Curragh Military Museum – Restored Rolls Royce Armoured Car | Season 5 – Episode 43
Wheels May 30, 2025
The Curragh Military Museum, located within the Defence Forces Training Centre at Curragh Camp, County Kildare, offers a wide exploration of military history across three main themes: the natural environment—including local archaeology, flora, and fauna; the British military presence up to 1922; and the evolution of the Irish Defence Forces.
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At its core, the museum focuses on the story of the Irish Defence Forces, tracing their development from the formation of the Irish Volunteers, through the War of Independence and the Civil War, and into the modern era.
Among the standout exhibits are historic weapons, uniforms, and photographs. A particularly symbolic artifact is the last British flag flown over Curragh Camp, lowered in 1922 to mark the end of British control.
SLIABH NA MBAN
The most famous vehicle in the museum collection is “Sliabh na mBan”, the 920 Pattern Rolls Royce armoured car forever associated with Michael Collins.
Sliabh na mBan is one of thirteen Rolls-Royce armoured cars supplied to the Irish Free State in 1921 following the Anglo-Irish Treaty. Built in 1920 on a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost chassis, it was originally designed for the British Royal Naval Air Service during World War I. Powered by a 7434cc six-cylinder engine, it reached speeds of up to 100 kph and featured 8.5 mm rolled steel armour and a 7.62 mm Vickers machine gun mounted in a revolving turret.
Though technologically impressive, it is remembered most for its link to General Michael Collins. On August 22, 1922, Sliabh na mBan was part of the convoy ambushed at Béal na mBláth, West Cork, where Collins was fatally shot. His death marked a defining moment in the Irish Civil War and cemented the vehicle’s place in national memory.
Following the ambush, the vehicle was reportedly taken by anti-Treaty forces and used in operations around Macroom. After the Civil War, it remained in service with the Defence Forces until 1947, when it was quietly retired as part of post-war reductions.
Preservation efforts by the restoration team in the Transport School ensured its survival.
In 2011, it was fully restored by the Irish Defence Forces’ Combined Vehicle Base Workshops, with period-accurate fittings replacing modern ones to maintain authenticity. Today, Sliabh na mBan is the oldest vehicle in the Cavalry Corps and remains in perfect working condition and is driven regularly.
Sliabh na mBan Specifications:,
Engine – Rolls-Royce 40/50 H.P 6 Cylinder 7434cc,
Power – 40/50hp,
Gearbox – 4 forward + reverse,
Speed – 60 mph,
Crew – three,
Armament – Vickers .303 machine gun,
Armour – 0.335 ins,
VEHICLES ON DISPLAY
On display alongside Sliabh na mBan in the museum’s indoor exhibition is a Peerless Armoured Car, similar to those deployed by British forces during “Bloody Sunday” in 1920.
Outdoor museum displays include a Comet A34 and Churchill tank, a Beaverette Mk IV Scout Car, and a Panhard M3 APC. With nearly 50 vehicles in the Defence Forces vintage fleet, restoration projects at the Vehicle Base Workshops are ongoing for those vehicles on display as well as those held in reserve storage.
The vintage fleet restoration team attached to the Transport School is also restoring several other vehicles, including another Comet tank, Land Rover Series IIa and III, a 1952 Willys Jeep, a Unimog SH Scout Car, and a Citroën Méhari. In 2024, the museum also acquired a Lancia Armoured Car chassis for future restoration.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
The Curragh Military Museum is located at the Defence Forces Training Centre, Curragh Camp, County Kildare just an hour from central Dublin. The museum is free entry and is open from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday. Closed Fridays and Saturdays. Open from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. Large groups or tours must book in advance.
If you have an idea for a story, please email Kevin Reid [email protected]
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Check out one of our previous Irish Defence Forces video-stories:
Sources of Information & Photo Credits:
Irish Army Vehicles – Transport and Armour Since 1922 by Karl Martin
Irish Independent
Kildare Now
Military.ie
tanks-encyclopedia.com
The History of the Transport Corps
The National Archives of Ireland
