A field gun which was probably used in the first battle of the Civil War has been restored and put on display at the National Museum at Collins Barracks in Dublin.
The 18-pounder field gun was one of six given by the British Army to the new Free State Army in June 1920.
The first shots of the Civil War were fired from one of those guns when the Battle for the Four Courts started with an artillery bombardment of the buildings.
Three or four of that first batch of six British field guns were used at the Four Courts.
Field guns went onto to play a crucial role in the conflict as possessing artillery was one of the military advantages the Free State had over the republican side who possessed none.
Lar Joye who was Curator of Military History at the National Museum for some years had tried to track down one of the Four Courts guns for the Soldiers and Chief exhibition at Collins Barracks. However, there was no trace of where they had ended up.
Then Ken Smith-Christmas a Curator of Military History at the National Museum of the US Army chanced upon something interesting outside a restaurant near the city of Alexandria, Virginia near Washington DC.
He knew from conversations with Lar Joye about the search for a Four Courts gun and when he spotted an 18-pounder field gun covered in ivy outside the restaurant, he got in touch
Their investigations revealed that the serial numbers on the gun and the FF marking used by the Irish Army confirmed this was one of the Mark II 18-pounder field guns donated by the British to the Free State Army in June 1920.
It had been sold for scrap by the Irish Defence Forces in 1959. It ended up being shipped to the United States and bought as a curio by the restaurant owner.
Negotiations followed and the Chief of the Staff of the Defence Forces agreed it should be acquired for return to Ireland.
A team of the Artificers (experts in maintaining weaponry in the Curragh have carefully restored Field Gun 9168 back to close to its original condition
Sargeant Robbie Delaney, one of the team, explained that they had to source new wooden wheels to match those originally used on the gun and to clean off extensive corrosion before repainting
The National Museum Director Lynn Scarff said: "It played a part in a significant period of this country's history, and its subsequent retrieval is a fascinating story of chance encounters and coincidences that enabled its return to Ireland. It has been restored to a very high standard by the Irish Defence Forces and we know it will be a source of great intrigue and discussions for visitors for months and years to come."
The gun is now part of the "Raising the Flag" exhibition at Collins Barracks and Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces Lieutenant General Seán Clancy says it reflects the long-standing relationship between the Defence Forces and the Museum.
"I am delighted that our valued and indeed symbiotic partnership continues and that the National Museum of Ireland remains committed to telling the story of Ireland’s rich military heritage."
