The British Army, comprising regular English, Scottish and Welsh regiments and the locally-recruited RIR, maintains a massive garrison across the Six Counties. A British garrison has been in place in the Six Counties since the enforced partition of the island in 1921. It has regularly been reinforced to stand at its current level of circa 19,000 soldiers. Its operational division of the Six Counties is mirrored by the RUC command structure.
THE BRITISH ARMY has a total of 135 fixed military installations/structures throughout the Six Counties.
Accurate figures are difficult to calculate and are deliberately disguised, but according to official British sources, the current overt strength stands at 19,000.
The official British breakdown of these forces is as follows:
Royal Air Force 1,200 Royal Navy 250 RIR 5,500 RIR (Part-time) 3,000 Others 12,050 Total 19,000
162. THIEPVAL BARRACKS, Lisburn: This barracks houses the:
Other various covert units and departments of the British Army, including the SAS, various signals regiments and Special Military Intelligence Units are also administratively located within Thiepval Barracks.
For operational purposes, the Six Counties is divided into three Regional Command Areas:
These command areas correspond to the RUC Regional Command Areas of: Belfast Region; Rural East; Rural West.
The British Army maintains a full operational presence in all of these and in the other Divisional and Subdivisional Commands, which are all in effect heavily-fortified military bases. Besides these joint operational bases, the British Army maintains a series of garrison and operational bases within their sole control.
163. EBRINGTON BARRACKS, Derry: HQ 8th Brigade, British Army.
164. DRUMADD BARRACKS, Armagh: HQ 3rd Brigade, British Army.
165. ABERCORN BARRACKS, Ballykinlar, County Down.
166. LISANELLY BARRACKS Omagh, County Tyrone.
167. PALACE BARRACKS, Hollywood, County Down.
168. ST PATRICK'S BARRACKS, Ballymena, County Antrim.
169. ALEXANDER BARRACKS, Aldergrove, County Antrim.
170. MAHON, Portadown, County Armagh.
171. SHACKLETON BARRACKS, Derry.
172. BISHOPS GATE (MASONIC HALL) BARRACKS, Derry.
173. NORTH HOWARD STREET BARRACKS, Belfast.
174. FORT JERICHO, Belfast.
175. GIRWOOD BARRACKS, Belfast.
176. MUSGRAVE BARRACKS, Belfast.
177. BALLYKINLAR CAMP, County Down.
178. MAGILLIGAN CAMP, County Derry.
179. KINNEGAR CAMP, Hollywood, County Down.
180. LONG KESH CAMP, Lisburn.
181. MOSCOW CAMP, Belfast.
Many of these bases, although ostensibly belonging to specific regiments, are nonetheless used by units from different commands and by covert units of the British Army, including signals regiments and the Special Air Service (SAS).
182. JOINT OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, Magheralave Road, Lisburn.
183. ROYAL IRISH REGIMENTAL HQ, Memorial Building, Waring Street, Belfast.
184. ROYAL IRISH RANGERS REGIMENTAL OFFICE, Sovereign House, the Mall, Armagh.
185. HOME HQ 5TH INNISKILLING DRAGOON GUARDS AND ROYAL IRISH HUSSARS Hydebank, Belfast.
186. STEEPLE ROAD BARRACKS, Antrim.
187. MAGHERAFELT RIR BARRACKS, County Derry.
188. ANDERSON CENTRE, Ballykinlar.
189. SAINT ANGELO BARRACKS, Enniskillen.
190. SAINT LUCIA BARRACKS, Omagh County Tyrone.
191. MALONE BARRACKS Windsor Park Belfast.
192. COOKSTOWN BARRACKS.
Many installations designated Territorial Army are in effect fully-operational bases for regular British Army regiments.
193. `D' SOUADRON, THE ROYAL YEOMANRY TA CENTRE, Dunmore Park, Belfast.
194 102TH ULSTER AIR DEFENCE REGIMENT, TA CENTRE, Crawfordsburn Road, Newtownards.
195. 40TH ULSTER SIGNAL REGIMENT TA CENTRE, Clonaver Park, Belfast.
196. 69TH SIGNAL SQUADRON, Clooney Park, Derry.
197. 4TH VOLUNTEER BATTALLION RIR TA CENTRE, Portadown, County Armagh.
198. 152TH ULSTER AMBULANCE REGIMENT/ROYAL CORPS OF TRANSPORT TA CENTRE, Sunnyside Street, Belfast.
199. 204TH GENERAL HOSPITAL ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS TA CENTRE, Fairmount, Antrim Road, Belfast.
200. 23RD SECURITY COMPANY TA CENTRE, Abbotscroft, Newtownabbey, County Antrim.
201. QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OFFICER TRAINING CORPS, Tyrone House, Malone Road, Belfast.
202. HQ ACF, Railway Street, Comber
203. 1ST CADET BATTALLION RIR, CAW CAMP, Derry.
204. BROADWAY TOWER, Belfast.
205. DIVIS TOWER, Belfast.
206. TEMPLAR HOUSE, Belfast.
207. WARD 19, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.
From 1985 onwards the British Army have bullt a wall of surveillance towers
with attached bunker and garrison facilities which dominate the South Armagh
landscape. These are serviced by helicopter and also provide a patrol and
ground-control function for the British Army.
208. CRIEVEKIERAN.
209. DRUMUCKNAVALL.
210. GLASSDRUMMOND.
211. FOXHALL MOUNTAIN.
212. SLIEVESRACK.
213. CAMLOUGH.
214. CROSSLIEVE(DROMINTEE).
215. FAUGHILL MOUNTAIN.
216, 217. SLIEVENABALA (2 POSTS).
218. FATHOM MOUNTAIN.
219. LISLEA.
220. STURGEON MOUNTAIN.
221. BELLEEKS.
Outside of South Armagh, the border is ringed with massive fortified military bases which serve as permanent vehicle checkpoints. These bases also have an operational role in terms of patrolling the border area.
222. LETTERKENNY ROAD, Derry.
223. COSHQUIN, Derry.
224. CULMORE ROAD, Derry.
225. CAMELS HUMP, Strabane, County Tyrone.
226. CLADY VILLAGE, County Tyrone.
227. AUGHNACLOY, County Tyrone.
228. CLOGHOGE, County Armagh.
229. MIDDLETOWN, County Armagh.
230. KILLYVILLY, County Fermanagh.
231. ANNAGHMARTIN, County Fermanagh.
232. MAGHERAVEELY, County Fermanagh.
233. KILTURK, County Fermanagh.
234. WATTLEBRIDGE, County Fermanagh.
235. KINAWLEY VILLAGE, County Fermanagh.
236. SWANLINBAR, County Fermanagh.
237. BOA ISLAND, County Fermanagh.
238. COOKSTOWN CENTRE.
239. COOKSTOWN CENTRE.
240. KILLYMEELE ROAD, Dungannon: Attached to Killyman Barracks.
Since the early 1970s, the British Army has blown up and blocked scores of roads linking natural cross-border communities. This policy in conjunction with the siting of permanent fortified border checkpoints and purpose-built British Army surveillance bases has effectively turned the entire border region into a militarised corridor. Listed below are the main blocked roads.
