Rockhill Barracks Rockhill Barracks was an Irish Army barracks located in Letterkenny , County Donegal . The Barracks was forced to close due to the 2008 economic meltdown . History . Rockhill House is a 30 - room period building originally built as a manor house in the 17th century for the gentry . Captain Thomas Chambers is the earliest recorded occupier of the house in 1660 . The present structure dates from 1824 and is a listed building . Rockhill House was occupied by The Irregulars during the Irish Civil War . They were removed from the building by a pro - treaty crowd who were led by Letterkenny native James McMonagle . Rockhill House which houses the barracks was later privately owned by Sir Charles John Stewart . His two sons were killed during World War I . He sold the building in October 1936 , through selling agent John King Robinson , due to the fear of attacks from the Irish Republican Army . During years of vacancy the building was used as a Preparatory Irish College . The premises was used by The 24th Battalion from 1969 to 1973 . Rockhill also hosted military combatants before members of the " B " Coy of the 28th Infantry settled there in 1973 . The barracks opened in 1969 and covers of land . The then Taoiseach , Jack Lynch , deployed Irish troops to the border during The Troubles in Northern Ireland . There is evidence that golf was played at Rockhill before the 20th century , long before Letterkenny Golf Club was established in 1913 . A steward wrote to his master stating that golf was being played on the land of Major General ACH Stewart . In a letter he stated " " Mr Chambers , Manager of the Ulster Bank , Dr Carre and a few others been playing golf on the lawn starting at McDaid ' s old lodge and going across into the Fort Field " " . Before its closure the house had undergone major refurbishment with re - roofing of the original building and changing the heating system from turf burning to central heating . Closure . Due to the 2008 Budget cutbacks on military spending the barracks was forced to close . 135 personnel moved to Finner Camp in Ballyshannon on 31 January 2009 . Willie O ' Dea , Minister for Defence , who defended the closure , said " " There were too many army barracks for an army and a country of Ireland ' s size " " . Local people protested and stated that " " the Government was walking on the people and the proposals would mean the loss of €6 . 5 million to the local economy " " . Dessie Larkin , a local councillor , said " " I think it is a huge mistake to leave the north of the county without an army presence . The county would be cut off if it was blown up . What do people do in north Donegal now if there is a flooding crisis or other disaster ? " " He recalled how his father James ( Big Jim ) Larkin was presented with a membership card for the officer ' s mass . The Sunday mass was only part of what the barracks meant to the community . " " For people living in Bomany , Oldtown and New Mills it was a God send " " , he said . Protest . A protest march was held in Letterkenny on Saturday 15 November 2008 in objection to the barracks closure . It began at the Bus Éireann depot at 1 . 30pm and came to a climax at the Market Square . The protest was organised by the Donegal Steering Group Against Barrack Closures who include former Rockhill service personnel . Fine Gael politician Dinny McGinley was forced to leave the Dáil after he caused a row with Willie O ' Dea . When O ' Dea failed to answer McGinley ' s request for him to visit Donegal , the Donegal TD demanded that he prove whether he is " " a man or a mouse " " . Leas Ceann Comhairle , Brendan Howlin asked McGinley to leave when he repeatedly shouted at O ' Dea . An open day was held at the barracks on 14 January 2009 and a final mass on 18 January was celebrated by Army Chaplain , Fr . Alan Ward . The open day provided soldiers and members of the general public with an opportunity to remember times gone by . On Wednesday , 28 January , soldiers marched down the Barracks avenue for the last time before proceeding to march from the Courthouse to the Library on the town ' s Main Street . Several hundred people lined the streets to acknowledge the role the army had played as soldiers from the 28th Battalion paraded through the town . The future . It has not yet been decided what will become of the Rockhill Estate . Many suggestions have been made : Publications . Lt . - Col . Declan O ' Carroll , commanding officer at the barracks from 1981 – 1983 , 1984 – 1986 and 1992 – 1993 , published his 62 page book " " Rockhill House – A History " " in 1984 . It was published by Defences Forces Printing Press and it was revised in 1994 .