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Building of Cathal Brugha Barracks, or Portobello Barracks as it was originally known, began in 1810 and was completed in 1815. Portobello, which means "Beautiful Harbour" in Spanish, was so named by Columbus. It became the main Spanish port on the Caribbean sea coast of Panama for the export of gold and silver from the new world to Spain. Sir Francis Drake looted and burned the city in 1570 and was buried at sea in its harbour. To commemorate this event many places in England and in Ireland were named Portobello. Mount Pleasant Avenue in Rathmines was named "Porto Bello" in 1696 and when the Grand Canal was built at the beginning of the 19th century, the canal bridge to Rathmines was called Portobello Bridge. The area therefore became known as Portobello and therefore the barracks, adjoining the canal, became known as Portobello Barracks.
The Gatehouse by the Main Gate The first troops to occupy the Barracks were the 6th Dragoon Guards under the command of Major General A.J. Goldie. The garrison church was added in 1842 and the canteen block in 1868. In 1887 the additional land was purchased making the total area of the barracks of 36 acres. The Barracks was designed as a cavalry barracks and remained so until the cavalry left for McKee Barracks in 1888. Units who served in the barracks included the Royal Scots Fusiliers, the Royal Munster Fusiliers, the Sherwood Foresters, the Derby Regiment, the Durham Light Infantry, the Warwickshire Regiment, the Middlesex Regiment, the East Lancs Regiment, The Buffs Regiment, the Wiltshire Regiment, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers and the Royal Irish Rifles. The Old Guardhouse - Scene of the 1916 Murders On St. Patrick's Day 1916
the Countess of Limerick distributed shamrock to the troops. A few weeks later
during the Easter Rising, troops from the barracks killed a number of civilians
in the Rathmines area and three prisoners, Mr. Dickison, Mr. McIntyre and Mr.
Sheehy-Skeffington, the editor of "The Irish Citizen" were shot "without
trial" in the barrack guardroom. Capt Bowen-Colthurst, a Company Commander
in the Royal Irish Rifles who ordered the shootings, was later adjudged to be
insane at the subsequent inquiry and courtmartial. He spent 18 months in Broadmoor
Prison. Troops from the Barracks were involved in other actions throughout the
city. One such action took place when a Major Vance led troops from Portobello
Barracks against the South Dublin Union, where Cathal Brugha was the Second
in Command of the defending forces. During the Troubles (1917 -1921) Portobello
was occupied by 5th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, and 2nd and 3rd Battalions
of Royal Berkshire Regiment.
In recent times the barracks
has been developed as a result of the re-organisation of the Defence forces
and the closure of barracks. The Headquarters Eastern Command moved back to
Cathal Brugha in 1994 and in 1998 was re-established as 2 Eastern Brigade Headquarters.
The following units now occupy the Barracks: 2 Eastern Brigade Headquarters
- PDF 2 Eastern Brigade Headquarters
RDF Eastern Group Naval Service
Reserve - RDF | ||||
On
17 May 1922 at 1500 hrs Comdt General Ennis, OC Second Eastern Division led
Irish troops into the barracks to take over possession from Major Clarke, 5th
Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment. The first O/C of the Barracks under Irish
rule was Capt. McManus. Portobello Barracks was a very busy place at that time,
as it became the National Army's Headquarters with General Michael Collins as
Commander in Chief, General Mulcahy as his Deputy and Minister for Defence,
Major General Sean McMahon as Quartermaster General and Major General Gearoid
O'Sullivan as Adjutant General. 
In
addition it accommodated four Infantry Battalions. On 12 Aug 1922 General Collins
left Portobello Barracks for the last time on his ill-fated tour of the south.
In May/June 1924 the GHQ moved to Parkgate leaving behind the Number 7 Brigade
consisting of the 22nd, 23rd and 27th Battalions. HQ Eastern Command was located
in the Barracks from 1935 to 1945. 
On
the 9th May 1952 the barracks was renamed Cathal Brugha Barracks. Cathal Brugha
was second in Command of the South Dublin Union in the 1916 rising, Minister
of Defence in the First Dail and was Acting President of the Provisional Government
for a period of time during the War of Independence and lived in Upper Rathmines
Road. 