Overview
The reason to stop at Kickham Barracks is the garrison chapel: a gable-fronted mid-19th-century church that is the only surviving military garrison chapel in County Tipperary. Everything else on the site is newer than it looks. The barracks closed in 2012, and Clonmel has spent the years since turning the old military compound into an open civic quarter of stone-paved plazas, an education centre and, before long, a Garda headquarters. It’s a pleasant enough place to sit for ten minutes, but come for the chapel and the history rather than the paving.
A Long Military Legacy
The barracks’ story begins in the late 18th century, with the original infantry buildings erected between 1780 and 1782. An adjacent artillery barracks was added in the early 1800s, creating a dual-function garrison that would serve successive generations of soldiers. The site was renamed Victoria Barracks in 1837, and by the 1870s it had become the depot for the 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot following the Cardwell Reforms. After the Childers Reforms in 1881, it housed the newly formed Royal Irish Regiment.
Irish independence brought significant change. The complex was briefly occupied by the IRA in 1922 before transferring to the Irish Free State and being renamed in honour of Tipperary-born writer and nationalist Charles Kickham. The Board of Works took control in 1927, leaving the site largely dormant until the Emergency (World War II), when the 1st Field Engineers restored many buildings. From 1941 to 1956, the 13th Infantry Battalion occupied the grounds, later reorganised into the 12th Infantry Battalion.
Soldiers based at Kickham Barracks played a notable role in international peacekeeping, deploying to the Congo, Cyprus, Lebanon, Kosovo, Chad, and Liberia. The barracks also maintained a strong local presence, assisting with foot-and-mouth disease control in 1941, delivering supplies to snowbound communities in the Nire Valley during the 1963 winter, and supporting town parades and charities. On 26 March 2012, the tricolour was lowered for the final time as 150 soldiers marched through Clonmel, closing roughly 230 years of military use since the barracks were first built.
The Garrison Chapel
The detached gable-fronted chapel is the site’s architectural anchor. Built around 1860, it is County Tipperary’s only surviving example of a military garrison chapel. The building retains much of its original character, including a stained-glass east window, limestone buttresses, and pointed-arch windows framed by cast-iron hood mouldings. A distinctive bell-cote topped with a cast-iron cross finial crowns the structure. Listed with a Regional rating on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, the chapel sits within a grassed enclosure bounded by stone and rendered walls. It remains an active community space, hosting concerts, exhibitions, and remembrance events that honour the barracks’ past.
The regenerated site
Following the 2012 closure, Tipperary County Council set about returning the site to public use. Phase one opened in February 2023: a main public plaza with a bandstand and stepped terrace, a canopy structure along the northern edge, new streets and footpaths, and a car park linking Dillon Street through to the central plaza.
The former North Block now houses the Tipperary Education and Training Board (ETB) centre, which runs full- and part-time courses. The bigger ambition is the ‘College of the Future’, a connected campus planned between Tipperary ETB and the Technological University of the Shannon, costed at around €94 million and, at the time of writing, under review by SOLAS. A new three-storey Garda District Headquarters (roughly 3,630 sqm, with a community engagement hub) is under construction alongside the existing ETB building. The whole complex is a Protected Structure under the Clonmel & Environs Development Plan, covering both the barracks complex (RPS 68) and the main entrance gateway (RPS 69).
Practical Information
- Getting there: The main entrance faces Dillon Street, with pedestrian crossings linking to Parnell Street and Cross Street. Several Bus Éireann routes stop nearby, and the site is easily reachable on foot from Clonmel’s town centre.
- Parking: On-street spaces on Dillon Street and Davis Road, plus the site’s own car park linking Dillon Street to the central plaza. Town-centre car parks are within walking distance.
- Accessibility: The plazas have level access and tactile paving, and the ETB facilities are accessible. The chapel entrance has steps.
- What to expect: The plazas are open around the clock and free to visit. The chapel opens for scheduled events rather than daily, so check local community listings for concerts, exhibitions or remembrance services before making a special trip. Construction is ongoing on parts of the site, so expect some hoarding and occasional noise.
Nearby Attractions
- Cahir Castle – A formidable medieval fortress on the River Suir, roughly 15 km north-west of Clonmel.
- Rock of Cashel – A striking collection of medieval buildings perched on a limestone hill, a short drive east of the town.
- Clonmel – Spend more time in the town itself, exploring the Main Guard, the River Suir waterfront, and the bustling market square.
Tip: Pair a visit to the barracks with a walk along the River Suir promenade for a relaxed afternoon that combines local history with peaceful riverside views.