This week saw the last parade of Troops from Rockhill House army barracks in Letterkenny. The barracks at Rockhill and Lifford were victims of the October budget, which saw a total of five military facilities ordered closed in a decision which owes little to financial concerns (as I’ve discussed here before).
This is a massive blow to Letterkenny and Lifford, and the surroundings communities. All local representatives have come out against this, and a number of meetings have taken place between local reps and senior officials and ministers. This is a terrible decision, which will impact in a number of ways, both for the people involved and their families and for the wider community of the town.
People employed at Rockhill have made a massive contribution to Letterkenny over the years. The base will be sorely missed, for economic and social reasons.