On July 1^st 2005 the Connaught Rangers museum was officially opened in King House. The opening was significant for a number of reasons and was due for most part to the hard work and dedication of the committee of the Connaught Rangers Association.In addition the cooperation and assistance of Roscommon County Council and the staff of King House must also be thanked for their support and involvement in this venture. King House served as a barracks for the 4^th (Special Reserve) Battalion of the Connaught Rangers since 1788. In 1921 it was handed over to the IRA and subsequently fought over before becoming a Free State army Barracks in 1922.

Gradually the memory of the Connaught Rangers and the hundreds of men who passed through the Barrack Gate, many to die on the battlefield, faded from public mind. The main building fell into disrepair and by the 1970s was due for demolition to make place for a car park. However due to gallant effort of a number of very dedicated and historically conscious individuals the building was saved. Roscommon County Council finally took a very courageous and positive step and restored the main building to its present form. In 1995 King House Museum was reopened to the public and began to attract a steady trickle of visitors from all over the world.However many of these visitors came to learn about the Connaught Rangers whose history was entwined with the history of the building for so long. Following the formation of the Connaught Rangers Association in 2001 one of the aims of the committee was to expand on the rather limited collection of Connaught Rangers memorabilia and attempt to capture the essence of the famous regiment and its history. Thanks to the energy and dedication of our committee and the contributions from our members this finally came to fruition on July 1^st 2005 last. The date was also symbolic as it was the tenth anniversary of the opening of the restored King House to the public.

In order to make the Museum a fitting symbol dedicated to the memory of the Connaught Rangers a huge amount of work was undertaken by the committee. A researcher was employed in London to research and copy the War Dairies and accesses other data on the Regiment from the National Archives in Kew. Some members of the Committee travelled to the Imperial War Museum in London, at their own expense and spent hours trying to track down photos of the Regiment long consigned to the archives. Descendents of the men who served began to contribute family mementos, photos and medals. Perhaps our greatest challenge was to collect money to buy display cabinets that met the highest safety and security standards. The Association did finally receive a government grant, which enabled us to do just that. Roscommon County Council kindly supported us and space was allocated in King House for the Museum. In addition to the rooms dedicated to photos and displays a separate room of Remembrance was opened and local artist, Paul Beirne created a very moving and poignant mural backdrop to the images of some of the officers and men of the Regiment who fell in the Great War.So as result of all this hard work the Connaught Rangers Museum was officially opened in King House on Saturday July 1^st and was supported by a very large crowd of both local people and other organisations and associations to which we are grateful for making the day such a great success. The Connaught Rangers Museum and Room of Remembrance was officially opened by Brigadier General John Martin (retired) who reminded us in his speech of the great link between the Irishmen of the Connaught Rangers and the soldiers of the Irish Defence Forces of today. King House Interpretive Galleries and Museum is open daily (10am-6pm) from April 1^st until September 30^th (visits at other times of the year by arrangement) and we would strongly urge members to make an effort to visit. We would value all comments and suggestions to improve and expand the Museum. We would also point out that the Connaught Rangers Museum is in King House thanks to the generosity of the Roscommon County Council. The Connaught Rangers Association does not employ staff or have anything to do with the administration and running of the day-to-day business of King House. However we would like to thank to the staff of King House who assist the Association in every way possible and are always only to ready greet visitors and put them in contact with the Association. Other information on King House can be accessed on their excellent website www.kinghouse.ie Finally I would like to make particular mention of that small group of brave, civic-minded people who stood fast against tough opposition to prevent the demolition of King House throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Without them there would now be no King House, no Connaught Rangers Museum, no visitors to Boyle and no employment for the staff of King House and possibly no Association. For their bravery and dedication we would like to extend our sincere thanks on behalf of all our members, long overdue.