on this memorial – McGuinness, Muldoon, Maguire, Moore, Clarke, Donaghy, Kerr, Gallagher – and many of the descendants of those who died in service still live in the Omagh area and hopefully this memorial will stay encased in the walls of this great barracks.
During the Second World War a temporary ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) camp was established where the Silverbirch Hotel now stands and the Lisanelly Barracks complex began at this period. Following the armistice Omagh Council called for the retention of a garrison in Omagh and the Kings Dragoon Guard were the first regiment to be posted there in 1948.
Clearly in recent years the establishment of the Barracks as home to the 6th (County Tyrone) Battalion of the Ulster Defence Regiment and latterly the 4th (County Fermanagh and County Tyrone) Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment is clearer in the memory of the people of Omagh. Lisanelly Barracks was also home to many infantry regiments during its history.
The Army brought many different people to Omagh, many local women married soldiers – some to establish lives as army wives in garrisons all over the world – and some to settle into civilian life in Omagh. Many civilians also worked in the two sites and with their closure came redundancy and unemployment. The contribution of the military to Omagh in financial terms cannot be underestimated.
There is no doubt a large swath of land attached to both military barracks and it is the future of this land that is up for debate. In respect of St Lucia I believe that steps must be taken to ensure that the memorial must stay within the complex, I also believe that with the Review of Public Administration that Omagh will be a designated area for the headquarters of a super council.
This is an excellent opportunity for Omagh to establish a headquarters in buildings that could not be reproduced today. The buildings themselves would set Omagh aside from any other local authority. Local Government will be taking on more responsibilities and with the opportunities afforded by this site office accommodation for the majority of services offered could be houses on one site.
A military museum should also be set up on site and this could work hand in glove with both the Ulster American and Ulster Folk and Transport museum to help trace military connections for those who served in the Omagh area.
Many questions have been put in relation to the Lisanelly site. An education super village has been proposed and there are those who believe that with the changes in our education system a single site could be a preferable option where each school establishes itself on site and where opportunities can be offered to the various students to complete A levels within the various establishments whilst still attached to their 'parent' school.
This gives the Omagh schools the advantage of being able to offer the widest curriculum to all students. I have concerns in relation to the infrastructure required to make this work – the road system in Omagh simply could not cope with thousands of students descending on one site for a 9am start. Bus lanes would have to be constructed, bridges would have to be constructed to bring traffic from the 'Derry Road side to the Gortin Road without having to pass through the town and perhaps consideration would have to be given to altering school times. This village idea may also have an effect on the viability of some of our rural secondary schools – however I will leave those thoughts for another day.
– Ross Hussey
