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Millmount Fort
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==History== It has been fortified in historical times since the early 12th Century CE when the invading Normans built a [[motte and bailey]] on what was probably originally a [[Neolithic]] [[passage grave]] similar to [[Newgrange]]. In Irish cosmology, it is often assumed to be the burial place of [[Amergin Glúingel|Amhairgin mac Míled]], whose name ("Amhair" = singing; "gin" = give birth) indicates that in ancient [[Irish mythology]] he was regarded as the originator of the arts of song, poetry and music. The shamanistic Early Irish poem "The Song of Amhairgin", uttered by him in the story of his entry into Ireland by the [[River Boyne]], was therefore conventionally regarded as the first Irish poem.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/drogheda-museum-millmount/492|title = Visit Drogheda Museum Millmount with Discover Ireland}}</ref> [[File:Free state troops capture Millmount in Drogheda during the Civil war.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Irish Free State Forces after the shelling of Millmount in 1922]][[Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath|Hugh De Lacy]], one of the [[Normans]] who came to Ireland after [[Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke|Strongbow]], built the original fort circa 1172, having been granted the [[Kingdom of Meath]] by [[Henry II of England|Henry II]]. Later a stone [[castle]] was built on the site. This castle formed part of the defences of the town during the [[siege of Drogheda]] during the [[Cromwellian conquest of Ireland]] in 1649. The fort's English defenders attempted to surrender to Parliamentarian troops under [[Oliver Cromwell]] but were massacred when they gave themselves up on 11 September 1649. The complex was later called Richmond Barracks. Some of the present buildings, in the courtyard, were built circa 1714. After the unrest and rebellions of the 1790s and the [[Acts of Union 1800|Act of Union]] in 1800 the complex was re-fortified and the present tower built.[[File:View of Drogheda from Millmount, by Gabriele Ricciardelli c.1753.jpg|400px|thumb|right|''View of Drogheda from Millmount'' by [[Gabrielle Ricciardelli]] c. 1753. Richmond Barracks can be seen in the centre left.]] The fort suffered considerable damage during the [[Irish Civil War]]. It was occupied by [[Irish Republican Army (1922–69)|Anti-Treaty forces]] and on 4 July 1922, it became the target of shelling by the army of the [[Irish Free State]]. The [[National Army (Ireland)|Free State Forces]] under [[Michael Collins (Irish leader)|Michael Collins]] had been given extensive support by the [[British Army]] at the express wish of [[Winston Churchill]] who insisted that the Republican Forces be crushed. Using the same British Army 18-pounder artillery piece which had shelled the Republican H.Q. in the [[Four Courts]] in [[Dublin]] some days earlier the [[National Army (Ireland)|Free State Forces]] bombarded Millmount fort for several hours before the [[Irish Republican Army (1922–69)|Republican garrison]] retreated. It has been restored in 2000 and is now open to the public as a military museum.<ref name="auto1">{{cite web |url=http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Publications/Development-Plans/Drogheda-Borough-Council/Draft_Development_Plan_2011-2017/RPS_Structures_List.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-06-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115121/http://www.louthcoco.ie/en/Publications/Development-Plans/Drogheda-Borough-Council/Draft_Development_Plan_2011-2017/RPS_Structures_List.pdf |archive-date=4 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
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