241. CONEY ROAD, Derry.
242. RACECOURSE ROAD, Derry.
243. BALLYNAGART ROAD, Derry.
244. ELAGH ROAD, Derry.
245. GROARTY ROAD, Derry.
246. SIDE ROAD OFF GROARTY ROAD, Derry.
247. ROAD TO MILLBROOK BRIDGE, Derry.
248. ROAD TO GLEN BRIDGE, Derry.
249. ROAD TO HOLLYWELL HILL, Derry.
250. UPPER GALLIAGH ROAD, Derry.
251. ROAD OFF UPPER GALLIAGH ROAD, Derry.
252. LENAMORE ROAD, Derry.
253. BUNCRANA ROAD, Derry.
254. COSHQUIN ROAD, Derry.
255. BOGAY ROAD, Derry.
256. GORTRUSH ROAD, Derry.
257. CREEVAGH ROAD, Derry.
258. KILLEA ROAD, Derry.
259. IMUCK ROAD, Derry.
260. MILLTOWN ROAD, Derry.
261. DRUMBAN ROAD, Tyrone.
262. TULLYMOAN ROAD, Tyrone.
263. LISDOO ROAD, Tyrone.
264. MAXWELL'S CROSSING, Tyrone.
265. CRAIG'S CROSSING, Tyrone.
266. LURGANBUOY ROAD, Tyrone.
267. FREUGHLOUGH ROAD, Tyrone.
268. CASSEY BORDER, Tyrone.
269. GREEN ROAD, Tyrone.
270. PULLYERNAN ROAD, Tyrone.
271. CARN BORDER CROSSING, Tyrone.
272. CRONLAGHY ROAD Tyrone.
273. LAGHTMORRIS ROAD, Tyrone.
274. GARVAGHBLANE ROAD, Tyrone.
275. LAGHTFOGGY ROAD, Tyrone.
276. RED BRIDGE, Tyrone.
277. MEENREAGH BRIDGE, Tyrone.
278. CROAGH BRIDGE, Tyrone.
279. SRUHANGARRE BRIDGE, Tyrone.
280. CORGARY ROAD, Tyrone.
281. TULNASHANE CROSSING, Tyrone.
282. TIEVENAMEETA CROSSING, Tyrone.
283. SEEGRONAN CROSSING, Tyrone.
284. CLOGHER CROSSING, Tyrone.
285. DRUMSKINNY CROSSING, Fermanagh.
286. INISCLIN CROSSING, Fermanagh.
287. LURGANBOY BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
288. BOOLAWATER ROAD, Fermanagh.
289. CURRAGHMORE ROAD, Fermanagh.
290. TAWNAWANNY ROAD, Fermanagh.
291. LETTERBRIDGE ROAD, Fermanagh.
292. TULLVOGY ROAD, Fermanagh.
293. CROAGHASHARRY ROAD, Fermanagh.
294. ROWANTREE HILL CROSSING, Fermanagh.
295. MANGER BEG CROSSING, Fermanagh.
296. LOUGHSIDE CROSSING, Lough Melvin, Femmanagh.
297. DOOARD BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
298. KILCOO ROAD, Fermanagh.
299. CASHEL CROSSROADS, Fermanagh.
300. AGHAVANNY CROSSING, Femmanagh.
301. STUMPY CROSSING, Fermanagh.
302. FARRELLY's CROSSING, Fermanagh.
303. McAULEY's ROAD, Fermanagh.
304. AGHALANE BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
305. LEGAKELLY ROAD, Fermanagh.
306. CLONFAD, Fermanagh.
307. CLONKEE, Fermanagh.
308. LEITRIM BRIDGE, Femmanagh.
309. CLONALTY, Femlanagh.
310. CLONAGUN, Fermanagh.
311. COLEMAN ISLAND, Fermanagh.
312. MONILLY, Femlanagh.
313. KNOCKBALLAMORE, Fermanagh.
314. LACKEY BRIDGE, (by-pass lane) Fermanagh.
315. LACKEY BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
316. DROMARD, Fermanagh.
317. CARRAVETRAGH, Fermanagh.
318. ANNACHULLION ONE, Fermanagh.
319. ANNACHULLION TWO, Fermanagh.
320. AGHAFIN, Fermanagh.
321. MULLINAHINCH, Fermanagh.
322. CLOGH (CLONES) ROAD. Fermanagh.
323. CLOGH (INISHAMMON) ROAO, Fermanagh.
324. REELAN, Fermanagh.
325. REELAN ROCK, Fermanagh.
326. ROUGHILL, Fermanagh.
327. DERRYVOLLEN BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
328. CORAGUNT BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
329. CORAGUNT, Fermanagh.
330. MULLAGHFAD, Fermanagh.
331. MICKEY'S BRIDGE, Fermanagh.
332. PEADAR FRANCIS' CROSSING, Tyrone.
333. JAMES CONNOLLY CROSSING, Tyrone.
334. GREAGH/MCCRYSTAL'S CROSSING, Tyrone.
335. MCMEEL'S CROSSING, Tyrone.
336. MATT THE BAKER/HANGMAN'S TREE CROSSING, Tyrone.
337. SLOAN'S BRIDGE, Tyrone.
338. BALLAGH BRIDGE, Tyrone.
339. KNOCKNAGINNY BRIDGE, Tyrone.
340. CALEDON BRIDGE, Tyrone.
In addition to sealed border roads, the British Army/RUC have erected security barriers/blockages at every significant population centre within the Six Counties. These barriers/blockages are located in a total of 20 towns and cities (NIO figure). For purposes of clarity, these barriers which number several hundred are not specifically located on the map linked to this page.
341. LADAS DRIVE, Castlereagh, Belfast: The RIR and MI5 run an intelligence centre at this location. It also houses the main interrogation centre for the Six Counties. The intelligence centre was set up after the Hillsborough Agreement in 1985 to facilitate an intelligence role for the then UDR (now RlR).
342. ISLAND HILL, Comber: Functions as a GCHQ (eavesdropping) sub-base.
343. GILNAHIRK, Belfast: Functions as a GCHQ (eavesdropping) subbase.
344. TORR HEAD, Ballycastle: British Army radio communications facility
RAF flight staff operate at a large number of heliport facilities which are incorporated into operational British bases across the Six Counties.
345. RAF ALDERGROVE: The RAFs main operational base in the Six Counties. It sits adjacent to Alexander Barracks (169). A second RAF base currently in the process of decommissioning is RAF Bishopscourt.
346. OXFORD ISLAND RADAR BASE: The main communications and radar facility for the Royal Navy. The Royal Navy also has facilities at several bases in the Derry, Antrim and Down areas.
347. CARLINGFORD LOUGH: The Royal Navy's permanent offshore battleship emplacement.
The British Army has erected fortifications of varying size, from barriers and observation posts to permanment barracks, at all judicial buildings in the Six Counties.
348. CHICHESTER STREET, Belfast High Courts, British Army barracks.