Crossmaglen being the main town of South Armagh, would be noted as having the second largest joint British Army/RUC military barracks built in the area.

The base is adjacent to private homes, Crossmaglen GFC grounds & St Joseph's High school. The base is actually adjoined onto one homeowner's private property. Homeowner's who's houses face onto the Cardinal O'Fiaich Square had large parts of their gardens confiscated in 1973 so as to accommodate an extension to this fortified base and to build a helicopter pad.

The Crossmaglen Community Association who had just purchased a site so as to build a centre, also had their land confiscated. To date, none of the land has been returned to their rightful owners. Periodically, the owners through their Solicitors will write to the Northern Ireland Office seeking to obtain a date when their land might be returned to them. The response from the Northern Ireland Office is always the same - the land will not be returned for the foreseeable future. (see page entitled Crossmaglen Land Owners)

Four Spy Posts sit majestically around the fortified barracks, with several masts jutting on upwards of 200 ft into the air, festooned with Hi Tech Surveillance & Infrared Cameras spying and listening not only on the people of Crossmaglen and surrounding district, but also the people in neighbouring Counties Louth & Monaghan. This equipment knows no Borders. On average, approximately every 23 minutes, helicopters land in the base, the noise deafening the residents. Also, approximately every 30 minutes, a foot patrol of eight soldiers & two members of the RUC will leave the barracks and "patrol" the town and immediate area, then return to base.

In April 1994, while supposedly talking peace, The British mounted what they called 'Operation Rectify' which was the re-building of the Crossmaglen base. It was the biggest British air-mobile operation since D-Day during which 1440 tons of building supplies went into the base.

Nothing has changed in Crossmaglen.

	Token demiliterisation in Crossmaglen   The British Army base in Crossmaglen with sanger
	The British Army base in Crossmaglen now
Ranger's Hall
Ranger's pitch
A house near the base
Back of houses on the Square