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Revision as of 04:35, 24 August 2005 by Lapsed Pacifist (talk | contribs) (rv POV-pushing by Demiurge)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)- There is also a small town named Crossmaglen in New South Wales, Australia, near to the city of Coffs Harbour.
Crossmaglen (Crois Mhic Lionnáin in Irish) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the border with the Republic of Ireland. It has long been a predominantly Catholic and republican town, and the town centre is the site of a large British army and PSNI (formerly RUC) base and observation tower.
However, the British Army has always been an unwanted force by the local population, a prime target for those republicans unwilling to countenance a British presence in the "six counties", as Northern Ireland is known in the town. Since the start of the Troubles in 1969, at least 58 police officers and 124 soldiers were killed by the Provisional IRA in South Armagh, many in Crossmaglen itself. It was here that a team of snipers killed 12 members of the security forces in the 1990s and where the explosives were mixed for the Docklands, Manchester and Bishopsgate bombs.
British army troops arriving at the heavily-fortified Army base at Crossmaglen -- or 'XMG' as it is called by troops -- are welcomed by the words "DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY, WELCOME TO XMG" painted in white, on a brick wall. For British Army personnel, Crossmaglen, known among the troops as "XMG" is one of the most dangerous assignments in Ireland.
In the bases of Bessbrook Mill, Crossmaglen and Forkhill, tension and frustration are high. As a condition of the Provisional IRA ceasefire, British soldiers are not allowed to wear helmets, body armour, or face camouflage. They are now forbidden to aim their weapons at local people (a previously popular tactic), unless returning fire. Their mission has been ostensibly to provide support for the police.
There was a long-running dispute between the local Gaelic Athletic Association and the British army over the siting of one section of the base right onto their pitch in the 1970's. While the British removed this section some years ago, the base still extends onto the club's grounds.
- See also: List of towns in Northern Ireland