In 1795 King House was purchased by the British Army as the headquarters of the Connaught Rangers.
The Connaught Rangers were an Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793.
This grand Georgian House was converted into infantry barracks for 12 officers and 260 non-commissioned officers and private foot soldiers. There was stabling for five horses and a 30-bed hospital and jail cells were built into the basement.
During the time the Connaught Rangers were based at King House, until they were disbanded in 1922, they played a role in major wars in different parts of the world from the Peninsular Campaigns against Napoleon’s forces to the trenches and the battlefields of World War I.
In 1922 the British Army began to withdraw from Ireland, the Connaught Rangers were disbanded and King House became the property of the Irish Free State Army (Irish National Army).
Today King House is home to the Connaught Rangers Association, an organisation dedicated to remembering this proud regiment. The association provides genealogical support for ancestors of men who served with the Rangers.
Our extensive exhibition houses the collections of the Connaught Rangers and gives us a glimpse into how life was for the infantry during these extraordinarily challenging times. It is complimented by the Creation of a Nation exhibition, which tells the story of King House, Boyle and the Connaught Rangers during the struggle for Irish independence.
