Previously housing first British Armed Forces and later Irish Army garrisons through three centuries, the barracks were the oldest continuously occupied example in the world. Built in , and further extended in the late 18th century and 19th century, the complex's main buildings are neo-classical in style.
Since the barracks have been home to collections of the National Museum of Ireland for Decorative Arts and History exhibits , and the original structures have seen some award-winning redevelopment and conservation work to support this new role. Save for the Royal Hospital Kilmainham , the barracks is the earliest public building in Dublin, and was built from by the then Surveyor General under Queen Anne , Thomas de Burgh.
Built on a site originally intended for a mansion of the Duke of Ormonde , the complex has several large squares, each open on the south side. The largest square Clarke's Square has arcaded colonnades on the east and west sides, and the main buildings are faced with granite.
The oldest inhabited barracks in Europe [ 4 ] and once one of the largest , it was originally known simply as the Barracks and later the Royal Barracks. Wolfe Tone , one of the main leaders of the rebellion was held prisoner, court-martialled and convicted of treason at the Barracks. Through the 19th century, up to 1, troops of various Regiments of Foot and up to two troops of horse were stationed at the barracks. However, by the s conditions of accommodation were dangerously inadequate, and they were strongly criticised following an investigation by Commissioners of the War Office as levels of disease increased.
It was almost immediately named Collins Barracks after Michael Collins , the first commander-in-chief of the Free State, who had been killed that year. The 5th Infantry Battalion marched out of the barracks for the last time in As part of de-militarisation, the barracks underwent considerable redevelopment β including the conversion and linking of two sides of Clarke Square with glass-faced structures.
